Steel Shot

[Cutfingers]

Has anyone had any experience in using "Steel Shot" in a smooth bore? Compare and contrast with "lead shot". If the consensus is it's okay then what is a good source for bulk bags of shot?
I live in the California Condor area and cannot use lead.

 

[Mulebrain]

You had better make darn sure your smooth bore barrel is designed to handle steel shot! Usually most of your chrome lined bores can handle it.

That steel shot fired through the wrong barrel, can cause you to shred a nice barrel!

You just need to make sure!

I have a Pedersoli 10 guage sxs that is supposed to handle it, others I don't know??

 

[roundball]

You MUST use as special plastic shot cup for steel shot or as mentioned, the barrel will get scored full length...regular modern shot cups won't provide the protection...use shot cups made for steel at places like Ballistics Products, etc.

Since steel is much lighter than lead, you have to use 2 sizes larger steel pellets to get the same weight to carry the distance and get the same penetration...ie: #4 steel in place of #6 lead. Then the problem is that whatever you wanted to use #6's for, the pellet count just dropped significantly by going to the physically larger #4's.

Based on my experience with steel, my recommendation would be to find some Bismuth or Hevi-Shot...you'll still have to use the shot cup but they weigh almost the same as lead so you can usually use the same size shot that you would have used with lead, or worse case only change one size and keep up a better pellet count.

One of the newest non-toxic substitutes is called EcoTungsten/(Niceshot)...it's an exact replacement for lead and can be used in bare bores without any shot cup at all, can be used in old original barrels, etc...the downside is its very expensive, about $28 a pound...but all waterfowl shot shells have become so pricey in the past few years that it’s hardly much different.

For example, if you use 1.5oz shot charges of EcoTungsten for a load, that would be about 10 loads per 16oz pound of EcoTungsten...about $3/per shot...basically about the same as today’s modern high performance turkey or goose loads.

The good news is since its an exact replacement for regular lead shot, you can do all your pattern testing with regular lead, then a couple of shots with EcoTungsten to verify, then go hunting. I bought some EcoTungsten #6's and it actually patterned better than magnum lead #6's in my GM .62cal smoothbore.

 

[Cutfingers]

Thanks. I found the Eco Tungsten for $60 per Kilo. Guess I'm stuck with using it.

 

[Cutfingers]

While looking for a cheaper source of tungsten shot I saw some Aluminum BBs. What do you all think of using them in the smoothbore?

 

[roundball]

While looking for a cheaper source of tungsten shot I saw some Aluminum BBs. What do you all think of using them in the smoothbore?

Can't imagine they'd be good for any form of hunting as they're so light...very limited distance and no penetration...probably bounce off of anything past 10 yards.

Now, regular BBs are copper plated steel...that might be an option as long as you're not after waterfowl because the GW would think you're using copper plated lead.

 

[brubincam]

-----take a magnet with you if using B-B's--a magnet will pick them up-----

 

[pmwest]

Disclaimer: this is personal opinion, your results may vary

I do not think that steel shot is appropriate for use in muzzleloading shotguns. Lack of mass requires speed to overcome the lack of power and penetration. Black powder does not have the efficiency needed to generate the velocity required to make it an effective killer. In order to make it marginally effective over a limited range, shot size needs to be increased to the point that pattern density is less that desirable.

My advice would be to work up lead loads for the game you intend to hunt by testing powder and shot balance to achieve pattern density and penetration, then substitute NiceShot or ITX for the lead. Verify with a couple of shots on the pattern board and check for penetration, then go hunting.

 

[bingo1952]

The ITX shot is also almost $10.00 a pound cheaper than the ECO Tungsten shot.

 

[roundball]

I think it is less expensive, but its another one of those Hevi-shot, Bismuth, sort of / kind of like lead substitutes...it's not actually equivalent to lead or EcoTungsten

 

[Golfswithwolves]

ITX shot sounds promising, but I think the jury is still out on it. It should be less harmful to barrels and chokes than steel or hard tungsten though. For awhile I'll stick to some Bismuth I scrounged and maybe Nice Shot, and I'll hope that ITX proves to be soft enough to be good. I would not use steel shot as it is poor ballistically and too hard on barrels (even with a shot cup).