Tulle - Steel Shot

[Red]

I just got a 20 gauge Tulle. Will it handle steel shot? Is there anything special to do if it is ok?

RED

[EC121]

Just my opinion.  I wouldn't use the steel shot.  The steel in the shot could be harder than the steel in the barrel and gouge the bore when loaded conventionally.  Shot cups might work, but would be more trouble to load. 

[SCLoyalist]

I wouldn't use steel shot except in a plastic shot cup designated for use with steel shot, unless the barrel manufacturer said it was okay or unless I knew my barrel was chrome lined.

[coutios]

  Pardon my asking but is there a reason to use steel shot in a black powder gun???

No disrespect intended
Regards
Dave

[moleeyes36]

 Pardon my asking but is there a reason to use steel shot in a black powder gun???

No disrespect intended
Regards
Dave

The federal government requires non-lead shot be used to hunt waterfowl in this country.  Muzzle loaders or suppository shotguns, it makes no difference.  I think California may be eliminating lead bullets and shot for all hunting soon if they haven't already.

Mole Eyes

[Daryl]

IF you are going to waterfowl hunt, you need non-toxic shot.  I suggest for the number of shots fired, that you use BISMUTH instead of iron/steel or tungsten.
IF'S:

If you use BISMUTH you get to load it the same as if using lead. BISMUTH has almost as high a specific gravity (weight) as lead and works beautifully.

If you use hard shot - tungsten, iron or steel, you should use the thick walled plastic shot cups.
 
If you use the plastic shot cups, you will need to use something - ie: a couple 1/8" thick card wads between the plastic and the powder, to prevent the flame from melting the plastic and coating your bore with it, as happens with unprotected plastic shot cups.

BISMUTH shot costs more than steel, however you do not have to buy plastic wads for it's use.

imho

[Levy]

I hunt a small game season in a Federal Wildlife Refuge.  They consider the whole area duck habitat and even though I'm not hunting ducks, have to use non-toxic shot.  Because of that, we use small bore ML rifles, which is legal.

James Levy

[Habu]

Just a further thought: shotshells loaded with bismuth shot often go on sale after waterfowl season.  It isn't too much work to cut them open to salvage the shot, and the price is usually less than buying the shot alone. 

[Red]

Thanks all. That's sort of about what I thought.

Our duck season is October 1st each year and I mark that day off as soon as I get my calendar and call it my annual day of mediation.... With all the shooting going on.

Thinking a muzzleloader and black smoke would be really be neat on the duck marsh. Just imagine the reaction of all the other shooters on the marsh. :-)))) only one shot, but that's ok.

RED

[Old Ford2]

Only one shot!
Put "two" shots in it
Fred

[Daryl]

Thanks all. That's sort of about what I thought.

Our duck season is October 1st each year and I mark that day off as soon as I get my calendar and call it my annual day of mediation.... With all the shooting going on.

Thinking a muzzleloader and black smoke would be really be neat on the duck marsh. Just imagine the reaction of all the other shooters on the marsh. :-)))) only one shot, but that's ok.

RED

You mean WHITE smoke, I'm sure!

Black smoke comes from an over-fueling diesel - usually a FORD. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Scota4570]

I have tried steel shot in a 12GA double, a Beretta O/U Muzzle loader.  The shooting was from a stilt blind in a bay.  The birds were bluebills.  At the closest possible range, < 20 yards no ducks fell.  With lead shot no problem, they mostly fell.  Steel shot is garbage performance wise, IMHO.  They only way to make it work, and only sort of, is to shoot it very fast and shoot close.  With BP you can not get the velocity needed.   

I suggest,
http://www.niceshotinc.com/ 
Yes, it is brutally expensive but, can be treated like lead and will perform like lead. 

[bob in the woods]

Here is my perspective re non toxic shot [    Isn't the purpose of shot to be "toxic"  ]  Anyway....for less than the price of what my buddy pays for just 1 game of golf, I can hunt waterfowl all season.  Kind of puts the cost of bismuth shot in perspective.

[Red]

Aw, you got me - white smoke it is. I think I will try the bismuth and maybe with shot cups. I have been hearing about that method. I just want to have fun. I have to pattern it at the range first.

[axelp]

It also helps to go to the next bigger shot size when dealing with less dense non-lead options. I have used ITX shot and it works really well. It will work amazingly well with a shot cup-- but the maker also says that it will in no way hurt your bore with out a shot cup… as long as you are shooting a cylinder bore. Do not use this if you are shooting from a choked barrel.

K

[Scota4570]

There a bunch of non-tox options.  The only one that can be used the same as lead is the "nice shot" I mentioned.  If you want to mess with plastic wads I suggest "heavy weight 13".  Bucks Run has it.

It is a sintered tungsten bronze material that is moulded in a pull press type device ten fired to consolidate the metal.  Basically metal injection molded shot.  It works the best of any shot, of any material, that I have ever tried.  That includes lead.  HW13's density is higher than lead. 

The only thing that I am aware of, that might be better is TSS (tungsten super shot) with a denisty of 17g/cc or something crazy.  You can shoot small doses of #8 on ducks and kill very far, so they say.   You can't get it anymore so it does not matter. 

[axelp]

ITX lead-free shot will work fine without a shot cup…. The engineer there is clear that it will not hurt your bore. Its been on the market for years now.  But due to the increased pressures because the shot is harder than lead, it is risky to use in a full choked gun. Bismuth would work fine too in a bp smoothie.  Both of these will shoot like lead...

There are plenty of options out there. 4-5 years ago, ITX started selling a roundball in specific sizes that functions fine in a muzzleloader--- its just spooky to shoot due to you not being able to use a ball puller on it due to its relative hardness… that and I would bet it will ricochet easier off a hard backstop.

[Scota4570]

I just looked at bucks run,

http://www.bucksrunsports.com/

The American E-shot looks pretty good.  The density is way up there.  IT's soft.  Density  is very important when shootign BP due to the low velocity. 

I tried bismuth shotshells years ago and did not like them.  The density is not as good as lead or the tungsten variations.