#2 steel shot?

[Bull Shannon]

I could only get a hold of #2 steel shot in order to test my .611 smooth bore so I need some advice. This is supposed to be mild steel.and more like iron in hardness. With difficulty I can slightly flatten both sides with pliers. Is #2 steel going to be big enough to kill a turkey at 30 yards? Is this shot going to trash the bore?  I've got a 20 gauge flintlock.

[Robby]

I would not shoot steel shot in a M/L barrel unless I was using some sort of cup to hold the shot and protect the barrel.
Robin

[Shovelbuck]

Steel being so much lighter than lead, I wouldn't trust it for killing power at 30 yards. No need to shoot them that far anyway. A shot cup may help protect the bore, but why risk it? Are you hunting an area that's steel only?

[JBJ]

My limited experience with plastic shot cups and ML shotguns was not a good one and one I don't intend to repeat. In am old shotgun with less than perfect bores, the combination of black powder and plastic cup wad produced a bore coating that was, putting it mildly, VERY difficult to clean. Just what I experienced but your mileage may vary. If you don't have a steel shot restriction, stay with copper or nickle coated shot. I have cannibalized modern copper loaded shells to get their shot loads. I never needed very much of the "special" shot at any one time.
J.B.

[Greg Pennell]

Graf and Sons has copper plated lead shot in 10 pound bags, very reasonably priced. Last time I checked they had all the common turkey sizes in stock. I bought a bag of copper plated 5’s last month.

Greg

[rich pierce]

Modern steel shot loads depend on pretty high velocity to get killing power at ranges waterfowl are shot. The old test for killing range was a tin can like a soup can. If the shot penetrates, it has enough penetrating power to kill game.

I do agree that I’d only shoot steel shot with a shot cup designed for steel shot. I think I’ve got some in 12 ga so PM me if you want some.

[577SXS]

Why do you want to use #2s. I use #6 and #7  lead mixed for turkey. The key to killing is to put as many pellets as you can in the head and neck of a turkey. If you want lead #2s Ballistic Products has it. You should be able to find lead #4s and #6s most anywhere that sells shot.

[Ghillie]

When lead shot was banned for waterfowl, I tired steel.  I never hit a goose or duck that was killed by a single load of steel.  Multiple shots were required to anchor them.  I then tried Bismuth and found it killed like lead.  Now there are other types of shot that do much better than lead.  If one puts a card wad under the plastic cup you don't get plastic problems.  I've shot a 12 gauge fowler with no choke that way for over 20 years and kill squirrels out to @ 35 yards and have never had a 'plastic problem'.

[Daryl]

When lead shot was banned for waterfowl, I tired steel.  I never hit a goose or duck that was killed by a single load of steel.  Multiple shots were required to anchor them.  I then tried Bismuth and found it killed like lead.  Now there are other types of shot that do much better than lead.  If one puts a card wad under the plastic cup you don't get plastic problems.  I've shot a 12 gauge fowler with no choke that way for over 20 years and kill squirrels out to @ 35 yards and have never had a 'plastic problem'.

The bold script is VERY important. I would use an 1/8th inch over/powder card wad between the shotcup and the powder, then a normal thin "B" wad over the shot. Make sure you use a steel-shot
cup. Lead shot cups are not substantial enough & the steel will cut through them and scratch/groove the bore.  With the steel shot cup, I might be inclined to use 'heavy shot' if I could find it.
The steel shot cup is also harder to open then lead shot cups and will likely improve the pattern as well.

[Brokennock]

Cut open some modern shotgun shells and rob them of their lead shot. Doesn't need to be any fancy load, in fact simpler/cheaper is better. If you cut open a specialty turkey load, they often have a strange synthetic buffer material that is hard to clean off of the shot.
I like #5 for turkey, I wouldn't go smaller than #6. Buy the cheapest shells you can find with the shot size you want and get to work with a box cutter.

[Daryl]

I haven't checked this myself, but have read that if going to steel from lead, to use 2 sizes larger, just to get the weight per pellet the same.
The only trouble with this equation, is that the larger diameter will not penetrate as well.  You will need enough density of pattern and the penetration
per pellet to pen. the neck and head bones is all.

[Scota4570]

Early steel shot was loaded to traditional lead load velocities.  It was junk.  I had a place to shoot bluebills. They were stupid and plentiful.  I could pick 20 yard shots.  I could hit them but they did not drop.  I used 1 1/4 oz steel in a 12 ga ML with 4 dr 2F.  Still same crappy result.  Switching to the hidden stash of lead shot and the birds dropped just fine.  Skip forward a couple of years and I loaded very high velocity, 1700 fps, steel and it worked OK to about 30 yards.   Lesson...steel shot needs very high velocity to work at all. 

I now do not shoot any steel shot on waterfowl.  High density tungsten alloy works the same as lead.  There are versions like one of the ITX types and "Niceshot", as well as bismuth, that will work in your ML. 

But?........Why!  IF you can shoot lead do it.  The substitutes are very expensive and have no performance advantage. 

[RichG]

no steel shot in a muzzle loader barrel. Bismuth works great if you need to be lead free. Ballistic Products has any shotgun supplies you may need including cork and felt wads fiber wads etc. Also nickle plated and copper plated shot and buckshot. Been buying from them for years.

[Bull Shannon]

No lead restrictions here in Texas as far as turkey goes. Steel shot was all that was available, at least shot that was large enough, at the time. Even though it is labeled as steel it's more like mild steel  or iron. With some difficulty I can flatten the shot a bit with pliers so I was hoping it would be soft enough for my smoothie. I understand the plastic intolerance to black powder all too well as early on in my muzzle loading years I tried to hot rod plastic skirted projectiles out of my GPR and spent numerous hours chiseling the tar-like fouling out of the bore. I've got over powder wads, shot cards and such but no shot cups. I'm also planning on shooting round ball out of my trade gun to see if I can develop an accurate load, both with modern patching material as well as natural, like grass, paper wasp nest, etc. I didn't want to waste the shot I already had but maybe it's not worth it in the long run.
So for 30 yards or less out of a non choked twenty gauge, what size lead shot is effective?

I've read and been told everything from #4 shot through T BB is needed?

[Daryl]

Since heads and necks are the "target" of choice, I'd think #5 in lead would be about right.  I would prefer #4's, but out to 40yards, #5's should work fine and give more pellets to a
given charge. I think 6's might be a bit small, but I have no experience with turkeys, but do have 'some' experience with geese & inside 40yards, concentrating on head and neck shots
works. Further out, then heavier shot is needed, in larger bore sizes than 20.

[577SXS]

You don't need big shot for turkey if you shoot them in head and neck area. The more pellets in that area the better. 99% of turkeys I've shot has been with #6s and I've shot a bunch. Don't shoot them at 40 yards get them in close. I rarely shoot one over 20 yards. Those that like big shot usually are body shooting which is never good and its very hard to kill a turkey with body shot. Vitals are very small on turkey and pellets have to go through a lot of feathers.

[Bob McBride]

You don't need big shot for turkey if you shoot them in head and neck area. The more pellets in that area the better. 99% of turkeys I've shot has been with #6s and I've shot a bunch. Don't shoot them at 40 yards get them in close. I rarely shoot one over 20 yards. Those that like big shot usually are body shooting which is never good and its very hard to kill a turkey with body shot. Vitals are very small on turkey and pellets have to go through a lot of feathers.

100%. Head shots within 25y with #6 shot.

[stikshooter]

I use #6 lead in my .610 smoothy/Ed

[Bull Shannon]

I use #6 lead in my .610 smoothy/Ed

Mine mics out to .611. I recently sold a smoothbore rifle that measured .601 but it was still considered to be a 20 gauge. The guy who bought it from me told me recently that he had finally gotten it shooting point of aim using patched round ball but he was up to 110 grains of Goex! Seeing as he bought it for his preteen son he decided to have the bore rifled or change the barrel entirely as the recoil was brutal. I bought it some years ago because has a left hand lock and a rear sight. I wanted to use PRB in it as well as shot but it was a little too short LOP and I never got around to it. Then I got my 20 gauge trade gun about six months ago and I had it made specifically for me, just in the white.
Once I got it finished I had to find some RB that would fit along with shot. At the time only the #2 steel shot was available for delivery and in retrospect I should have waited.

[Daryl]

You could easily use the #2 steel and a full 1 1/8oz of it, maybe 1 1/4oz of steel, but only with a steel shot cup protected from the flame by an 1/8" hard card wad.
The steel shot cup will likely also help tighten the pattern somewhat. This should work to 20 yards - maybe

[Mike Brooks]

Shoot lead or stay home.