KSBrittman
Active member
3" 3 steel 1 ounce is the best in 20 ga , I like my Mod Choke in my Benelli M-2
Hevi-metal and Winchester drylok in 3's have been great loads for me .
Steel shot size preference?
- Thread starter Matt D
- Start date
3" 3 steel 1 ounce is the best in 20 ga , I like my Mod Choke in my Benelli M-2
Hevi-metal and Winchester drylok in 3's have been great loads for me .
birdshooter
Well-known member
If you can find it Federal makes this in 20ga. https://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/shotshell.aspx?id=942
But I agree #3 pellet is probably your best bet. Try and find the largest load size possible.
Blind Side 20 ga. ammo comes in 1 1/16 oz. loads but only 2s and 5s it seems. I've shot the #2s and found it to have slightly better penetration than round shot when using a phone book penetration test. Pellet count and energy is what kills birds. 20 ga. loads are anemic in large shot sizes as far a pellet counts so get the heaviest you can find.
It's also a function of how your gun spits them out. It seems odd that since it's basically just a tube but different guns and chokes "like" different loads. Pattern your gun before you go and know what to buy. Roster's test said #2 shot was best with #3 slightly less so but he was using a 12 ga. load with a higher pellet count. Do the math and check the pellet count.
It's also a function of how your gun spits them out. It seems odd that since it's basically just a tube but different guns and chokes "like" different loads. Pattern your gun before you go and know what to buy. Roster's test said #2 shot was best with #3 slightly less so but he was using a 12 ga. load with a higher pellet count. Do the math and check the pellet count.
birdshooter
Well-known member
I agree that 2's work great, but in 20ga. the load size is already compromised vs 12ga. and to get an adequate pattern 3's might offer just a few more pellets to fill in the gaps.
I think that's basically what I said too. The extra 1/16 oz. in Blind Side gives a pellet count in #2s that as I recall beats #3s in the more common 7/8 oz. loads. Unfortunately they don't seem to offer #3s in the 1 1/16 oz. loads.
birdshooter
Well-known member
Saw some of that 1 1/16 oz Blindside in #2 at the local Farm store today for $19.95/box also Federal Black Cloud 1 oz. #2. Believe it or not, not a single box of #3 in 20ga. left anywhere, picked clean. I wouldn't hesitate to try the Blindside at all if i was using a 20.
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I used to hunt 30-35 days a year for birds but have cut way back as I've aged and spread my fun out over fishing and other things. I don't give birds away and eat all of the bird and not just the breast like some so there's multiple meals on one bird. I don't shoot more than I will eat quickly and as a result I don't shoot as many shells as I used to with this year being an example. I've shot 12 times at 10 roosters and got 7 of them with no cripples. A box at any price lasts me a long time so $20/box is one of the cheaper items in what I need to have fun outdoors. Calif. is all non-toxic now on the wildlife areas so there's no choice. I do hate cripples however and will use what I need to make quick kills. Pellet count is the key to that in my view.
RoosterBooster3632
New member
My experience
I found that 3" number 3's work well for me. I have used them quite a bit in areas where steel was required.
I found that 3" number 3's work well for me. I have used them quite a bit in areas where steel was required.
It's good you're having success using those non toxic shells. Look at your post and the information I returned in the "quail steel" thread for more information about what you like and don't like.
BrownDogsCan2
Well-known member
Cal he is a heavy shot rep, I doubt he even hunts
Cal he is a heavy shot rep, I doubt he even hunts
Few things make me laugh out loud at the computer but that one did. Nice one!:10sign:
I doubt he even hunts
I think that you can tell how much a person hunts by how much finish they've worn off their gun. Feel free to resize because I can't figure it out.
Rio
Just used Rio's steel load for first time. Was 20ga, 2 3/4" #5 (called blue steel loads or something like that). Was in SD last week and the load killed 3 for 3 over flushers, max range was 30yrd about for one bird. My point is i was impressed with the Rio's and they were not badly priced.
Just used Rio's steel load for first time. Was 20ga, 2 3/4" #5 (called blue steel loads or something like that). Was in SD last week and the load killed 3 for 3 over flushers, max range was 30yrd about for one bird. My point is i was impressed with the Rio's and they were not badly priced.