4 or No. If … Hevi-Shot is a non-toxic alternative, which patterns as well as lead, yet cooperates much better with the environment. Legal shot is steel, bismuth-tin, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-iron, tungsten matrix, tungsten-nickle-iron, tungsten-ironnickel- tin, and steel shot coated with copper, nickel, zinc chromate, or zinc chloride. Personally I use 3″ 1-3/8oz #5 bismuth that is 1450fps and an IC choke. Regardless of whether you use lead or steel shot, fire some test shots at the range to find out how lead and/or steel shot shoots in your shotgun. Steel is lighter so we recommend using #2-5 shot size. The literal size of the shot inside shotgun shells can vary considerably when we begin to speak exact numbers. What must a gun know before deciding on its replacement? The opposite is true for steel. So, when I’m turkey hunting with my old Winchester Model 12, the very latest in turkey hunting ammunition is always in the chamber; it kills turkeys at distances that amaze me. In my opinion steel shot should never be used on coyotes. Because of its toxicity the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting has been illegal in Minnesota since 1987 and nationally since 1991. Steel BB shot at 1500 fps gets 3.50" of gel penetration at 18.1 yards. Number 4, 5, and 6 shot sizes are available in all of the abovementioned loads. It is illegal to possess lead shot while hunting waterfowl or hunting in a Non-Toxic-Shot-Only area. For the first 30 years or so of that time, everything was fine. Patternmaster Code Black turkey choke MOJO Fatal Shot Choke Public-land hunting opportunities prevail in northwestern, southcentral and southwestern Indiana. The equivalent of a turkey load, there’s also 3-inch Heavy Pheasant shells loaded with 1⅞ oz. Hope this clarifies this issue. So there ya go, a few reasons why I don’t like steel shot. You grow old because you stop hunting. The study examined three, 12-gauge, 2 ¾-inch loads designed and manufactured to mirror loads that are used most often by dove hunters. - Gun Nut The following is a listing of which states currently have regulations on the books for use of shot types for different type of hunting: Non-toxic shot regulations by state. Magnum Blend Turkey offers an even blend of 5, 6 and 7 shot (4, 6 and 7 is available in 12-gauge), and all loads share a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. Lead shot weighs about 10.6 g/cc and is a relatively soft metal, deforms easily and … Lead poisoning became a major issue in the hunting community in the mid-1970s , after a federal study estimated that between 1.6 and 2.4 million waterfowl died annually from swallowing lead shot. Should Bird Hunters Use Non-Toxic Shot for Grouse and Woodcock? Bismuth is between lead and steel. Alabama: Non-toxic required for migratory birds, except doves. Steel rusts, I have seen the whole steel shot load turn into a solid mass of rust in shells that weren’t sealed well. 7 ½ lead shot, 1 ounce of No. Contains a link to in-depth and detailed literature review and details of non-toxic shot regulations throughout the United States. You should be aware that the reference to #7 shot in the new regulations, DOES NOT imply the use of 7-1/2 lead shot. But even if given the option, many hunters are confused by the distinction. If you are going to use steel shot you better get up close and personal, like inside 20 yards. The different load types included: 1 ⅛ ounce of No. In more and more areas, laws require waterfowl hunters to use steel shot rather than the traditional (and toxic) lead shot. Titan Reloading offers Lead and Steel Shotshell Shot of Various Sizes at affordable prices. Test results also showed more than 3 inches of penetration in ballistic gel and deep dents, with a few pellets even busting completely through a thin sheet of steel at 40 yards. Buy online or call 262.397.8819 to learn more. Check state or provincial regulations to determine legal ammunition. Nontoxic shot has been required for waterfowl hunting since 1992. $99.99. I would recommend using larger steel than you would lead. The loads included a 11⁄8-ounce load of size 71/2 lead shot, the most common load used by Texas dove hunters; a one-ounce load of size 7 steel shot; and a one-ounce load of size 6 steel shot. Material properties. Pattern your gun and see what chokes work with what loads at certain yardages. Since scientists determined that even the smallest trace amounts of lead can be detrimental to humans, animals we hunt and the environment, more and more areas are restricting the use of lead shot. Look at the density of the shot holes in the paper. Several of these have proven to be deadly in turkey hunting loads as well. Don't go using large shot size through a tight choke, like turkey. During the past two decades, despite a plethora of nontoxic-shot types coming to the market--steel, bismuth, and tungsten composites--bird hunters have taken primarily to shooting steel shot. These numbers are capable of killing a wild turkey, and even rival the numbers produced by some 12-gauge turkey guns using No. Steel shot weighs about 7.5 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc) and is harder than lead. Steel doesn’t compress like lead. SIMON WEST. Steel shot can’t be used in full chokes and X-full turkey chokes can be dangerous shooting steel shot in. They are not for use with shotgun slugs or steel shot. The denser than lead tungsten alloy shot out performs lead shot by quite a bit. Lead shot vs steel: The Field's guide to the ballistics The Field | July 2020 Lead has been used for centuries to deliver a clean kill. If you are just going out to sling some lead I would use 00 Buck with a full choke on a regular/field barrel. Lead shot which was used for many years was contaminating wetlands and waterfowl. Now, some 20 years later, we see some state and federal regulations banning lead shot for both upland and turkey hunting. If I was shooting steel I would probably try a higher velocity load with #4 shot and use an IC or Modified choke depending on how you are hunting. Lead in Ammunition. Provides the Minnesota DNR's position on using non-toxic shot as well as lead tackle and ammunition. They shot birds at distances ranging from less than 20 yards to more than 60. You don't stop hunting because you grow old. Hunting is open statewide, though somewhat scarce in certain locations outside of these regions. So it is illegal to use 7-1/2 lead shot for wild turkey. Additionally, all types of hunting with lead fine shot on Federal Waterfowl Production Areas has been illegal in Minnesota since 1999. Most hunting loads using steel are higher velocity to compensate for the decreased mass of the steel. This is valuable not only for turkey hunting, but all of your hunting seasons. Please check your state’s turkey hunting regulations for minimum and maximum shot size restrictions. Hunting Use Lead vs. steel shot is a somewhat controversial topic among shotgun shooting hunters. Shot Identification Chart. 5 lead loads. I have to use lead free shot on coyotes so I use the denser than lead shot. Not to be confused with the almost double-diameter pellets in the #4 buck, the #4 lead shot is a diverse ammunition used in a variety of applications – but is most commonly marketed for turkey hunting.Varmint control, target shooting, home defense and hunting birds of all shapes and sizes can easily be handled effectively with #4 lead shot. Some shot sizes are huge and you will never see them in turkey shells while others are so small you may have never heard of them at all. You can shoot squirrels with lead shot in the woods where you duck hunt in with no problem, but you cant shoot ducks with lead shot when your duck hunting. Here at Turkey Hunting Nation, we imagine spring gobbler opportunities are acceptable for state residents, but not all that appealing otherwise. Steel and lead are the most common and most affordable shotgun pellet materials. Non-lead turkey shotgun chokes include specialty made chokes for tungsten, Hevi-Shot or waterfowl chokes designed for steel. 6 steel shot, and 1 ounce of No. The 10 Best Shotgun Loads for Waterfowl Hunting. There’s one exception to the improvement of modern ammunition; steel shot is not an improvement over lead shot – for the shotgunner. I probably go a bit larger than some; I use #2 steel for ducks and pheasants, I use BB steel on geese, all of these will be 3" shells and I will go to 3.5" as a third shot on geese. USA: Ammunition other than lead required for waterfowl. For home defense, the steel option offers slightly less penetration than the lead round, making it safer than larger ammo types like 00 buck.. Provides links to summaries of information about the potential environmental and health impacts of using lead shot when hunting. During the test, hunters killed more than 300 pheasants at a North Dakota hunting club, shooting factory-loaded ammo with number 2, 4, and 6 steel shot at 1375 feet per second. You can shoot doves with lead shot in the same field that you duck hunt in with no problem. Then the Federal government banned the use of lead shot for waterfowl in 1991. Lead is ballistically superior and still allowed for most upland hunting and target shooting. 7 steel shot. #3 steel shot is the perfect substitution for situations where lead is prohibited or where you want less penetration. The organisations that represent live-quarry shooting have said that they want to move away from the use of lead shot over the next five years. U.S law requires the use of non-toxic (steel, bismuth, tungsten, etc) while hunting waterfowl! Since the 1980s, lead shot has been banned nationally for use in hunting waterfowl. And more states are mandating its use in select areas for upland bird hunting--even for doves on some state lands. shot at 1300 fps, though I surmise damage to edible meat and cumulative recoil would make this a poor choice. Steel doesn't have the mass (weight) per … Why do they make lead shot illegal for ducks? Washington state has gradually been working to eliminate use of lead shot for hunting … From high-tech lead substitutes to quality steel shot, these are the best duck and goose loads on the market A lighter load or expecting longer shots I’d maybe use a modified choke. The PatternMaster Code Black Turkey Choke Tube is for use with ammunition designed for turkey hunting such as lead, copper and lead combination, and Hevi-Shot, as well as FLITECONTROL wads. 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