Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
Latest activity
Classifieds
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Log in
Register
What's New?
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
Install the app
Install
More Options
Advertise with us
Contact Us
Close Menu
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Forums
The Range
Rifle & Shotgun Discussion
20 gauge, for Ducks, and as a "do it all" gun
Search titles only
By:
Reply to Thread
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Rod Snell" data-source="post: 2464596" data-attributes="member: 796"><p>Just to distinguish between lead and steel shot usage:</p><p>Why waterfowl hunting is different, or THE STEEL DILEMMA. (Where did my effective range go?)</p><p></p><p>Lead #5 shot has killed tons of ducks and turkey, and it is still fine for turkey. However, lead is now illegal for waterfowl hunting, and the usual first choice is steel shot.</p><p>Steel shot is LESS DENSE than lead, and is lighter for a given size. Therefore, #5 STEEL shot is too light, and will only penetrate ducks reliably at close range: so there goes about 15 yds of effective, drop dead range.</p><p>The obvious answer is to use larger shot, with more weight and more momentum to penetrate the ducks, and that works...BUT now there are fewer shot, which means the pattern thins quickly and you still can't reach reliably as far as lead's dense pattern (still about 15yds shy of lead for a sure kill), so now you need MORE SHOT. </p><p>In order to put in MORE SHOT, you need a BIGGER SHELL.</p><p>And that's the only reason there are so many 10ga and 12ga 3" waterfowl guns are used: to compensate for the ballistically inefficient steel shot, use larger shot, and get back to the 45yds that used to be an easy shot with my 20ga and lead #5 on ducks.</p><p>The study to justify steel shot was done in the flooded corn fields of Crab Orchard Lake, IL, where the ducks ate the lead with the corn, and that kind of place is the only real hazard. </p><p> Everybody say "Thanks EPA!!"</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rod Snell, post: 2464596, member: 796"] Just to distinguish between lead and steel shot usage: Why waterfowl hunting is different, or THE STEEL DILEMMA. (Where did my effective range go?) Lead #5 shot has killed tons of ducks and turkey, and it is still fine for turkey. However, lead is now illegal for waterfowl hunting, and the usual first choice is steel shot. Steel shot is LESS DENSE than lead, and is lighter for a given size. Therefore, #5 STEEL shot is too light, and will only penetrate ducks reliably at close range: so there goes about 15 yds of effective, drop dead range. The obvious answer is to use larger shot, with more weight and more momentum to penetrate the ducks, and that works...BUT now there are fewer shot, which means the pattern thins quickly and you still can't reach reliably as far as lead's dense pattern (still about 15yds shy of lead for a sure kill), so now you need MORE SHOT. In order to put in MORE SHOT, you need a BIGGER SHELL. And that's the only reason there are so many 10ga and 12ga 3" waterfowl guns are used: to compensate for the ballistically inefficient steel shot, use larger shot, and get back to the 45yds that used to be an easy shot with my 20ga and lead #5 on ducks. The study to justify steel shot was done in the flooded corn fields of Crab Orchard Lake, IL, where the ducks ate the lead with the corn, and that kind of place is the only real hazard. Everybody say "Thanks EPA!!" [/QUOTE]
Insert Quotes…
Verification
Post Reply
Forums
The Range
Rifle & Shotgun Discussion
20 gauge, for Ducks, and as a "do it all" gun
Search titles only
By:
Top
Bottom