I'd pay a premium to shoot lead at everything.

 

Looked in to this several times. Locally for me any way. Lead loads are still a lot less than steel. It's getting closer . But not close enough. Still like 50% more to load steel.

 

It's always been the wads that bump up the cost of steel loads. We pay a premium for steel rated wads.

 

Ballistic Products was out of their 1260 wads the last I heard, but if you ask, they just might get some. They are a cheaper 1 oz steel wad that has worked well for me in 1200 fps target loads. I still have some of the 6000 piece case I got a year ago. I shoot them in my fixed full 870 w no problem.

Steel at our club is $1.40 a pound, but we bought directly from the mfr Ervin Industries out of MI by the 50 gallon drum. They just stopped making it, so we will have to switch to someone new which we did find. I heard the price will go up but have not heard the new amt yet.

Giterdun.

 

Bpi has lbc wads which are awesome wads for $17 per 250, so twice what I pay for clay buster wads and the powder charge is heavier but in the end we are getting to within a dollar or two per box. Plus with steel you shooting lighter shot loads typically so there’s savings there. I’m betting it’s gonna be neck and neck soon.

 

I wouldn't have a problem using steel for target loads. Not a big deal.

 

Have to use a more open choke though.

Maybe, maybe not. Just choke for the distance of your shots. Here are a few of my pattern numbers to give you an idea of the kind of performance you might get from 1-ounce steel target and small game loads.

Pattern results from a 12-gauge Browning Citori with 28" Invector-plus barrels using Briley flush chokes (patterns average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, and in-shell pellet count average of five).

12 GA 2 3/4" WINCHESTER XPERT GAME & TARGET STEEL LOAD
1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) @ 1325 fps

30 YARDS
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) – CYL / 231 (53%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) – SK / 319 (73%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) – IC / 363 (83%)

40 YARDS
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) – LM / 278 (64%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) – M / 286 (65%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) – IM / 300 (69%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) – LF / 306 (70%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) – F / 299 (68%)

12 GA 2 3/4" WINCHESTER XPERT GAME & TARGET STEEL LOAD
1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) @ 1325 fps

30 YARDS
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – CYL / 184 (60%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – SK / 234 (76%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – IC / 261 (85%)

40 YARDS
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – LM / 220 (72%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – M / 222 (73%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – IM / 227 (74%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – LF / 229 (75%)
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – F / 234 (76%)

50 YARDS
Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) – F / 162 (53%)

Good luck!

 

Excellent. Got any comparable numbers for lead? I've never opened my chokes to shoot steel, just made sure the choke was built to handle it. Too bad they've changed the constriction ratings (full, mod, etc) for steel. Always go by measured constriction. I don't have Dr. Andrew's book with me, but I believe he said steel patterns are a little more open than lead with everything else equal (speed was not the same in his book if I remember right).

What are you're choke ratings by constriction?

 

Oh, and I don't load faster reloads with steel. I had to contact BPI to get slower recipes with steel because I hate the recoil of the typically faster loads. They do have them and I use them to this day. They break clay targets just fine. Now for yardage, I went to size 1-1/8 oz of #6, which is allowed at our club, but at the same fps as lead.

 

If you want full choke performance, I agree.

Like I said, you need to try and choke for the distance of your shots. And the pattern board will tell you how your barrel/load/choke combo is performing at the distance of your shots.

 

Both Joe's are Spot On but the barrels bore size and the design of the choke , do make a difference !
For Me , Steel likes constriction as long as the velocity is kept , comparable to pellet size !

Cerberus showed these recipes a long time ago !

 

I shoot a lot of steel shot and have definitely noticed tighter patterns with 5 and larger shot versus lead generally. I typically use a light modified choke for all waterfowl unless I can’t find one, in that case I use an improved cylinder and get modified to improved mod patterns, generally but a lot depends on how the bore was made. Some are tighter than others, some are back bored ect… this effects how the choke restricts the shot and makes a huge difference. Steel wads are also much thicker and hold the shot longer before release so that changes things too in addition to the smoother shot. Small shot reacts differently and opens up quicker, I think it’s not near as round and varies in weight. So I guess what I’m saying is you have to pattern your gun to see how it reacts to different chokes, period.