[okieshootist]

Good question pullit, I just purchased lead shot for $25 a bag. Last that I heard steel shot was around a dollar a pound. Availablity of steel shot, wads and special (?) powder would be the next question. Don't some places on the coast shoot steel? Okieshootist (David H)

 

[awbenz]

What is the weight differance in Led and Steel. Would you have to adjust the type of wad. dr. of powder? May make it a whole new game? Allen

 

[joe kuhn]

Hm. Steel is a dollar a pound. Our wads are 2 cents each, but we bought 36 cases from Denmark...Powder is Universal Clays...STS hulls and W209 primers.

We started with the wads at 5 cents each from Ballistic Products - Italian wad, the MG42. Volume from Ballistic will get you down to 4 cents each. Then we bought from the Italians direct and got it down to 3 cents each. Then the Danish company Vagner. See their website - VP60 is the wad.

Club paid for the wads so you must be a member to purchase. They work well. Shot is #7 size.

Club paid for the ballistics testing and added a surcharge to the shot to cover it. Must be a member to get the recipes.

 

[joe kuhn]

As you can see from the products used the wads are the only thing that's higher. Ballistics products has recipes in their Status of Steel booklet.

Club buys steel by the 50 gallon drum - 2,000 pounds. Same deal for members.

 

[okieshootist]

Using the cost calculator the steel loads look to cost about 30 cents a box more. Used $110 for 8# of clays, $25 for 25# of shot, $9 per 1000 for wads, and $30 per 1000 for primers. Increase the price of lead and the difference in cost begins to disappear and then move in the direction of steel. I have shot steel at targets before using winchester steel target loads of 1 oz of #7 steel. I couldn't really tell any differnce in the scores. Okieshootist (David H)

 

[Jim e]

Look in the ATA book under Guns and Ammunition #3"No shot larger than #7 1/2 shot may be used". If there has been a change in this rule please tell me where to find it. Thanks, J. E.

 

[joe kuhn]

Good point Jim. If steel is going to be embraced by the ATA, they're going to have to take a look at this. I've heard of an STS steel shell that was loaded with #6.5 and it was great per the members at our club who used it. Don't have a clue what data Rem. used to come up with it, but shot fall will surely be investigated when/if the time comes.

 

[Jim e]

Rule #2 embraces steel shot by the ATA but it still cannot be bigger than 7 1/2. Also bismuth can be used. J.E.

 

[joe kuhn]

Not much of an embrace. Reminds me of Holga when I come home from a day in the sun.

 

[GordonWood421]

Sounds like some steel reloader should interpret "no bigger than #7 1/2 " as meaning "no heavier than #7 1/2 (lead)" --- is the regulation specific that the diameter of the steel shot can not exceed the diameter of #7 1/2 (lead) shot ?

Charlie

 

[scott calhoun]

I just took a look at the on-line rulebook because I seem to remember a somewhat cryptic reference to #7 shot in there, but it's not there any longer. I recall that in the rule that specified shot size there was a "7" in parenthesis which I believe was there to indicate that #7 steel was also allowed.

At one time a couple of years ago our club was discussing the idea of holding a registered shoot just for the novelty of shoot registered with steel (we are a steel-only range). I thought at that time we checked with someone (maybe a state official) and were told it was OK.

At any rate, if the ATA is going to allow steel shot in #6.5 or #7 it will need to be more clearly stated in the rules. We use #7 for everything, but when we were buying shells the #6.5 was considered a handicap load and the #7 were for 16's.

Maybe Neil would have more information on the history of steel use for ATA shoots.

Scott Calhoun

 

[okieshootist]

tomk2 The numbers I listed are for lead shot, claybuster std wads etc. Someone with good knowledge of steel reloads should run the costs through the calculator and compare them for us. Otherwise we are just guessing. Okieshootist (David H)

 

[joe kuhn]

We could use some shot fall data for lead and steel in different sizes. Anybody know of some?