# steel shot



## mallard mauler (Dec 6, 2006)

i was just wonderin if any of you guys have thought of this, the grains listed for a steel shot load is say 1700 fps at 50 grs. of steel powder, so yopu can consistently throw 49 grs. what do you think you would be sacraficing in f.p.s? 100,200,etc. by letting it go at a grain less than max.?


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

STEEL powder will not drop, consistantly.
STEEL powder states right on the side of the bottle.
MUST BE WEIGHED. Good luck with it.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

Yes steel powder states that on the bottle. But, in certain reloaders it can be thrown very consistently.

I rarely get more than 0.1 grains difference through my Mec with a powder baffle and always keeping the bottle half full or more.

My usual load is set up 0.5 gr below the max, and I doubt you will see much of a noticeable difference being 1 gr lower, especially with that much powder.

In the ultra high velocity loads like you mentioned, you will see better killing results at short ranges, but once you get above 1500 fps, you really won't see much of a difference past 30-40 yds between the standard loads and the high velocity. I have actually come to prefer a load around 1500 fps, as a combination of pellet count and good velocity.

For comparison #2 going 1800 fps at the muzzle will be going 668 at 50 yds, where a #2 going 1400 fps at the muzzle will be going 590 at 50 yds. So the gain of 400 fps at the muzzle is only 78 fps at 50 yds. A #T going 1800 fps at the muzzle will be going 796 fps at 50 yds, where a #T going 1400 fps at the muzzle with be going 697 fps at 50 yds. 78 - 99 fps isn't much when you factor in how many fewer pellets you have in the ultra high velocity loads. I have also seen, with BB and larger steel, that anything above 1500 fps, the patterns get large holes in them due to the steel knuckle balling. I did have good results with some 3" high velocity over decoys, but prefer more pellets and better patterns when getting into longer shots.

I shoot and load 12 ga. 3 1/2 in mostly for steel, only switching pellet size. 1 1/2 oz of #2 or #3 for ducks, and switch to #T-TT for geese at a listed 1450 fps out of the book, 1510 over the chronograph, with the difference more than likely being due to backbored barrels.


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

Good luck with that. I will use the lyman 1200 That I just brought home today. I also use a mec loader. I didn't mention any fast loads. But I will say that I will be shooting 1700 plus fps this year using 7/8 to 1 1/8 oz. of #3's mostly and some #2's all in 2 3/4". I may load some 3" #1's or BB's If I get a chance to hunt geese. But for ducks the 3's did just fine last year out to 45 or 50 yards. anything inside 40 fell stone dead. pass that I may or may not need a follow up shot. Also FYI there is as many pellets in 1 oz. of steel 2's as there is in 1 1/4 oz. of lead 4's. I do agree the more pellets in the air the better. but I also found out I don't need that many. An ounce will take anything I shoot at out to 50 yards with #3's. and a couple more hundred fps just means I don't have to pick shot out of the meat. It goes clean through and into the vitals.

Good luck.


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## mallard mauler (Dec 6, 2006)

thanks for the replies guys


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

duckmander said:


> Good luck with that. I will use the lyman 1200 That I just brought home today. I also use a mec loader. I didn't mention any fast loads. But I will say that I will be shooting 1700 plus fps this year using 7/8 to 1 1/8 oz. of #3's mostly and some #2's all in 2 3/4". I may load some 3" #1's or BB's If I get a chance to hunt geese. But for ducks the 3's did just fine last year out to 45 or 50 yards. anything inside 40 fell stone dead. pass that I may or may not need a follow up shot. Also FYI there is as many pellets in 1 oz. of steel 2's as there is in 1 1/4 oz. of lead 4's. I do agree the more pellets in the air the better. but I also found out I don't need that many. An ounce will take anything I shoot at out to 50 yards with #3's. and a couple more hundred fps just means I don't have to pick shot out of the meat. It goes clean through and into the vitals.
> 
> Good luck.


Use what you want, I never said any different. I use to run it through the rifle powder measure, until I tried it through the mec with the baffle and maintaining a 1/2 bottle or more of powder. I get very accurate results that way, otherwise I wouldn't do it.

And I don't believe I have ever found a steel pellet in the meat, either through or on the off side in the skin.

Just posted the info for a guy starting out. Just like rifle reloading, lots of guys have to run it up to the max, claiming this and that, when it simply isn't true. The ballistics of the pellets don't lie.


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