Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

Anyone used these? They look like they'd be pretty wicked, if they work as advertised. I'm seriously considering booking a guided duck and/or Canada goose hunt this fall (my first time hunting waterfowl), and from what I've heard, they do a LOT of shooting on a good day and I can't see spending $30/box of 10 for the high end Hevi-shot or tungsten loads. The Fed BC isn't much more than their premium steel and comes 25 shells/box at about $20/box.

Also, what choke seems to work best with them. I'd be using the Stoeger 2000 that I'm pretty sure my wife is getting me for my b-day next month, and I'd have Cyl, IC, Mod, Full and X-Full chokes to pick from. I don't know how steel shot works through chokes since I've never shot it before.

All info is appreciated,

Thanks,

Mike

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

i got the stoeger m 2000 also love the gun youll be happy anyways i havent shot BCs out of it but i have out of my winchester ranger 120 i found using a little less restricted choke works best so try the skeet cylinder or the improved (This is how Stoeger lables their chokes)

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

Last year was my first year to hunt with Black Cloud. It was amazing! There is not another steel shot out there that I know of that is better than Black Cloud. I only used it a couple of times for ducks, so I can't really comment on that, but I used it the whole year for geese. I shot my limit so many times this year with less shots than I ever have. It is extremely effective. I know I saved more dough by shooting less to get my limits.

Edit-I shot with a modified all year last year. Black Cloud and a modified choke=killer combination!!

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

I've got a Stoeger 2000 and I love it. You'llalso love shooting those Black Clouds I used them last year and was really impressed. I would'nt useanything more than a modified choke with the steel anything tighter than that might damage you barrell.

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

would go with the modified choke and the black cloud is a mean shell we compared it with some cheaper shells and there was no comparison at all and they also have a ton more punch.

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

It doesn't matter... they all seem to shoot with about IC density.


I wrote up a field journal on them when they first came out.... here is a link to it... hunt report, dissection... patterns... the works.


http://www.hunting.net/fieldjournal/...l.aspx?nID=746

Personally I don't think its worth the money... its nothing but expensive steel shot that you cannot control the pattern density with.

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

as for the black cloud, i don't have any personal experience with it...for my money all the fast steel loads do a good job, and kent fasteel is a proven performer as is the old federal premium high velocity loads (I'm partial to the 1.5 oz loads).... but from what I've seen there were several folks that shot better with the black clouds than they had in the past(but I have my theory on that, particularly now that swampcollie points out that they all seem to pattern to an IC no matter the actual choke...you see I think 90% of the duck hunters are shooting too much choke and miss shots because of it...but that is a subject for another post)....

back to the black clouds, they seem to be similar to the faster steel loads, which perform well.... but, mymy adviceto the original poster is two-fold....

first, you should talk to your outfitter/guide service before you go to see if need to supply the shells or if they are going to supply the shells, and second to the best of my knowledge you can only bring in a maximum of 200 shells to Canada for hunting there.... what I'm getting at is this, you may not have a choice of what kind of ammo you get, just be forewarned....

now, I don't consider a Canada hunt to be high volume (the duck limit is 8 per day, and the most liberal canada goose limit was 5 per day if memory serves) so that means you are looking at 13 waterfowl per day 200 shells ought to be more than enough depending on the length of the trip... my point is this, in the grand sceme of things the cost of your ammunition will probably be a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the trip, buy good ammo (and other equipment for that matter)because the last thing you want to dois cut corners and ruin a great trip.... on that note you will also want to give your ammo a test run through your gun to make sure it feeds well, some guns are a bit finicky about loads...also shoot that gun as much as possible to get you, the shooter, in good shape for the trip....

I've rambled and I apologize,I hope I've brought up a couple of points that will be helpful...as to choke, start with IC, if you don't shoot often you will be better served with a larger pattern on decoying birds for a bit of forgiveness, and furthermore, depending on the load steel patterns tighter than lead, so an IC choke will pattern like a Light Modified, or Modified choke and you will have plenty of choke for anything out to 35-40 yards....

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

I don't buy into the Black Cloud idea.. A completely round pellet will fly alot more uniform than a not so round pellet. In fact that was a big complaint about going to steel shot.. It is a lot harder to form into rounds than lead.. The ammo companies have been trying to improve the "roundness" of steel to help ballistically. So me, the Black Cloud goes the opposite direction..

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

cjwink...I thought that too until I actually started doing some experiments with hevi-shot (which is far from round in many cases)...it patterned very well in spite of being much less uniform than steel shot.... I'm not sure why this is I just know it works....

RE: Federal Black Cloud Shells?
 

Might be because hevi shot is "heavy" and less effected by the airflow.. While steel shot on the other hand is lighter and more effected. But only a guess.