Steel vs. Lead for roosters

[Jmnhunter]

with the prices of a box of 4-5 shot lead being 12-15 bucks and i can find 3" steel for under 10; what have your experiences been like for shooting steel for pheasants? and what would you recommend for 3" steel loads? 4's?

I've only used lead, but would be willing to switch to some steel loads

[lindy rig]

We end up hunting a lot of public land, both in MN and SD and thus require steel shot on most of it.

I use #2 or #3 shot steel. Improved or Modified choke.

[MNpurple]

When hunting a WPA, I use 3 inch #2s for roosters and they work fine, but when I'm not required to use steel, I stick with #5 nitro pheasant loads from Remington. Based on my own personal experience, I truely feel the lead knocks them down much better. Do some looking around though for the lead. I got the same box of the remingtons at a hardware store for $5 less than Gander.

[Jmnhunter]

yeah thats the only problem, theres 2 stores to choose from for shells in bismarck; the fleet supply store has little selection now and scheels just has high prices

[CRAZYEYES]

I've seen a lot more wounded birds with steel. It just does not have the knockout power that lead has. When I have to use steel i only use 3" # 2 or 4 and not the cheap stuff. With lead I use 4 or 5 shot and can get away with 2 3/4 but still use high base loads.

[311Hemi]

After this past weekend in SD I am going to be buying Federal 3" #2 steel shot and may end up using this exclusively. I decided to try 3" #3 Federal steel this past weekend and dropped a few birds that took of running and were never found.....I do believe those same birds would have dropped had I been using #2. I have used #2 shot in the past with good results, and as Lindy Rig mentioned we hunt a lot of public in MN and SD and switching back and forth between steel and lead is somewhat of a pain. I still have some boxes of lead that I bought like 3 years ago....mainly because I end up needing to use steel more often than not.

[Neighbor_guy]

#2 Black Cloud has worked best for me out of the 20ga this fall. #3 Upland steel has done ok too, but the 2's have nocked em stone cold dead vs running/flopping. (both in 3" btw)

I have had good results with #4 nitro steel from the 12ga on preserve birds, but even that gets 3" #2 steel when winter comes.

With a small amount of effert on "the google" you can find a study that basicly concludes #2 to be the best size for steel shot and rooster pheasants.

[Jarrod32]

I would echo what everyone else has said. Lead has better knockdown power, but more and more public land requires non-toxic shot. I also stay legal for waterfowl at all times.

As such, I go almost exclusively with #2 3" steel loads. I haven't been able to tell much difference between the 1 1/4 ounce loads or the 1 1/8 ounce, higher velocity loads.

[mudslinger]

Stick with lead when you can legally. You will actually harvest the bird instead of wound it. Regardless of price, buy lead and hunt with it where legal. The killing power (weight x velocity) is so much higher with lead. What could have been a one or two bird day with lead could easily be a zero bird day with steel. Sorry but I have too many stories where bird gets up, shots fire, feathers fly more than once, no bird is found...... even with a good dog. Just my $0.02

[BLACKJACK]

Stick with lead when you can legally. You will actually harvest the bird instead of wound it. Regardless of price, buy lead and hunt with it where legal. The killing power (weight x velocity) is so much higher with lead. What could have been a one or two bird day with lead could easily be a zero bird day with steel. Sorry but I have too many stories where bird gets up, shots fire, feathers fly more than once, no bird is found...... even with a good dog. Just my $0.02

If you get them on the ground a good dog should find them 99% of the time!! I can count the number of birds that I've lost in the last three years on one hand!!! Eliminate those long 50 yard+ shots, thats where you get those birds flying away with 'hanging legs'.

I shoot exclusively 3 inch 2 shot steel and I've killed a lot of pheasants with them. I go back and forth between private and public alot and I don't want to be changing out shells all the time. I also feel it helps your shooting to be shooting the same type of shells all the time, if you swap back and forth between lead and steel who knows where your shot load is going?

[NELS-BELLS]

Lead is so much better than steel. I have an older Rem 870 12 ga. with 2 3/4". You can't even find #2 shot for a 2 3/4" gun, so I have to use #4 when I hunt WPAs. If you don't shoot the birds within the first 30 yards, you might as well waive good bye.

Regarding finding 99% of wounded birds with a good dog. Ya right!!! The group I hunt with must all have worthless dogs. When those birds drop or run into snow covered cattails, you will be lucky to find them, unless they are dead on impact or burrough in under the snow. If they can still run....goodbye, because they can run thru that stuff faster than a rabbit. It might be different in the early season when there is no snow and the dogs can stay on the scent better.

Only use steel if you absolutely have too.

Nels

[grab the net]

#2 steel, modified on the bottom tube, full on the top does all right by me in my 16. Fiocchi #5 in the bottom and Federal #4 copper plated magnums top when hunting lead, same chokes. Have to agree with BJ on the not losing many with a good experienced dog. Let the dog fnd them. So many times I have seen people insisting the bird is right here and keep calling their dog back to the area THEY think it should be. Once your dog is in the general area leave em alone. They will find it. I have waited as long as ten minutes for Duey to get back with the bird, I would wait for 20 if thats what it took, I trust him that much. Makes no difference if it is in the cattails or CRP or anything in between. 99% of the time he comes back with the rooster, head up, bird is usually minus a few tail feathers, but thats okay by me.

[Prairie Hunter]

I use #2 or #3 shot steel. Improved or Modified choke.

Lindy gives sound advice. The only thing I would add is to shot within your range/ability. I won't blame the type of shot (steel or lead) for the birds that "drop legs". Legs dropping means one of two things to me, either the bird was out of range or it wasn't centered in the pattern. Both are the hunters fault not the type of shot. Hunters are terrible at gauging how far the shot is.

[Point_and_Shoot]

Grab the net, It is not recommended to shoot steel shot through a full choke. Unless it is labeled full steel. The constriction is too much for the steel loads. A mod. lead choke patterns like steel. If you shoot it enough your barrel can bulge at the choke. Just wanted to give you a heads up. I wouldn't want to see anyone injured by a damaged gun.

[ribsey_77]

I have also seen over the years the frustration of using steel. Running birds and dogs have no chance in the late season snow and ice. For that reason i have switched to using heavyshot. Very low percentage of wounded birds. The cost is high yes, but over the long term and the extra cost on a trip is small.

[wolfman-k]

I've had really good results using Black Cloud 3" number 3 steel shot, almost all of the birds I shot fell dead, any that didn't my Lab found and brought to hand. I believe we might as well get used to shooting steel, because here in the state were nothing is allowed, our government will soon change the laws for our own darn good! Lead bad-steel better: B.S.

[chub]

If your gun patterns the load, and you can hit 'em, steel works alright. If I had my druthers and deeper pockets, I'd run Kent Matrix on them, but steel, and Golden pheasant do the trick for me.

If you can't kill them with steel loads, your either a bad shot, taking bad shots, or whatever your shooting isn't patterning well out of your gun.

[Jmnhunter]

ended up using 4 and 5 lead this past weekend and 3" steel 2 for the weekend, all worked good, thanks

[SORNO]

Late last year and this year I have started using a 16ga over my GSP's, for me, #5 lead is still the best and I use Hevi Shot Classic Double 16 Gauge Shotgun Ammunition #5's which is freaken expensive but I don't have many choices with a 16ga. I make sure my shots count when I need to be in an area where non toxic shot is required. I tried using steel all the way up to #2's but they just don't pattern very well. I have never shot at a pheasant with steel in my 16ga so I can't say how the knock down power would be.

[mudslinger]

Im an avid duck and pheasant hunter and I use the same loads and chokes if I HAVE to for pheasants. My dog easily has 70+ retrieves a year and is not just a weekend sniffer. I have had her ride with me (on snowmobile) across frozen lakes to where the bird shot with steel "sailed" into cattail stands and the bird was found. Lead would have dropped this bird with no "sailing" Lighter shot = more cripples. Heavier shot = more dead birds. How can anyone argue that??? I've also read studies where the amount of "unharvested" birds because of steel shot wounding trumps the amount of birds that actually die from consuming lead shot each year. Would you rather bowl with a 4lb ball or a 16lb ball??? The choice is easy.

[CPRBASS]

I agree that the concept of lead shot producing less cripples appears to be sound. But from my own experiences I have more dead birds and less cripples when I shoot 3" #2 steel through a modified choke than any other combination with lead. I think for me it has to do with the shot pattern I get with this combination in my gun. I have noticed how the wind has an effect on steel shot though, so I do take that into consideration if lead is an option. Personally, I lost one bird this year (while it was snowing). This is going to happen regardless of what you shoot. Over time it is inevitable.

[catchphoto_filet]

i think no matter lead or steel the most important part is to shoot often throughout the year. practice makes perfect! pattern the type of shot you are using with the different choke options. I prefer lead hands down but steel kills just as well with an accurate shot. learn your weapon of choice

[mudslinger]

Yup, knowing your gun and knowing how to use it should be #1 on the list.

[Fins-n-feathers]

For roosters I would stick wtih lead only because steel just doesn't hit as hard as lead, and lead seems to have a better pattern.

[goblueM]

i've never had any problems with Kent #2 steel, use it for ducks and roosters

my uncle shoots kent #2 and he hunts Kansas, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota multiple times every year, shoots more roosters than I can count each season. Never has any problems with cripples

as others stated, knowing your gun, shooting accurately, and properly gauging distance is the most important, regardless of ammo selection

I use steel because A) i'd rather not have critters eating the lead, and I don't want lead in something i'm eating