Lead drifts too.

But nothing like a much lighter piece of steel at same distances. No matter what the speed.

Usually the shot size is upped with steel, so there is not much difference in weight, or no difference at all. Also the steel shots can be (and are) shot at much higher velocities and thus the exposure time for wind is shorter. Although same weight steel shot is bigger than lead shot and has bigger surface area (wind/air resistance), but taking the greater velocity into account that shouldn't matter that much.

Just to put things in perspective I found 2 calculators that convert FPS to MPH. I use both and the answers were the same. I rounded off to 4 numbers after the decimal point.

1400 FPS = 954.5455 MPH

1550 FPS = 1056.8182 MPH


Ducks normally fly between 40 and 60 MPH, a canvassback was once clocked at 72 mph and a red breasted merganser was once clcked at 100 mph. No duck comes close to approaching the speed of shot, lead or steel. In the grand scheme of things, so long as you swing through the duck and shoot when you ass the bill or if you have mastered the sustained lead method of shooting, I prefer the first, method, the speed of the shot doesn't mean a whole lot, knowing how to wing shoot means a whole lot more.

And I fully understand this. Lead 4's, Steel 2's. Technically same difference. But fire both at 1400fps with a 10mph crosswind and see who drifts more at 40 yds. See what has more sustained energy at that distance.
I grew up shooting in the great lead days and have since made the switch, to much dismay. I now shoot almost exclusively Hevi-Metal and now ITX reload's in both 12ga and 20ga.

Shooting lead 1400fps is not quite realistic, at least if it's not well plated. I am quite sure that you didn't shoot with shots like that in the "good old days". 1200fps sounds more realistic.

If you put them on the same line otherwise, lead is of couse better as it's surface area is smaller, as already mentioned. But putting them on the same line requires plating lead heavily, so it's not just lead anymore. Same is with steel compositions, you can add all sorts of things to steel, like tungsten. Without plating lead shot is/comes more ununiform and thus has more air drag and more "odd flyers" those affect pattern performance.

What's the point putting them on the same line, as they have different charasteristics and you should use those to your benefit. If you really want to compare those, you need to put each shot to it's best use, not hinder it. That's why you should give steel shot higher velocities, as it can take those.

Also the aim is to shoot the duck, both can well do it in this scenario.

Exactly what I have been saying. Who deleted by JW poor laguage cares about velocity!!! If you don't have the capability to hit the target because your a bad shot, then no matter what the velocity is, your not going to hit the target!!!!! 1700fps miss same as a 1150fps miss.

I think that the thread starter was more worried about kinetic energy than hitting the bird. Though velocity helps to shorten the lead and it is more common to miss from behind than front.

But yes, you gotta hit the target.

Shoot em where they eat and not where they crap. Great line Oldtimr!

Watch out for some of the 'hotter' loads. Some guns like'em many don't. There's a hyper-sonic load sold as 1700fps. That is got to be harder on a gun than neccessary. Speed kills, but a miss is a miss and a broken gun won't shoot.

I'll venture that stopping the barrel, aiming at the duck, too much thinking (about a target) and a poor fitting stock account for more missed ducks than slow pellet speed.

Practice in the off-season different clay target presentations at a local skeet or sporting clays range (5-stand works too). Better shooting makes the recoil worth it in the duck blind.

Hey hunter, in order to determine kinetic energy we use 0.5 x mass x velocity^2. Shaving off 150fps would decrease your energy by 18.5%. Would this make a big difference at 40yrds? Hard to say as this energy is calculated at the muzzle. You would need to look into drag on the shot to determine shot velocity at 40yards. Close range tho, an 18% difference wouldn't be very noticeable as the shot would more than likely pass through just as much in either load.

Personally I only shoot 1550... why? Because that's what I'm used to shooting. Although small, I don't want to have to remember to adjust my leads all the time and in my head I'm thinking I'm more accurate sticking with the 1550's. I'd say get used to one or the other (which ever fits your needs and pocket book), and go with it! Practice makes the difference too. Shooting 2000 rounds a year gets you on the mark pretty quick.