Do any of you have any experience with the Hevi-Shot Hevi-Metal pheasant loads? Looking to find a good, non-toxic round. If not, other recommendations on non-toxics?
Shoot what you like, but I shoot steel when using nontoxic on pheasants. Steel shot lethality research conducted on pheasants by Tom Roster showed #2 steel to be more effective (at all ranges) than #6 or #4 steel. Yes, #4 and #6 steel loads will kill'em, but a little extra pellet energy is a good thing on wild pheasants where shots can get on the long side. The research also showed #2 steel resulted in fewer cripples than both #6 and #4 steel. And, Roster speculated that the #3 steel pellet would be a good compromise between pellet count and downrange energy.
Here are a few of my pattern numbers with the 12-gauge 2 3/4" steel load I use for pheasants to give you an idea of how #2 steel performs in my gun/chokes!
Patterning results from a 12-gauge Browning Citori with 28" Invector-plus barrels using Briley flush chokes (patterns average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, and in-shell pellet count average of five).
12 GA 2 3/4" REMINGTON SPORTSMAN HI-SPEED STEEL LOAD
1 1/8 oz #2 steel (139 pellets) @ 1375 fps
30 YARDS – SK / pattern 116 (84%)
30 YARDS – IC / pattern 129 (93%)
40 YARDS – IC / pattern 111 (80%)
40 YARDS – M / pattern 114 (82%)
50 YARDS – IM / pattern 100 (72%)
50 YARDS – F / pattern 106 (76%)
Here are a few more of my pattern numbers to show the performance differences I found with my gun/choke between some of the low-cost steel loads and a couple Hevi products.
Patterning results from a 12-gauge 3-inch Remington 870 Special Purpose with a 28" barrel and factory flush Rem-chokes (pattern average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, in-shell pellet count average of five, and true choke constriction from bore gauge).
40 YARDS Mod. (.018" const.)
Federal Speed-Shok 3" 1 1/4 oz #3 steel (186 pellets) pattern 128 (69%)
Remington Sportsman 3" 1 1/4 oz #3 steel (193 pellets) pattern 146 (76%)
Winchester Xpert 3" 1 1/4 oz #3 steel (195 pellets) pattern 131 (67%)
Federal Speed-Shok 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (154 pellets) pattern 115 (75%)
Federal Black Cloud 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (144 pellets) pattern 92 (64%)
Hevi-Metal 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 / #5 (164 pellets) pattern 93 (58%)
HEVI-STEEL 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (148 pellets) pattern 100 (68%)
Kent Fasteel 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (155 pellets) pattern 103 (66%)
Remington Sportsman 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (152 pellets) pattern 110 (72%)
Winchester Xpert 3" 1 1/4 oz #2 steel (146 pellets) pattern 106 (73%)
Good luck!