Shells - quality vs 2021 pricing

Getting a later than normal 2021 start on Waterfowl and forgot to stock up on shells.
Mainly do Duck and shoot 2 boxes per outing.
Curious on quality of shot metal vs money per box of 25 and where best price, although most are in same ball park.
(side note: I shoot a ported long range choke so I don't shoot specialty wads like in Black Cloud).

To simplify, why don't we focus on 3", number 2, in 2021.
On 2 boxes per outing, what do you feel is best bang per duck drop.
Encourage sharing of pricing.

I prefer Kent Fasteal 2.0 (Cabela's $31.99, Sail $26.99).
Bought Challenger this year. (Cabela's $20.99, Sail $18.99).
Happy with Kent in the past years. Will try Challenger this year but worried their steel shot will loose energy too quick, but great price.
Would like to try Hevi-Shot Heavy Metal (Cabela's $41.99), but don't know if I could appreciate the extra $20 (2 box worth at $10 extra each) price jump to try.

Do you use 2 boxes yourself or between you and the guys?

I've tried the Hevi shells and it didn't perform any miracles for the money. You could save more money by being more selective with the shots you take in my opinion. If you can't hit it with 2 the third is usually wasted.

I agree with Dean. I don’t think the specialty shells do anything special. If you know how to shoot and you know your gun then you should be fine with standard steel shot.

I shoot 4-5 cases of 12/20 (1000-1250 rounds) SCORE or Challenger standard steel shot through a Pattermaster tube during an average waterfowl season and have zero issues folding up birds further than I care to admit.

Not sure why Challenger steel shot would lose energy any quicker than Kent. Not singling the OP out, but in general: don't buy into the hype, learn how to shoot and buy a quality choke. Sounds like you've got the quality choke, so enjoy the Challenger shells -- they're fantastic.

-N.

I agree with Sprite ... I use Challenger alot ... I often switch back and forth between Kent and Challenger and find the Challenger may get to the target even a little quicker than the Kent, even though the stated speed is the same ... I have used Challenger off and on ever since we went non-toxic many years ago and I feel the company always produces a good wadding, thus good speed retention and pattern. I tend to use patternmaster chokes.

Oh my!
Good thing it bought a few boxes of 3" #2 Challenger early in August.
Stopped into Bass Pro Vaughan today to pick up 3 1/2", their entire ammo supply was only a fraction.
Looked like they had 1/8th their entire ammo/shell supply. Most supplies are out of stock.
At this point to get any brand you are lucky.
Hope I don't need to use old 3" BB on duck as option since new ammo is looking extra scarce or nil.

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Originally Posted by Big Tuna

Oh my!
Good thing it bought a few boxes of 3" #2 Challenger early in August.
Stopped into Bass Pro Vaughan today to pick up 3 1/2", their entire ammo supply was only a fraction.
Looked like they had 1/8th their entire ammo/shell supply. Most supplies are out of stock.
At this point to get any brand you are lucky.
Hope I don't need to use old 3" BB on duck as option since new ammo is looking extra scarce or nil.

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Ya What happened? Finnally got around to pop into Basspro to pick up a flat of number 71/2 20g trap loads for woodcock and for all intensive purposes they have nothing left. Managed to find the last 4 boxes of 8's AA at $14.99 a box. Have a few boxes of Federal #2 3" to swap for 20 g 7 1/2"

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Originally Posted by Sprite

I shoot 4-5 cases of 12/20 (1000-1250 rounds) SCORE or Challenger standard steel shot through a Pattermaster tube during an average waterfowl season and have zero issues folding up birds further than I care to admit.

Not sure why Challenger steel shot would lose energy any quicker than Kent. Not singling the OP out, but in general: don't buy into the hype, learn how to shoot and buy a quality choke. Sounds like you've got the quality choke, so enjoy the Challenger shells -- they're fantastic.

-N.

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Agree - no need to go with anything fancier/more expensive than the challenger steel loads. The steel loads today are far better than the steel loads in the 1990's. No need for the 10ga or 12ga 3 1/2 either.

Ok, you guys convinced me to try Challenger Steel, in 3".

I always shoot Winchester Super Steel X in #2 and #4. Plus all year after waterfowl I buy a box or two when out and find them, I dont like spending $250 all at once.

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Originally Posted by line052

Ok, you guys convinced me to try Challenger Steel, in 3".

I always shoot Winchester Super Steel X in #2 and #4. Plus all year after waterfowl I buy a box or two when out and find them, I dont like spending $250 all at once.

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Challenger is far superior in quality compared to the Winchester Xpert steel. If you cut open an Xpert hull, the pellets look like welding slag -- none of them are round or the same size.

Challenger pellets are all perfectly formed and produce far more consistent patterns. Consistency is key -- pick one decent brand and stick with it. It seems that those with a yard sale of ammo in their blind bags are the ones always struggling to take birds cleanly and consistently.


The last few years I've exclusively shot SCORE ammunition in both BBs and #4s, and have had zero issues -- very happy with it.

-N.

Challenger's are good shells. Very similar to original Kent Fasteel - the components are largely the same.
Hevi-Metal are decent shells with a good concept behind them and will kill birds, but sadly what goes into them does not warrant the price. Shot charge weights are usually light vs. what's printed on the box, and the alloyed shot they drop in on top of the steel is usually undersized and doesn't match up ballistically with what's behind it. Not worth the price!

As for "bang per duck drop", I would be more concerned with how many times you're pulling the trigger. 50 rounds an outing is a lot for something that has a limit of 6.

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Originally Posted by Northhunter

Challenger's are good shells. Very similar to original Kent Fasteel - the components are largely the same.
Hevi-Metal are decent shells with a good concept behind them and will kill birds, but sadly what goes into them does not warrant the price. Shot charge weights are usually light vs. what's printed on the box, and the alloyed shot they drop in on top of the steel is usually undersized and doesn't match up ballistically with what's behind it. Not worth the price!

As for "bang per duck drop", I would be more concerned with how many times you're pulling the trigger. 50 rounds an outing is a lot for something that has a limit of 6.

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Last sentence. I was thinking that too. Emptying the gun 3 times for each bird?
Particularly when you have "one shot = one kill" as your tagline.

Will see how I do this weekend. I was buying for two, sharing one gun. Won't be a concern anymore since bubby finally bought a gun that takes bigger than 2 3/4.
We shoot standing on a beaver dam. The ducks travel from a swamp, through a V in a thin tree line and across a small beaver made lake behind us.
We do fly by shots as they race just above us. Style is limited to land we have.
Will work out my waterfowl stats hopefully this weekend when not sharing gun.
Looking forward to getting back to practicing to get my waterfowl hunts to one shot=one kill.
On the do-all auto thrower, I average 22 out of 25. Time to add a wobbler for next year to further refine shooting skills.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Tuna

Will see how I do this weekend. I was buying for two, sharing one gun. Won't be a concern anymore since bubby finally bought a gun that takes bigger than 2 3/4.
We shoot standing on a beaver dam. The ducks travel from a swamp, through a V in a thin tree line and across a small beaver made lake behind us.
We do fly by shots as they race just above us. Style is limited to land we have.
Will work out my waterfowl stats hopefully this weekend when not sharing gun.
Looking forward to getting back to practicing to get my waterfowl hunts to one shot=one kill.
On the do-all auto thrower, I average 22 out of 25. Time to add a wobbler for next year to further refine shooting skills.

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I like your setup on the beaver dam. I'm missing out on ducks this year because I haven't replaced my springer, and the guy I go with that has one is up north until deer season. I'm not up to wading out for a duck anymore. Once you hunt ducks with a good dog, its pretty tough to hunt without one.

As stated above I also have great success with 3 inch #2 Challengers using a Patternmaster choke. I used the Winchesters for years but find the Challengers more consistent. Now that's all I buy.

Also, trap shooting is much different than shooting live ducks, at least that's what I find.

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Originally Posted by mtaz

As stated above I also have great success with 3 inch #2 Challengers using a Patternmaster choke. I used the Winchesters for years but find the Challengers more consistent. Now that's all I buy.

Also, trap shooting is much different than shooting live ducks, at least that's what I find.

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You're right, it is -- but any shooting is good practice.

-N.

Hello Sprite,

I took your advice and cut opened a Winchester Xpert 12 gauge, 3", # 1 steel load and I can confirm what you have stated ... apparently there were two different types of steel shot (grey and brown) in various sizes and shapes ... some with a flattened base, some with dimples and some with nipples.

I purchased a new Winchester SXP 12 gauge shotgun (Black Shadow) last week after reading a review of it in Wildfowl Magazine (Vol. 36, #6) and I patterned it this week using two new Carlson extended choke tubes (IC and Mod) as well as my Briley Skeet tube that I currently use in my Browning Gold 12 gauge shotgun ... patterned nicely with the Winchester Xpert loads but I did noticed some "fliers" on the outside of the patterns.

I have normally purchased the Winchester Drylok loads in the past but had a problem a few years ago getting them in # 1 steel shot so I ordered two cases of the Winchester Xpert in # 1 steel. I would not do that again as I prefer quality over a lower price.

Jerome

I have recently been using up some Kent Silver steel (old stock) now called Faststeel I think. (I tried some of that too on opening day.) I have been sorely disappointed by it, too many crippled ducks. I bought some Blackcloud, which I was happy with in the past. It is $10 more for a box of 25 at my local store, but significantly better in terms of less cripples. Incidentally, I use an SBE II, with a factory modified choke exclusively. I don't take long shots, and will swat them again on the water repeatedly if they don't seem dead. I sure miss lead!

You can shoot the most expensive gun/shell/choke combo, but a miss is still a miss.

Concentrate on your shooting.

I shoot an old rusted out, beat up Rem 870 with a factory mod choke thats siezed in the barrel. Ive shot nothing but Kent ammo for well over a decade through it, and there is no problem killing ducks if you get them in range, and do your part.

Work on your shooting, and stick with one type of ammo that works.

I see guys shooting different ammo each hunt, and wonder how they can say the shells suck, when they don't even know how to shoot those shells. Every Shell/choke/gun combo will be different, even two guns the same will be different.

Some good advice in this thread. I will say i am far from a sharp shooter but i am a decent shot. I have tried pretty much every main stream shell out there. I used to have good success with the old Kent Silversteel, Federal Premium Steel (Red Box) & Original Heavy Metal. For cheaper loads i always found the Blue Federals worked best.

With all that said i spent quite a bit of time on the pattern board. That is a big key to finding success with your shooting.

As for the more expensive ammo. If you can afford it shoot the best stuff you can get. If you can swing $3 - 5 a shell go nuts. All things being equal you will likely have a few less follow up water swats. We see it with Sitka Gear all the time (i don't have any) of people getting hammered on social media for wearing it but if you can budget it go nuts. I know i swayed off from the original post a bit but great to see some good discussion in here.

I have shot a lot of different shells as well and in general the expensive ones do a good job, a few years ago I was introduced to Score and have never shot anything else since, hits stayed the same or a little better but knock down power and in the air kills are great with the Score, I shoot #4 usually for ducks and #2 or BB depending on the shooting I am doing for geese, a Canadian company with quality ammo at a great price! I shoot mine through a Winchester SXP with factory chokes and my son shoots the same shells with a Benelli Nova and factory chokes.

I also use Score 3" #2 out of my Winchester SX4 20 gauge. Flattens ducks and geese

Never heard of them, will check for 20 gauge 7-1/2? Thanks
I was buying Challengers also made in Canada.

https://prairieshotammo.com/home

Score shotgun shells do look like a brand to try. Above is a link to their site.
Click on 'Find a Dealer' to see where to buy. Limited locations.
Can't believe the pricing when viewing on Tenda Canada site.
12ga, 3 1/2 inch, #2 on sale for $19.99. $22.49 regular.
12ga, 3 inch, #3 regular price $17.59.

Looking forward to testing them and see how they compare.