Lead vs. Steel Shot

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As Roster points out, however, that comparison isn't the most reasonable one. A more meaningful analysis might measure No. 4 lead against larger No. 2 steel shot . . . and also judge the steel at its usual velocity (perhaps 1,365 FPS), which is typically higher than that produced by lead-shot shells. When that sort of comparison is made, the steel retains 3.88 foot-pounds at 40 yards and 2.37 foot-pounds at 60 yards. But why, you may ask, should No. 4 lead be compared with No. 2 steel? Read on.

A CLOSER LOOK AT A FLYING SPHERE

Because steel is lighter than lead per unit of volume, the ballistic equivalent of No. 4 lead shot is actually No. 2 steel. Using the larger pellets, you see, compensates for the loss of mass per pellet, but of course fewer of the larger pellets — which also, because of their size, suffer from increased wind resistance — can be stuffed into a shell. This might seem to be a disadvantage . . . since the overall pattern of shot would be less dense. There are, however, some other aspects to consider.

While steel is lighter than lead, it's also considerably harder. When lead is used in shells, the velocity that the pellets can be accelerated to is limited, in part, by the amount that they will deform under that force. Steel is less likely to become misshapen, even when fired at velocities substantially higher than those employed with lead. In fact, steel shot shells typically achieve muzzle velocities that are at least 100 FPS higher than those of lead.

And, again because of the malleability of lead shot, the average steel pattern will hold its shape much better than would one of lead. According to Roster, most unbuffered (that is, without interpellet packing) lead loads fired through full-choke shotguns barely achieve a 70% pattern (the percentage of the shot that impacts within a 30" circle) at 40 yards and 35% at 60 yards. (These patterning percentages do not apply to buffered hardenedlead loads, which will outpattern even the best steel shells. Such ammunition is quite expensive, though, and Roster estimates that less than 5% of U.S. waterfowl hunters use it.)

Under the same conditions, a steel load typically patterns 80 to 92% at 40 yards and 45 to 60% at 60 yards. Add the fact that more steel shot will fit in a shot shell of the same size (167 versus 216 for No. 4 and 109 versus 140 for No. 2), which thereby reduces the loss in pellet count that results from going up a size, and you'll find that there will be more steel pellets available in the pattern to do the job. (The seeming contradiction that more of the light steel pellets can be put in a given shell is a result of steel-shot manufacturers' actually using more of the shell casing space to hold pellets.)

The more consistently spherical steel also strings out less than does lead shot . . . that is, the pellets stay in a tighter bunch and arrive at a given point at closer to the same time. This property aids in making more shot available to intercept a bird flying across the path of the oncoming pellets at speeds as high as 50 MPH.

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