I have discovered that some times it is not the shell causing the cripples but the guy behind the shotgun. I have shot kent, remington, federal, fiochi, and winchester. They have all killed birds just fine so long as a did my part. I have experienced cripples with all of these shells and I have hammered a lot of birds with each of these shells. It all comes down to the shooter in my opinion. Now a shell that reaches out to 50 yds is nice but I rarely need the distance. So we shoot the cheap X-Pert steel 3" 2 shot, it is only $12 a box and knocks em down just as good in my opinion as the kent or fiochi shells. But to each his own I guess.