ORIGINAL: Matt / PA
I am still curious about why everyone LOVES Nitros? Is it simply because of the #7 Hevi in them?
It just boggles my mind that people are paying the kind of money per shell for them and Environmetal could just make up some factory ones of their own. They'd probably do the same exact thing and throw those high pellet count patterns too.
I wonder why they wouldn't jump on that bandwagon?
Let me ask this........how many people would jump ship tomorrow from Nitro shells if there was a Hevi-13 , 3", 2oz, #7 and a 3.5", 2.25oz #7 or even a #5-6-7 Duplex style load to pick from at $20-25 a box?
I can tell you that I would jump off the Nitro train if EnvironMetal started making straight #7's.....heck I still think that if Federal would get rid of their Flitecontrol wad and replace it with a good one they would give Nitro a run for their money!
ORIGINAL: Todd1700
Not trying to be ugly here just making some honest observations and would love for some nitro users to respond. First, of course Nitro shells are gonna pattern well. Even their 4x5x7 duplex loads are about 77% number 7 shot. That's a helluva lot more pellets than even a load of 6's. I can get more pellets on target by dropping down to a smaller shot sizewith anybrand but the trade off is the down range energy they deliver. NowI know that Nitro uses heavier than lead shot but still a number 7 pellet is about the size of a gnat turd. Also, Nitro loads their own shells but they do not make the shot that goes in them. They use Heavy 13 purchased from Environmetal. The people at Environmetal do not recommend shooting at turkeys beyond 40 yards with their number 6 shot! That being the case I'm going to have to assume that their range recommendation doesn't increase with a drop down to number 7 shot. If these things aren't consistently lethal at 50 or more yards then I honestly cannot see paying the outrageous price for them. Holes in paper at 50 yards tells you nothing about whether or not a pellet has retained neck snapping power at that distance. Yes I have seen the impressive patterns at 40 yards but most people can obtain a lethal pattern at 40 yards with a 10 dollar box of shells from Wal-Mart. 5 pellets in the kill zone at 40 yards = dead turkey. 10 pellets in the kill zone still only = dead turkey. 20 pellets in the kill zone? Yep that's right still only = dead turkey. See a pattern developing here?
I'm sorry I did not see this sooner.
Nitro does not use Hevi-13 they use EnvironMetal's standard heavier than lead pellets (12gcc). Nitro's loads are also going approx 200-250fps faster.
As a side note EnvironMetal also states that they have slower speeds because their loads pattern better going slower. I have a friend who duplicated their loads for me (I don't reload) and pushed them all the way up to 1300fps and actually increased pattern performance........I only bring this up to say take what they saw with a grain of salt.
#7 heavier than lead will break bones at 70 yards, so if you have the pattern you have the killing power.