steel or lead shot for turkey hunting

Check state or provincial regulations to determine legal ammunition. And more states are mandating its use in select areas for upland bird hunting--even for doves on some state lands. Please check your state’s turkey hunting regulations for minimum and maximum shot size restrictions. From high-tech lead substitutes to quality steel shot, these are the best duck and goose loads on the market In more and more areas, laws require waterfowl hunters to use steel shot rather than the traditional (and toxic) lead shot. During the test, hunters killed more than 300 pheasants at a North Dakota hunting club, shooting factory-loaded ammo with number 2, 4, and 6 steel shot at 1375 feet per second. I probably go a bit larger than some; I use #2 steel for ducks and pheasants, I use BB steel on geese, all of these will be 3" shells and I will go to 3.5" as a third shot on geese. But even if given the option, many hunters are confused by the distinction. You don't stop hunting because you grow old. USA: Ammunition other than lead required for waterfowl. Number 4, 5, and 6 shot sizes are available in all of the abovementioned loads. They are not for use with shotgun slugs or steel shot. The 10 Best Shotgun Loads for Waterfowl Hunting. The study examined three, 12-gauge, 2 ¾-inch loads designed and manufactured to mirror loads that are used most often by dove hunters. Non-lead turkey shotgun chokes include specialty made chokes for tungsten, Hevi-Shot or waterfowl chokes designed for steel. Bismuth is between lead and steel. Magnum Blend Turkey offers an even blend of 5, 6 and 7 shot (4, 6 and 7 is available in 12-gauge), and all loads share a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps. Look at the density of the shot holes in the paper. Hope this clarifies this issue. The denser than lead tungsten alloy shot out performs lead shot by quite a bit. Since the 1980s, lead shot has been banned nationally for use in hunting waterfowl. It is illegal to possess lead shot while hunting waterfowl or hunting in a Non-Toxic-Shot-Only area. Why do they make lead shot illegal for ducks? Here at Turkey Hunting Nation, we imagine spring gobbler opportunities are acceptable for state residents, but not all that appealing otherwise. A lighter load or expecting longer shots I’d maybe use a modified choke. The opposite is true for steel. shot at 1300 fps, though I surmise damage to edible meat and cumulative recoil would make this a poor choice. If … Several of these have proven to be deadly in turkey hunting loads as well. 7 steel shot. The different load types included: 1 ⅛ ounce of No. I have to use lead free shot on coyotes so I use the denser than lead shot. Steel shot weighs about 7.5 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc) and is harder than lead. Steel rusts, I have seen the whole steel shot load turn into a solid mass of rust in shells that weren’t sealed well. Steel is mandated for all waterfowl hunting and for some other types of hunting and shooting in some places because it’s non-toxic and won’t harm animals that ingest it. You should be aware that the reference to #7 shot in the new regulations, DOES NOT imply the use of 7-1/2 lead shot. Most hunting loads using steel are higher velocity to compensate for the decreased mass of the steel. The organisations that represent live-quarry shooting have said that they want to move away from the use of lead shot over the next five years. You grow old because you stop hunting. 7 ½ lead shot, 1 ounce of No. If you are hunting where non-toxic shot is required, I'd use HeviShot or bismuth or tungsten, but not steel. Patternmaster Code Black turkey choke MOJO Fatal Shot Choke Personally I use 3″ 1-3/8oz #5 bismuth that is 1450fps and an IC choke. There’s one exception to the improvement of modern ammunition; steel shot is not an improvement over lead shot – for the shotgunner. Not to be confused with the almost double-diameter pellets in the #4 buck, the #4 lead shot is a diverse ammunition used in a variety of applications – but is most commonly marketed for turkey hunting.Varmint control, target shooting, home defense and hunting birds of all shapes and sizes can easily be handled effectively with #4 lead shot. Hunting Use So it is illegal to use 7-1/2 lead shot for wild turkey. Buy online or call 262.397.8819 to learn more. Lead shot weighs about 10.6 g/cc and is a relatively soft metal, deforms easily and … These numbers are capable of killing a wild turkey, and even rival the numbers produced by some 12-gauge turkey guns using No. U.S law requires the use of non-toxic (steel, bismuth, tungsten, etc) while hunting waterfowl! For home defense, the steel option offers slightly less penetration than the lead round, making it safer than larger ammo types like 00 buck.. Provides links to summaries of information about the potential environmental and health impacts of using lead shot when hunting. Shot Identification Chart. You can shoot doves with lead shot in the same field that you duck hunt in with no problem. The PatternMaster Code Black Turkey Choke Tube is for use with ammunition designed for turkey hunting such as lead, copper and lead combination, and Hevi-Shot, as well as FLITECONTROL wads. Steel is lighter so we recommend using #2-5 shot size. Then the Federal government banned the use of lead shot for waterfowl in 1991. I would recommend using larger steel than you would lead. Provides the Minnesota DNR's position on using non-toxic shot as well as lead tackle and ammunition. If you are going to use steel shot you better get up close and personal, like inside 20 yards. #3 steel shot is the perfect substitution for situations where lead is prohibited or where you want less penetration. - Gun Nut Nontoxic shot has been required for waterfowl hunting since 1992. Contains a link to in-depth and detailed literature review and details of non-toxic shot regulations throughout the United States. Lead vs. steel shot is a somewhat controversial topic among shotgun shooting hunters. Since scientists determined that even the smallest trace amounts of lead can be detrimental to humans, animals we hunt and the environment, more and more areas are restricting the use of lead shot. Some shot sizes are huge and you will never see them in turkey shells while others are so small you may have never heard of them at all. Steel BB shot at 1500 fps gets 3.50" of gel penetration at 18.1 yards. They shot birds at distances ranging from less than 20 yards to more than 60. Steel doesn't have the mass (weight) per … Legal shot is steel, bismuth-tin, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-iron, tungsten matrix, tungsten-nickle-iron, tungsten-ironnickel- tin, and steel shot coated with copper, nickel, zinc chromate, or zinc chloride. Alabama: Non-toxic required for migratory birds, except doves. For the first 30 years or so of that time, everything was fine. Lead shot which was used for many years was contaminating wetlands and waterfowl. The literal size of the shot inside shotgun shells can vary considerably when we begin to speak exact numbers. Steel and lead are the most common and most affordable shotgun pellet materials. 6 steel shot, and 1 ounce of No. So there ya go, a few reasons why I don’t like steel shot. 4 or No. Steel shot can’t be used in full chokes and X-full turkey chokes can be dangerous shooting steel shot in. Currently the only #7 shot available is steel. If you are just going out to sling some lead I would use 00 Buck with a full choke on a regular/field barrel. The following is a listing of which states currently have regulations on the books for use of shot types for different type of hunting: Non-toxic shot regulations by state. The equivalent of a turkey load, there’s also 3-inch Heavy Pheasant shells loaded with 1⅞ oz. Material properties. 5 lead loads. Public-land hunting opportunities prevail in northwestern, southcentral and southwestern Indiana. Should Bird Hunters Use Non-Toxic Shot for Grouse and Woodcock? Pattern your gun and see what chokes work with what loads at certain yardages. Lead in Ammunition. Hunting is open statewide, though somewhat scarce in certain locations outside of these regions. Titan Reloading offers Lead and Steel Shotshell Shot of Various Sizes at affordable prices. Lead shot vs steel: The Field's guide to the ballistics The Field | July 2020 Lead has been used for centuries to deliver a clean kill. Hevi-Shot is a non-toxic alternative, which patterns as well as lead, yet cooperates much better with the environment. If I was shooting steel I would probably try a higher velocity load with #4 shot and use an IC or Modified choke depending on how you are hunting. $99.99. Hunters will find that lead and steel shot perform differently. Washington state has gradually been working to eliminate use of lead shot for hunting … You can shoot squirrels with lead shot in the woods where you duck hunt in with no problem, but you cant shoot ducks with lead shot when your duck hunting. So, when I’m turkey hunting with my old Winchester Model 12, the very latest in turkey hunting ammunition is always in the chamber; it kills turkeys at distances that amaze me. Steel doesn’t compress like lead. In my opinion steel shot should never be used on coyotes. During the past two decades, despite a plethora of nontoxic-shot types coming to the market--steel, bismuth, and tungsten composites--bird hunters have taken primarily to shooting steel shot. Lead is ballistically superior and still allowed for most upland hunting and target shooting. SIMON WEST. The loads included a 11⁄8-ounce load of size 71/2 lead shot, the most common load used by Texas dove hunters; a one-ounce load of size 7 steel shot; and a one-ounce load of size 6 steel shot. Don't go using large shot size through a tight choke, like turkey. Now, some 20 years later, we see some state and federal regulations banning lead shot for both upland and turkey hunting. Test results also showed more than 3 inches of penetration in ballistic gel and deep dents, with a few pellets even busting completely through a thin sheet of steel at 40 yards. 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