Steel Shot

[Lorge]

What are your thoughts on this ammo/gun combination? Let's say the only shotgun available to use for turkey hunting was a single shot 20 gauge with a fixed modified choke. Would a 3 inch steel shot #2 be a good choice to take down a turkey. I know it's not your typical or ideal setup, but would it work?

[Tree climber]

yes it would take a bird.

the best thing to do is get several different size shot in 3" and see which one puts the most pellets in the head and neck of the target.do them all at different yardage.20 , 25 , 30 ; thats about the max. I would try to taske one.with the 20 ga. it loses it's punck after about 30 to 35 yards.

that just my opinion.I took many birds with my 20 ga. mod. choke with 3" #6 shot. I would not shoot past 30 yards.if they didn't get that close, then I wait till another day.
gette'm close take more birds!

[jrbsr]

Would a 3 inch steel shot #2 be a good choice to take down a turkey. I know it's not your typical or ideal setup, but would it work?

No the steel shot will pass through the turkey without any
knock down power.
And the turkey would fly off then die and be lost.
You would be better off to use copper plated lead or some of
The other shot that takes place of lead.

This is how it was told to me.

Like I talked to a duck hunter and he used steel shot.
He would shoot ducks and they would fly a long way,
Before dropping and he couldn't get them.
His buddys was useing bisthmuth ( Not spelled right. )
And they dropped on the spot.

So I wouldn't try to use steel shot on turkeys.

JMHO

[jghoffman12]

i would do everything possible to stay away from steel shot. i've hunted waterfowl since i was a kid (pass shooting, over decoys on water and in fields). the transition from lead to steel was not good. steel is faster but has no knockdown power. i was always told that steel shot through a modified choke would give you a similar pattern to lead through a full choke. that may be, but you lose a lot in knockdown power. right or wrong, that's my opinion after shooting thousands of rounds of lead andthousands of rounds of steel at waterfowl.

[RedAllison]

Absolutely DON'T use steel on turkeys. There is NO reason to do so. I assume that you are wanting to use steel so that you will get as tight a pattern as possible? Then you need to look into the new lead alternative shot materials like Hevi-Shot, Winchester Extended, Nitro etc...

The problem with steel isn't that it doesn't expand (which it certainly doesn't) it's problem is WEIGHT. Or lack thereof I should say. Steel weighs about half what lead does. That is why you shot ducks with #7.5, 6 and 4 lead and yet you see everyone shooting 3.5" 2s and BBs at ducks with steel shot. Steel shot SUCKS and I wouldn't shoot my neighbors cats with that crap. Good way to wound ALOT of animals!!! [:@][:'(]

My first pick would be the 3" Nitro 1 3/8oz triple 4,5 & 7 Hevi-Shot. This load from a modified 20ga will SMOKE a turkey out too 40-45yds. They are expensive but cheaper than a new gun if that 20 is all you have. Also Hevi-Shot Remingtons are available in 20ga as well. The thing to remember with Hevi-Shot types of shot is that that material actually weighs more than lead so you don't have to have as big of a shotsize with it like you did with lead. But it DOES have the ONLY postivie aspect that steel has, it patterns incredibly tight and you don't have to restrict it as much as you do lead. That Nitro load I spoke of in a Mod choke will shoot with and in many cases out pattern a lead load from a much tighter Xfull tube.

If you can't find anything but lead then stick with quality turkey loads like those from Winchester Supreme and I would recommend copper plated 5s and keep the shots inside of 40yds unless you have patterned the gun at 45 and can assure yourself of 10-20 pellets in the head/neck region at a given yardage.


Good luck,
RA

[Lorge]

ORIGINAL: RedAllison

Absolutely DON'T use steel on turkeys. There is NO reason to do so. I assume that you are wanting to use steel so that you will get as tight a pattern as possible? Then you need to look into the new lead alternative shot materials like Hevi-Shot, Winchester Extended, Nitro etc...

The problem with steel isn't that it doesn't expand (which it certainly doesn't) it's problem is WEIGHT. Or lack thereof I should say. Steel weighs about half what lead does. That is why you shot ducks with #7.5, 6 and 4 lead and yet you see everyone shooting 3.5" 2s and BBs at ducks with steel shot. Steel shot SUCKS and I wouldn't shoot my neighbors cats with that crap. Good way to wound ALOT of animals!!! [:@][:'(]

My first pick would be the 3" Nitro 1 3/8oz triple 4,5 & 7 Hevi-Shot. This load from a modified 20ga will SMOKE a turkey out too 40-45yds. They are expensive but cheaper than a new gun if that 20 is all you have. Also Hevi-Shot Remingtons are available in 20ga as well. The thing to remember with Hevi-Shot types of shot is that that material actually weighs more than lead so you don't have to have as big of a shotsize with it like you did with lead. But it DOES have the ONLY postivie aspect that steel has, it patterns incredibly tight and you don't have to restrict it as much as you do lead. That Nitro load I spoke of in a Mod choke will shoot with and in many cases out pattern a lead load from a much tighter Xfull tube.

If you can't find anything but lead then stick with quality turkey loads like those from Winchester Supreme and I would recommend copper plated 5s and keep the shots inside of 40yds unless you have patterned the gun at 45 and can assure yourself of 10-20 pellets in the head/neck region at a given yardage.


Good luck,
RA

Thanks for the good advice. You were right about me trying to achieve a tighter pattern byconsidering steel. I'll give the Hevi-shot a try.

[dawei]

ORIGINAL: Lorge

What are your thoughts on this ammo/gun combination? Let's say the only shotgun available to use for turkey hunting was a single shot 20 gauge with a fixed modified choke. Would a 3 inch steel shot #2 be a good choice to take down a turkey. I know it's not your typical or ideal setup, but would it work?

That's exactsame gun that my wife (small lady) uses; an NEF 22" barrel Youth gun. She gets VERY GOOD PATTERNS with two loads:

Remington® Hevi"¢Shot 3" Mag 1¼oz #6 shot
(does not pattern # 4 or 5 Hevi"¢Shot as well) and.........

Federal® Grand Slam 3" Mag 1�oz #5 shot
(do not pattern #4 or 6 shot as well)

[mauser06]

i killed a flying hen in the fall with steel...#4 2 3/4 inch..maybe 3icnh..cant remember...i was pheasant hunting and needed a long range shell for my second and 3rd shot and thats all i had..turkey flushed from the top of a pine tree...identified it as a turkey right away...BOOM nailed it first shot with 1 1/8th oz of 7.5....seen some feathers falling...racked in another one(my steel) BOOM...fell like a ton of bricks from a good 25yds away...theres ALOT of good lead and hevishot loads out there for a 20ga now....id look into those first...#2 steel wont have alot of pellets to begin with....and is lighter then lead so looses the punch it has pretty quick.....though it patterned excellent from my 12 ga and a modified choke.......i rather have more punch for a big ole turkey

[Mr. Longbeard]

I don't even think #2 are even legal to use on turkeys

Definetly goe with the hevi shot or the Win Ext Range loads...

*** BEFORE YOU GO TAKING 40 AND 50 YARD SHOTS YOU MIGHT WANT TO PATTERN YOUR IT WITH TURKEY TARGETS***

I'l bet you'll find out that it wount be much good past 30 yards

[QTompkins2005]

maybe he was just a bad shot jr...