The truth about Prairie Storm

I realize this is an older thread, but for those who like using PS, the price has gone up. Most places charge about $30/box for it now. Scheels is charging up to $35/box!

Reed's has it on sale for $25/box but you'll have to pay for shipping, obviously.

I exclusively used it this past season and did not lose a single crippled rooster. I started the season 9 for 9 shooting too, and only missed 3 roosters that I should have had all season. YMMV
 
Good endorsement Gim, but I am still rolling my own. Likely have enough components to last my life of pheasant hunting...hope not...maybe my supply of #5 shot will give out, but maybe I can snag a bag at a local gun show...always on the lookout for that for cheap. A buck or more a shot! I am a bit fungal, I had one outing I shot 3 times at the same bird, dropped but never recovered it and 4 at another (it was dead where it landed-hadn't done that for a few years), I would have been thinking, I was at $7 and one bird to show for it...and still need 2 more. Maybe it would make me shoot better!
 
remy3424 said:
Good endorsement Gim, but I am still rolling my own. Likely have enough components to last my life of pheasant hunting...hope not...maybe my supply of #5 shot will give out, but maybe I can snag a bag at a local gun show...always on the lookout for that for cheap. A buck or more a shot! I am a bit fungal, I had one outing I shot 3 times at the same bird, dropped but never recovered it and 4 at another (it was dead where it landed-hadn't done that for a few years), I would have been thinking, I was at $7 and one bird to show for it...and still need 2 more. Maybe it would make me shoot better!
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Try some Lotrimin Remi!!:LOL:
 
KEOutdoors said:
I thought those were rebranded wingshok? Do they have the flight control wad?
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I think they are. I've bought them at other places online (Midway USA, etc) and they say Wing Shok in the description, but the box that shows up looks like the one in the link above.

I'm not huge on the flight control wad, I can take it or leave it. But I've shot the above shells for the last 3 seasons and been happy with how they perform. The price is reasonable (don't tell Goose) and they come in 16 and 20 gauge.
 
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KEOutdoors said:
I thought those were rebranded wingshok? Do they have the flight control wad?
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I cross checked the UPC number on the boxes today comparing the old Wing Shok to the new version. They are exactly the same product. Just a new design on the package.
 
Data tells the true story. It's pattern and energy down range you want. Problem is the average guy can't test enery at 40 yards.. That's why Bismuth and to a much greater extent TSS is hard to beat because they keep their energy at 40 yards where lead, or copper plated drops off quickly. Speed is overrated and basically a buzz word to sell shells. All that being said If you're confident with your load stay with it .
 
If it killing pheasant was your job... and you were getting paid $1000 per bird no matter how shot up.. You should be shooting 12 gauge 3inch shells TSS tungsten #9 shot. though and IC or mod choke. The pattern due to the number of pellets and especially your energy at 45 yards will kill a turkey let alone a rooster.
 
gim said:
I don't even raise my shotgun if a rooster flushes at 45 yards.
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I do of it gives me a crosser over cover that'd allow a good chance of recovering it. Doesn't happen often, but sometimes. Otherwise no, shooting up a rooster's tail pipe past 35-40 is often futile. Oh, I've tried it, many times, but nowadays I do a much better job laying off the long straight-aways.
 
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A5 Sweet 16 said:
I do of it gives me a crosser over cover that'd allow a good chance of recovering it. Doesn't happen often, but sometimes. Otherwise no, shooting up a rooster's tail pipe past 35-40 is often futile.
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I'd be lying if I said I "never" have done it. I have. Someone has to keep Federal in business. Over time I've just come to realize that the chances of success at that range using an IC choke is very remote though.

The vast majority of my shots are closer in range because 1) my dog works close and 2) I keep quiet.
 
Gobbler said:
Data tells the true story. It's pattern and energy down range you want. Problem is the average guy can't test enery at 40 yards.. That's why Bismuth and to a much greater extent TSS is hard to beat because they keep their energy at 40 yards where lead, or copper plated drops off quickly. Speed is overrated and basically a buzz word to sell shells. All that being said If you're confident with your load stay with it .
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Energy is speed and mass. Without high speed you need to keep going up in shot size to get your down range energy you talk about, which reduces your pellet count.

The only thing high speed hurts is that it can blow out patterns with deforming shot (lead/bismuth). Otherwise its only a good thing in a hunting load.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
I do of it gives me a crosser over cover that'd allow a good chance of recovering it. Doesn't happen often, but sometimes. Otherwise no, shooting up a rooster's tail pipe past 35-40 is often futile.
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Ive been known to roll a long bird that is flying out of cover to an open bean field. I dont like doing it, but if its a high percentage shot I'll take it.. its more in line with the dove hunting shots I am used to anyways so usually makeable if the right choke is in. I do not shoot long over grass, wont.

Havent had this opportunity in a long time though.
 
Ahhh, ballistics. I'll jump into a ballistics conversation almost every time, even if I've made identical claims 50 times before!

First, bismuth doesn't retain downrange energy as well as lead or copper plated lead (as suggested above). It's less dense. It's superior to steel, but also worse in terms of retained energy than TSS, tungsten-matrix, tungsten-iron, & true HeviShot. (HeviSteel is just steel. Nothing heavy about it.)

Also, although obviously shot can be flung so fast as to significantly increase energy at a particular range, typically the required increase in velocity is great (usually 300 fps or more) & only serves to make decent patterns less likely, while also greatly increasing cost, recoil, & maybe wear & tear on your gun. Yes, things like nickel plated shot, funky wads, lengthened forcing cones, & finding that 1 perfect after market choke tube out of 100 available can be used to TRY to achieve a good pattern, but it's just plain less likely with high speed loads. Why make a good pattern harder to attain?

Let's look at some pheasant shot sizes & velocities (common on today's market) to see what velocity can & can't do for effective range of a pellet. This is using the KPY Shotshell Ballistics program, set to achieve 1.5" of ballistic gel penetration at a certain range, which "they say" appropriately represents a pheasant. Whether "they" are right or not, doesn't really matter. The comparison is still valid.

Lead 5 @ 1300 fps, 56 yds.

I don't need more effective range than 56 yds, so why bother increasing the velocity of a lead 5?

Lead 6 @ 1300 fps, 45 yds.
Lead 6 @ 1500 fps, 51 yds.
Lead 6 @ 1700 fps, 56 yds.
Bismuth 5 @ 1300 fps, 40 yds.
Bismuth 5 @ 1500 fps, 46 yds.
Bismuth 5 @ 1670 fps, 50 yds.
Bismuth 4 @ 1300 fps, 50 yds.

In summary, muzzle velocity of a lead 6 or bismuth 5 must be increased about 400 fps to achieve the same effective range as simply increasing 1 shot size at the lower velocity & increasing chances of a good pattern & minimizing cost, recoil, & gun wear.

Really the only place for hyper fast loads is with steel, in order to keep payloads & shot sizes within the realm appropriate with modern shotgun design & the birds we hunt. But there's a reason the 3.5" 12 gauge was developed. Steel shot is that reason.
 
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