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Much has been written about the pros and cons of steel shot but we’ve all forgotten to talk to the true experts, says Simon Reinhold
Wildfowling
Twenty years ago, when restrictions on the use of lead shot on the foreshore came in, the steel shot cartridges commercially available to wildfowlers were not good enough. Steel shot performance has been playing catch-up ever since and still struggles to slough off its poor reputation. But there was a small band of committed shooters who started experimenting by loading their own. Is it possible that they might have some insights into the future of shooting live quarry with a shotgun over the next few years?
Graham Howse is secretary of Wells & District Wildfowlers Club and has been home-loading steel for 20 years. “I use it for fowling, of course, but also for game shooting and pigeon shooting without any problems, but you do have to experiment to find what works for you,” he says.
Steel shot performance
To get the best out of steel, he adds, you have to get it going as fast as you can. It’s important to remember that not all steel shot is the same. Some of the best comes from China: “It’s really good, very uniform in size and easy to load,” says Graham.
“I like to buffer my loads for geese and use Mix 47 buffer, which was specially developed for steel shot. It’s essentially a very fine grain powder. I also use ‘wad slick’ in the cartridge when loading, which is a slippery powder. I coat the steel shot with that then buffer it. It’s all about reducing friction and driving it at speed.”
Steel shot
Shot size and velocity make a huge difference with steel
Clean kills
Some shooters may be frightened of using steel, but Graham says they needn’t be. “I don’t load duck cartridges now because I don’t need to: some of the commercially produced 3in duck cartridges are as good as anything you want to shoot. Gamebore Mammoth 36g No 3s and RC Atomic Steel 36g No 3s I will quite happily shoot at anything that is in my ability to kill cleanly.
“The wads are different as they are the full length of the shot case to protect the barrel from the steel pellets. There is a fantastic book called The Status of Steel, which has 300 or 400 loads for steel shot in the back of it. It’s the ultimate recipe book and from there you can mix and match components,” he enthuses.
“I roll-turnover all my home loads and you can get a couple of grains more powder in the cartridge and you can increase the velocity without affecting the pressure. With steel, speed kills. My own wildfowling load for geese is 40 grains and 40g. I had a very successful duck load in a 3in case with 28g of No 4s going at 1,650fps. I also use a clear fragmented disk over the top of that,” he adds. “To prevent rust, I sometimes use copper-coated steel pellets — it reduces friction as well as preventing corrosion.”
Wildfowling with steel shot
Some of the commercially produced 3in duck cartridges are superb
Patterning
Graham describes loading your own cartridges as being similar to tying your own fly as “it gives you another insight into the sport. Patterning is still important and has to be done right with a minimum of 10 cartridges. If the pattern is blown, reduce your powder and don’t be frightened of aftermarket chokes.”
Ben Walmsley, a highly respected reloader who set up the Pressure Detectives group on Facebook, is another who has embraced steel shot. But he warns that manufacturers will need to up their wad game if they are to move away from single-use plastics within the five-year timeframe set by BASC and other groups.
“They can’t expect game shooters to shoot fibre wad bismuth; even though it is getting better, it will always be expensive,” he says. “You can get steel to match the performance of lead at standard ranges. While No 5s pattern well on paper from a 12-bore, a pigeon decoyer would have to bring his decoys into 25 yards. At 40 yards you’ll kill the odd bird but there are too many cripples. Having said that, when you shoot No 5s in a 20-bore they seem more lethal another 10 yards further on than in a 12-bore.”
For the best steel shot performance, Ben says, the key factors are choking and speed. “Aftermarket steel chokes can give very dense patterns. I came away from Patternmaster as they don’t like big shot. Kicks chokes shot really well, but I’m now on Italian chokes made by Gemini — half and half in a 20-bore. I shoot three-quarters in my 12-bore, but it is horses for courses,” he says.
“In a 20-bore the sweet spot for speed is 1,450fps (2.5m from muzzle). In a 12-bore it is 1,480fps to 1,520fps.”
These speeds, Ben says, are over the standard set by the International Proof Commission (CIP), and he suggests that the proof authorities should reconsider the upper limits for steel shot performance. In Ben’s experience, shooters used to lead loads can struggle to adjust to steel.
In order to ensure the excellent quality of Blasting Media Abrasive 1.4mm Steel Shot for Shot Peening, every employee of our company constantly improves their self-cultivation and strives for perfection in every link. We strive to establish a leading position in the industry and to build international competitiveness by virtue of our excellent operating efficiency and corporate culture. Looking forward to the future, all of our colleagues will work hand in hand with all partners with a diligent and pragmatic style and an open and cooperative attitude.
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