Shells - quality vs 2021 pricing

[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.

[werner.reiche]

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.

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.

[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.

[werner.reiche]

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.

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.

[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.

[Sprite]

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.

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

-N.

[Buddy Boy]

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

[Ouzel]

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!

[Sinker]

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.

[boilerguy2412]

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.