Non-Toxic shot?

oodaloop

New member
What are people using and finding effective for non-toxic shot?

Allot of the WMA now also have WPA included within them or around them. No lead of any kind (plated or otherwise) is allowed in WPAs. The "Non-toxic" shot is pretty expensive, but Steel seems cheap...is there a reason it is cheap? Does it perform? What have you used and been happy with?

Thanks
 
Steel lacks the density of lead and assuming the same pellet size delivers much less down range energy at impact. If you hunt pheasants with #5 or #6 lead many good shooters recommend upsizing to at least #3 steel and often times to #2 to compensate for the loss in down range energy. Also because steel is lighter than lead you won't lose as much pellet count as one would think with an equivilent weight load. Say 1 & 1/4 OZ.

Steel also patterns much tighter than lead so if you shoot IC/Mod with lead consider Skeet/IC with steel.

I use and prefer Hevi-shot. It is actually denser than lead and I can shoot #6 shot with confidence out past 40 yards. Hevi-shot also patterns tight so open chokes are a good idea and letting roosters get out beyond 20 yards before pulling the trigger is a help too. Last I purchased it Hevi-shot ran about $2 a shell. Since I travel to hunt its a small item in my hunting budget and truthfully if I shoot more that 4 or 5 times to take a limit of roosters I didn't do my job that day anyway.

DB
 
Hevi-Shot is good stuff. The main thing to do is see how the particular shot patterns in your gun before opener. I usually just shoot Winchester steel that has a speed of 1400 fps. Pretty decent stuff. I actually prefer hunting with steel. That way if I flush some ducks (which happens almost every year at some point during the season) I can legally harvest them.
 
Have had real, real good luck with Black Cloud. Hunting WMA in SD here about a week ago and it killed reliably out to 40 yards and killed dead. Anything going straight away at 35 yards will be tough, but had one of those as well and it killed. Used the #3 Black Cloud with that bearded/camo faced guy on the front of the box. Used modified chock.
 
I have used Winchester Dryloks in 4s for sometime now and I love them. I often shoot them over lead. They work well for me as long as I keep my shots around 40 yards.
 
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