[4th. down]

RC Shotshells getting some favorable reviews mostly due to their tempered shot. Less antimony but going through a multi-stage tempering process. Supposed to be harder than 5-6% antimony and heavier.

The problem is, no verifiable stats. to back-up the claims but shooters are liking them. Priced slightly under AA SHCP.

Neil, have you used any RC shells?

http://www.pioneeroutdoors.com/index.php?p=home

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/01/11/rc-cartridges-simply-superior/

 

[TEXASZEPHYR]

does RC mean radio controlled? I need some of those.

 

[grunt]

Try this..

 

[EdSy]

While it is totally unscientific, you can compare the hardness of shot (or any lead objects) by squeezing them in pliers; or for larger items, cutting them with side-cutters. Minor differences won't shot up but for what we're talking about, you should be able to feel the difference. -Ed

 

[MtnGun]

Tempered, or heat treated?

 

[Johnny]

EdSy, " you can compare the hardness of shot (or any lead objects) by squeezing them in pliers"...

I used to think I could do that. I was wrong.

 

[semperfi909]

Hype like this is always such a hoot!

Harder!?!?! Heavier!?!?! 71/2's or 8's hahahaha

and who GAF?

 

[Baber]

Guys.... RC is probably the best shotgun ammo in the world. They have won numerous Olympic medals. Their RED SHOT ammo which is illegal for ATA is unbelievable. I shot some RC2's this past weekend. They are noticeably smoother than any other shell I have ever shot. RC has not allowed their shells to be imported into the US until recently. You need to try them. Once you do you will love them.

T

 

[Ajax]

T-I'm not sure I know what "smoother" means?

Ajax

 

[flashmax]

An excerpt from the linked article, note the first sentence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Premium shells in North America will have up to 7% antimony to make the pellet hard. Premium Italian shot will have a maximum of only 3% yet are as hard if not harder than North American pellets. They use an old trick called tempering. We used to do this with our cast lead bullets for long distance metallic silhouette shooting. One drops the still soft lead cast bullet into a 10 gallon pail of water. This sudden lowering of temperature will change the molecular structure of the lead alloy. Hardness of this lead alloy will go up tenfold! With less antimony, the pellets have higher mass than 7% antimony pellets. Higher mass retains more energy at distance. Higher mass gives you better breaks at distance! I know now why so many Italians use 8.5s and break long distant target very well: higher mass of the 8.5 compared to NA 8s with many more pellets than 7.5, ensure a better kill. RC Cartridge uses tempered lead shot even for the Supernik. The Supernik is a nickel plated shot. The nickel plating does not make the pellet harder. It is there to increase the smoothness of the pellets thus reducing friction among each other and allowing an easier transition in the barrel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So the topic title itself is incorrect.

Antimony, having a lower specific gravity than Lead, when added to Lead in any significant amount lowers the specific gravity of the alloy but I don't think the higher density/mass of a 3% alloy over a 7% alloy will live up to the hype further down in the paragraph. I am also not aware of any research done on heat treating Lead or its alloys that shows significant increases of hardness by heat treating. The topic has been raised many, many times over the years in relation to cast bullet hardness but nothing ever came of it that I am aware of. If anyone can show me a scientific article that shows differently I will be glad to have my opinion remodeled.



Don T.

 

[flashmax]

The link is to Lead hardening and shows pretty much what I wrote above.

Don T

 

[Baber]

Ajax


Shoot them and you will see what i mean. They don't rap you like a Winchester, Kemen, or Federal. Maybe the word is softer....

T

 

[Ajax]

OK, thanks.

Ajax

 

[APrice]

I guess cryogenically treated shot will be next...after all it worked so well for barrels, right?

 

[Gapper]

They should have used the word "quenching", as opposed to heat treating or tempering. Perhaps something is lost in the translation.

 

[Hap MecTweaks]

I'd like to see the results of a Rockwell hardness test done on both kinds of pellets!! OR, a test with Neil W.s weight drop crush method! Either one would tell the tale without the hype.

HAP

 

[MtnGun]

cast bullet people have known for a long time that that lead can be heat treated. It takes at least 2% antimony, and a little arsenic.

 

[Dr A C Jones]

I tested RC #9 shells. They were RC4s, which at the time were top of the range and very pricey. The antimony content was not declared but the description was "super hard" or something like that. As I recall, my crush test results suggested something pretty ordinary. I only pattern tested with cyl and IC chokes because I was working in a skeet scenario; the RCs performed no better (tighter patterns) than some much cheaper Express shells.

You really need to get a crush tester to know for sure. I must say that pellets from every maker that declared a high (5%+) antimony content performed well in the crush test.

In my experience I have also found RCs to be variable wrt shot size from batch to batch. I have also found them to be very light recoil, which means they aren't going all that fast. I just can't see why they are worth a premium but I am of course receptive to reliable test results . . . . . .

Andrew.

 

[wayneo]

Dropping the shot into cold water to rapidly cool it has been around for a long time.....

It's called "Chilled Shot".

Wayne

 

[4th. down]

Has anyone ever used "chilled iron shot" for our shotgun sports?

It's about the same weight as steel but stronger. Obviously steel is an alloy and iron an element and the heaviest of the elements.