Steel shot Pattern Testing

[welshboy454 3]

This is the data from another forum. Particularly interesting is the IC (quarter) choke No4 shot steel pattern (In bold below as the rest relate to clay target loads). It seems to me to be slightly tighter than 3/4 choke in lead. So 2 sizes up in choke rather than the perceived wisdom of one size up.

 

Just for fun, lets see what the pattern board can show us about the difference in performance. I'll compare #8 lead with #7 steel loads and #7 1/2 lead with #6 steel loads since those are usually what I use when trying to duplicate pellet energy.

 

Patterns were shot from a 12-gauge Browning Citori w/ 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).

 

30 YARDS

Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) -- IC / 363 (83%)

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (418 pellets) -- IC / 315 (75%)

Win AA 2 3/4" 1 oz #8 lead (393 pellets) -- IC / 305 (78%)

 

30 YARDS

Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) -- IC / 261 (85%)

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (314 pellets) -- IC / 252 (%)

Win AA 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (377 pellets) -- IC / 324 (86%)

Rem STS 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (408 pellets) -- IC / 328 (%)

 

40 YARDS

Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (437 pellets) -- Mod / 286 (65%)

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #7 steel (418 pellets) -- Mod / 275 (66%)

Win AA 2 3/4" 1 oz #8 lead (393 pellets) -- Mod / 292 (74%)

 

40 YARDS

Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) -- Mod / 222 (73%)

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (314 pellets) -- Mod / 210 (67%)

Win AA 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (377 pellets) -- Mod / 285 (76%)

Rem STS 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (408 pellets) -- Mod / 293 (72%)

 

40 YARDS

Xpert Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (306 pellets) -- Full / 234 (76%)

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 oz #6 steel (314 pellets) -- Full / 218 (69%)

Win AA 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (377 pellets) -- Full / 299 (79%)

Rem STS 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (408 pellets) -- Full / 321 (79%)

 

Wait a minute, the steel loads didn't always pattern tighter (higher percentage) in these small pellet loads anyway. It looks like the smaller steel pellets (#7 and #6) act very much like quality lead pellets.

 

When you get to the larger steel pellets, I think you start to see what most are talking about when they say that steel patterns tighter then lead.

 

Here are a few more pattern numbers with the same gun and chokes to give you an idea of what larger steel pellets do.

30 YARDS

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #4 steel (218 pellets) -- IC / 202 (93%)

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #2 steel (139 pellets) -- IC / 129 (93%)

 

40 YARDS

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #4 steel (218 pellets) -- Mod / 159 (73%)

Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #2 steel (139 pellets) -- Mod / 114 (82%)

 

The IC choke definately shot tighter patterns (higher percentages) with both the #4 and #2 steel loads than the small lead shot sizes did. In the Mod choke, the #4 steel load shot about the same as the others but the #2 steel load did shoot tighter.

 

Draw your own conclusions if you like, but once again, if you don't take them to the pattern board you don't have any way of really knowing what they are doing!