Black Cloud Snow Goose Shells

[TrophyEyes]

I have always liked fast shooting ammo. I just seem to be on target better and have greater confidence. So I obviously thought the new Remington HyperSonic would be awesome. It was, I hit everything in sight, but couldn't get past the 18th shell because I could barely move my shoulder and my finger was so bruised from the recoil. Yes, 3 1/2" may have been a bit overkill, but still, it kicked harder than any slug or turkey load I have ever shot. I can't do that again, so I have been looking into the Black Cloud Snow Goose load, which is more or less a magnum Black Cloud load producing speeds of 1635fps. Has anyone shot these yet? I have looked around on some other forums and it is just starting to get out there a bit. At $24 a box of 25, I am hoping it performs better than expected. First reviews are pretty good.

[Bryce]

Been on the market for I believe 2 seasons now. Got my hands on a couple boxes of prototypes a few years back. Shoots as well as all the balistic reports show. Great range extender for when the birds won't commit. Can't quite stomach the $24 for an everyday load when my $10 fiocchis kill all my decoying ducks.

Just out of curiosity. What are you shooting for trap loads to get you so accustomed to these bazing speeds?

[SledNeck]

do they even make snow goose in 3.5"? all ive seen is 3"

[tracker x-2]

x2^

I have only seen and used 3" with excellent results. I used them last year and most this year now ive kinda swithced over to blind side.

On a side note i hit a blind side BB pellet in my goose jerky the other night No wonder they rip the birds up

[TrophyEyes]

I do not think they have the 3.5" version yet, but I can't imaging that it will be long before they do. I am also thinking of trying Blind Side as well, but it is a bit slower. My thought is a couple boxes of the Black Cloud Snow Goose #2's and a few boxes of the Blind Side 3.5" BB for Geese. We head out to ND 2 times a year and last year I went through 8 boxes of ammo, which gets pretty expensive at $24 a box. The good news is ammo and the license is all we pay for so it is a minimal expense at the end of the day.

I cannot get Kent Faststeel to pattern well out of my Benelli Nova and I have had trouble with it edjecting shells from time to time. That said, has anyone tried the Kent Faststeel Silver? I could try it out of my Benelli M1 in the 3" version. At $18 a box it is a little more affordable.

[Bryce]

BC Snow Goose is only offered in 3" with shot sizes of 2 & BB. My understanding is that it will never be offered in anything else. It was a specially developed load that I believe uses a slightly different powder and wad from the rest of the BC lineup. My reading says that this is just the start of what Federal is coming up with. I'd say 70 yards and still carrying a kill capable pattern and energy is a good start. I consider myself an excellent shot and I'm not real comfortable at that range on waterfowl. Probably lack of experience. I'll tumble a rootie way more than not at that range. I'd guestimate 75% or more of hunters have no idea of what kind of lead that involves.

Maybe Federal future includes a speedier 3 1/2" version but it will probably be marketed differently than the snow goose load.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Find a good choke and shoot cheap fast steel. Saves a lot of money in the long run. I can buy 2 cases of 3.5" 1 3/8 oz 1550 fps steel on sale for the same price as a case of black cloud snow goose if your buying it for $240 a case. That equals out to 18-20 more pellets per shell, at a 50 yard velocity only 20-25 fps slower than black cloud snow goose. If I'm shooting birds past 40 yards, I'll shoot tungsten 2 3/4" #2's. Especially when close out prices on some of the tungsten is down to $1.25 a round.

[TrophyEyes]

I also have found a couple deals on the black cloud and other expensive ammo, which has brought the sale price down to about $18 per box. In al reality if they are decoying and it is not windy, then I have no problem going to the midrange stuff like winchester xpert or Kent faststeel. I have never had great luck with the regular federal stuff. Also, we don't have a dog right now so cripples are a big problem if we have them.

[kc0myy]

Black cloud has came out with a high velocity shot shell. The speed is 1635fps (no i am not thinking of snow goose loads).I have tried the snow goose loads 2 different times. all I have to say is wow that stuff kills ducks. I cant believe how good of a shell black cloud snow goose is. but I don't know what federal is doing but I found black cloud high velocity shells only once this past year. I went back to the store the next day to get more shells and they where gone i never saw them again.

[Bryce]

Just looked at a box of 3 1/2"ers that I have set out for Rochester in the morning. 1500 fps. 9% difference.

[Superduty]

The snow goose shells are only offered in 3" because of the spring light goose season. Hunters are not limited to three shells. Using a magazine extension and 3" shells will let you put more shells in the magazine than if using 3.5" shells.

[Bryce]

Black cloud has came out with a high velocity shot shell. The speed is 1635fps (no i am not thinking of snow goose loads).

Figured out what you were looking at. Phil Robertson edition shells. Only available in 3" 3 or 4 shot. Also out for a couple seasons now. I haven't done any reading about this shell to know if they are using the same technology to stretch the range as the snow goose loads. Could be they went a different route to enhance the pattern since it's marketed as a duck load. Obviously, it's going to be more limited in range due to the smaller shot size.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

There are currently four 1635 fps BC loads. The 2's and BB are marketed under the "snow goose" label. the 4's and 3's are marketed under the High Velocity" label. I'm 95% certain the components are identical besides shot size on all 4 loads. All four are 4.95 dram 1 1/8 oz loads. All four have the saturn rings pellets 60/40 with regular steel, and all four have the flightcontrol wad.

To me, if they were going to market any load towards snow geese, they should load up that flight control wad with 1 1/4 oz of the same plated #1 pellets they used in the ultrashok loads. I might actually take my patternmaster out and run a few boxes in the spring if they offered a load like that.

[Gordie]

I have a couple friends that work at Federal I will see if there is a big secret between those loads my guess is your right CSD. packaging sells more than anything They are hunting for hunters

[TylerS]

They are hunting for hunters

Exactly! If I'm going to run through a couple cases of steel during snowgoose season, I want the cheapest stuff I can find. A pretty package means precisely squat if the price tags says more $$$

[Gordie]

I'm lucky to have a niece that works at federal as well

[Notcho]

It's all the same stuff just different size pellets and marketing. Cut a BC snow goose and a BC Duck commander open, same wad same powder different shot size.