# Black Cloud FS Steel or Snow goose ?



## laviii

I am looking at Federal Black Cloud FS Steel 3" 1 1/4oz or Black Cloud FS Steel, Snow goose 3" 1 1/8oz.
I have shot 3" 1 1/4oz #2 it worked well on Black ducks and Geese.

Has anyone shot them both and see a different in them?


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## drduck

Bought a case of the snow goose for spring hunt. Used the #2 snow goose Black Cloud. Absolutely exploded the birds. Breast bones were at times shattered into tiny pieces.

So impressed that just picked up a case of the HV 3inch 3's for saskatchewan duck/goose hunting. Even my bro was impressed enough to buy some black clouds for the fall. Of course the retired guy leaves in a week!


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## winnebagowaterfowler

Hey guys. As far as Black Cloud FS Steel or Snow goose, I have shot them, then a guide in Wisconsin turned me on to Hevi Shot and Hevi Metal. Wow. What a difference! I was using Hevi Shot #6, yes #6, 3", 1 1/4's for duck and had a flock of geese come in with no time to change out loads. Glad I didn't, because I found out I didn't need to. The knockdown power was just as good as if I would have switched over to my BB's. I have also found that the Hevi Metal 3" #3's 1 1/4 oz. work just as well on geese, and are easier on the wallet if need be. Plus with the 1500 FPS it really blows any comparable load away. With the sales and rebates, prices are very comparable to alot of other loads out there. Pick up a box and you'll see what I mean. You won't need to buy T's or BB's again. I know rogers sporting goods is usually running $199 a case for Hevi Metal.


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## Andy Weber

Second the HeviMetal..un believable knock down power and payload. I have shot cheap shells($52.99 a case) and had more knock down power than a freight train, but at a sacrifice of speed and pattern, but HeviMetal has the best of each!


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## Savage+Hornady=BUCK

if you dont like spending a lot of $ but still like to drop your ducks and geese. i been using winchester E-xpert Hi volocity and havent had a prob. 3'' BB for geese 3" 2s for ducks and either 3" BB or 2 3/4" BB for snows


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## duckp

Pattern both.There's a difference in speed and that can change things.Hard to beat Black Cloud 1 1/4 number 2s.Nothing does in my Extrema icluding Hevi Shot.Never shot the Hevi Metal.


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## kingcanada

Try this one. The only reason that Black Cloud works well is the wad system. The 1/2 payload of keg shaped shot actually slows down a lot faster than the round shot. The wad however, keeps the shot from releasing (from the wad) as soon as it leaves the barrel. Superior delivery system with questionable pellets. I wish they would just use the round pellets for an even better long range load. Anyway, try patterning them at 20, 40, and 60 yards. You may find an obscenely tight pattern at close range. One that is darn tough to hit with and real tough on the bird meat. At 40 things will look pretty good. At 60, where it actually begins to matter, those non round pellets are really straying out from the round ones. I personally like a load that doesn't do that at longer ranges. And at 40 yards, anything works.


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## Dave Owens

I agree with Savage. Winchester Xperts HV kill everything a person should be shooting at for a reasonable price. Save the money you would have spent on expensive shells and buy gas for scouting instead.


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## duckp

Pattern your own loads from a bench.Don't listen to internet myths and gibberish.Try assorted chokes,factory often more than adequate.settle on a load(s)for your purposes and you're good for the life of the gun.


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## Browning Guy

We had a gun smith tell us to try the Carlson black cloud choke with black cloud shells and at 60 yards it was amazing the pattern with #2s i will stick with black cloud any day!!! :sniper:


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## the professor

Browning Guy said:


> We had a gun smith tell us to try the Carlson black cloud choke with black cloud shells and at 60 yards it was amazing the pattern with #2s i will stick with black cloud any day!!! :sniper:


got any pattern pictures from 60 yards?


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## Browning Guy

got any pattern pictures from 60 yards?[/quote] NO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PICS, IT WAS A NO BRAINER ON WHAT WORKED BEST FOR US!!! :beer:


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## maanjus11

I couldn't agree more on the black clouds. I never tested them, but the difference I noticed while hunting from other loads and the black clouds have been amazing. The black clouds, simply put, put the birds on the ground, dead. For years I've shot the Xpert steel. They work, but it always seems that the birds are still alive when hit...I'm sure there are a lot better shots than I am that can probably thump with the Xpert, but from my experience, for me it doesn't work. I'm sold on black clouds and will use them for many years.


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## FliesItDies3.5

Why is it that Federal Premium only makes their Black Cloud Snow Goose in 3s? I would think that with Goose hunting you would want all the help you could get like that of a 3 1/2 ??


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## southLA

Most snow goose hunters want the most shells in gun possible. can fit an extra shell or 2 when you have a 3 vs 3.5


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## goosegrinder

> I would think that with Goose hunting you would want all the help you could get like that of a 3 1/2 ??


 Not for spring snows(which is what the loads were leaning towards). They have no fat layer to deal with. Shooting 3.5" all day will make ya flinch worse than the birds getting hit by them. I've shot the Snow goose loads and if I could afford them on a regular basis,I'd shoot them all the time for ducks and spring snows,they are a great load.

Alex


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## snow

FYI,The problem with all of these loads no matter who the manufacturers are is the steel pellets,winchester,federal,kent...steel is steel and lacks the down range energy @ 8g/cc(lead is 11g/cc)this is weight and density data,steel,is to light weight for longer kill shots,some guyz know this and up size the pellet size BB,BBBeven T shot,sure they'll nock a few birds down,but the further out the more the pattern spreads and you cripple or miss more than you shoot,but there is only one manufacturer that figured out what it takes to make clean long range shots with smaller sized pellets=more payload on target and more dead birds,now some of these other companies are introducing their own version of tungsen loads for those folks wanting that extra knock down power w/o shooting a 10ga or 3.5 12ga ammo.3" 12ga is all ya need.Hevi shot is 12g/cc,thats a fact.


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## the professor

snow said:


> Hevi shot is 12g/cc,thats a fact.


What's the density of the tungsten pellets in the HeaviMetal loads?


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## JethroBodine

snow said:
 

> FYI,The problem with all of these loads no matter who the manufacturers are is the steel pellets,winchester,federal,kent...steel is steel and lacks the down range energy @ 8g/cc(lead is 11g/cc)this is weight and density data,steel,is to light weight for longer kill shots,some guyz know this and up size the pellet size BB,BBBeven T shot,sure they'll nock a few birds down,but there is only one manufacturer that figured out what it takes to make clean long range shots with smaller sized pellets=more payload on target and more dead birds,now some of these other companies are introducing their own version of tungsen loads for those folks wanting that extra knock down power w/o shooting a 10ga or 3.5 12ga ammo.3" 12ga is all ya need.Hevi shot is 12g/cc,thats a fact.


&#8230;HERE WE GO AGAIN...


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## snow

Jethro,

LOL,Naw,we're good...


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## BigT

drduck said:


> Bought a case of the snow goose for spring hunt. Used the #2 snow goose Black Cloud. Absolutely exploded the birds. Breast bones were at times shattered into tiny pieces.
> 
> So impressed that just picked up a case of the HV 3inch 3's for saskatchewan duck/goose hunting. Even my bro was impressed enough to buy some black clouds for the fall. Of course the retired guy leaves in a week!


I like to have some birds to eat and not the breast bone pieces. Guess I would rather not explode my birds, but that is me. BC for snowgoose is way overkill. Fed bluebox is all you need, 3 in, not 3.5. We had a hunt last spring where 7 cases were shot, I would cry if it was 3.5" BC....


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## CrazyWalsh81

I picked up a few boxes of the BC Snow goose for snow geese last April and liked how they dropped birds. I used another box during a day of early goose and got a case from Dunn's for $175 to the door. I went with the snow because they have the #2 and at 1550 I think were the regilar are under 1400fps. I shot them all year and had no issues or complaints. I guess for an all around shot they are great and I've always liked #2's. I haven't shot the heavy metel, but I hear alot of great things about them, for $200 a case I'd be intrested in them, but I will shoot a few boxes and check my cokes with them. I did have a Blackcloud Patternmaster on my gun the whole time shooting. I didn't notice any more damage than any other round, but did notice I took down some geese when no one else was able to drop them. It does a number up close....


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