Steel shot in muzzleloaders?

[Lucky R A]

    Has anyone had experience using steel shot in muzzloading fowlers for waterfowl?   I would like to know the possible damages to the barrel, as well as best way to load steel shot so the barrel is not damaged.   Any recommendations as to what type and size of waterfowl approved shot to use?   I may be doing some goose hunting this fall with my fowler if I draw a blind..

[C Wallingford]

I know a fellow that goose hunted with a Navy Arms double barrel  using steel shot. After a short period of time he had grooves running through the barrel. I don't know what long term effect that would have on the performance of the barrel but it did leave it's mark.

[northmn]

Some of the newer ones have chrome lined barrels which should protect them.  I would try using steel shot wads available at Ballistic Products or Precision Reloading.  Ballistic makes one called Limited Bore contact LBC that should be a good one.  Use a card over powder.  Going to experiment myself trying putting lube in the gooves of a bunch of old SAM wads I have.

DP

[Daryl]

If you use steel shot in any gun, be it modern or not, you must use a plastic, steel-shot wad. Normal wads lack the strength and thickness to keep the steel or iron pellets from scraping and cutting the bore - chromed or not. You must also use enough normal wads to keep the black powder from melting the base of the wad and coating the bore with plastic.
: Another problem with steel wads, is they are thick, hard and take a very heavy load to make them open up to release the shot.  This means even a heavy load will probably make very small patterns, but steel shot does not have the energy to kill at long range, where small patterns pay off.
: - suggestion - One thing you might do, is to find a fairly thick poly sheet, or some sort of plastic or other fibre that has strength against compression, yet is plyable enough to wrap it into a tube shape.  Load your powder and base wad about 2" down the muzzle, then push in this tube of whatever, fill it with steel shot of whatever size, then put a thin "B" wad over it. The thick 'material you found' may protect your bore.  It's all about experimentation. 
; Small patters on the paper are great as they give long range shooting posibilities but steel shot slows down so quickly, it is useless for anything past about 40 yards.  Have fun trying to find a load that works.

[northmn]

If you wish to try Daryl's suggestion both outfits I recommended sell Mylar which would work.  As you are going goose hunting you will want to use a substantial shot size.  BBB is very popular with experienced goose hunters in my area.  T's are about as big as you would want to go.  I have no idea what gauge your fowler is but the wads they sell coupled with a card should work from 14, 12, 11-10 gauge.  You can also use the 3 1/2 inch mag wad for a 12 that is ok in a ML as shell length is not a factor.   You are not going to get a lot of range with a ML as compared to a high speed modern but if you look close at downrange velocities you find they drop off pretty quick.  Steel is funny stuff.  It cuts feathers like plated shot and demolishes any bones hit as it does not deform.  It does not penetrate as well as lead but patterns very well or very poorly depending. It is better than chilled shot and not as good as the plated and harder lead.  Some of the best and worst patterns I have gotten is with steel.  If you use uplated steel mix some white lubricant with it and it will pattern better.  I like the zinc plated stuff sold by percision reloading.  (why lead is so bad and zinc is permitted I don't know but Remington uses it in their factory loads).   I also wonder if the zinz plating may help protect the bore a little more.  I have made scatter loads out of steel in modern guns by placing a small heavy card wad about 2/3 down in the charge.
Good hunting have fun.

DP

[Neil Hunter]

As Daryl mentioned, steel shot works in a muzzleloader but must be used with a shot cup designed for steel shot.  I use steel shot in my Mortimer and it works well but the shot cups designed for steel are quite thich and require heavy powder charges to make them open.  I normally shoot 80 grains of 2F with 1-1/8 oz. lead shot, but it takes 100gr of 2F and a steel shot cup full steel shot. Any less than 100 gr and my Mortimer will pattern 100% in .719 inches @ 35 yards.  A bit too tight to be useful.

[northmn]

Neil, have you tried slitting the cups more to get them started opening, say to six or eight cuts?  Another trick I have used in my 16 gauge is to take a cup and cut off the over powder section then cut out a piece so it fits in the case.  If one would cut the cup off and slit it full length, that would  work in a ML loading like Daryl suggested.   100 grains behind 1 1/8 would not be all bad either but one may still get an occaisional slug.  One of the things about a ML is that many are not choked and none have forcing cones so that many of the problems with using steel in a suppository gun are not there.  I do not think a Jug choke would have the effects of a straight choke.

DP

[Neil Hunter]

Thanks for the idea Northmn.  The cups I use are slit part way but I think slitting them the full length would protect the barrel and open up with a lesser powder charge.

[northmn]

Another thing if you look at the selection of wads in Ballistic products, they make a softer vinyl wad for up to 1 1/8 ounce loads that I really liked for lighter modern loads.  Its numbered CB118 I believe.  Anyway they are only recommended for up to #3 shot and come unslit.  While I think 90-100 grains behind 1 1/8 might not be all bad this may permit some versatility.  Ironically, some of the areas I hunt require steel for pheasants also.  The last I heard, Bismuth is no longer available, although if one could find a few loaded cartridges in goose load size, such as BB, it would be a good option in that it could be loaded like lead.  I used to cut open some of the shells before I coughed up the $100 neccessary to buy the 7 lb shot can.  Wished I would have saved the $100 as really steel is not all bad.  That was the trouble with lead substitutes other than steel. 

DP

 

[Daryl]

For improved performance as to energy and range, the tungsten shot will deliver, apparently. I haven't tried it as I quit duck and goose hunting when steel shot became manditory.  I have read a couple articles on the stuff and it seems to do the job due to it's specific gravity being almost the same as lead.

[roundball]

The bad news is that 'EcoTungsten / Nice Shot was about $32 a pound a few months ago...no telling what it's up to now

[northmn]

Its also harder than steel and takes a heavier plastic wad.  Under 40 yards and at upland game ranges I can make steel perform.  As I stated you can make it spread a little with a overpowder card wad of say 28 gauge or so or make its equivalent by gluing cardboard together and place it about two thirds in or halfway in the column.  While I was a little leary of that with a suppository load with black I see no problem.  While that 2 size theory only holds for a small range it does work to use steel 3's where you may use lead 5's.

DP