ORIGINAL: inhuntr
I am looking into other possibilities rather than steel next year. I like Kents Tungsten Matrix load but I have heard that the fasteel primer is sealed to be waterproof. If the fasteel is not sealed than would the tungsten matrix not be seales either? Do you know anyone who has had a bad experience with kent fasteel or tungsten. The other option I am looking to go into is bismuth.
The only bad experience I have had with Kent TM is that they quit making it back in October. Chinese have jacked the price of raw tungsten up so high that Kent TM would have cost almost $50 a box for 10 shells. Too bad too...that stuff was awesome. I squirrelled away a bunch for my old guns, since TM is soft and safe to shoot out of older barrels.
Bismuth....is apparently getting sorta spoty as of late. Heard from another hunter that they are switching a bunch of stuff up, which is making patterns very different of course. Also had one 20ga shell with 1 1/4oz and another with 7/8oz out of the same box.....both were marked 1oz loads.....who knows?
I shoot Hevi-shot as my first shell...and back it up with two Hevi-steel. Works about as good as anything for me. I don't mind spending money...but I can't afford $2.50 a shell. So a box of hevi-shot (in theory) lasts me ten ducks (assuming I do my part). And the hevi-steel is there for cripples, or doubles or whatever, since its pretty cheap.