Lead vs. Steel Shot

legion · 11-30-2006, 05:50 PM

How do I tell which I'm shooting? I know this will sound ignorant, but

I have a box of Federal 7½ and Remington 8 shot leftover from trap shooting. Neither mentions what the shot is mad of anywhere on the box. How do I tell?

fastpat · 11-30-2006, 06:00 PM

With a magnet, or by the label if still readable on the shell case. If a game warden wants to test your shot type, he'll use a magnet unless you show him your box of non-lead, non-steel shotgun shells.

There is a better non-lead shot available, Bismuth-Notox which is something like 94-96% as heavy as lead shot.

slakjaw · 11-30-2006, 06:08 PM

steel will usually say "steel" on the shell itself. At least all the steel I have bought has. Its also a lot lighter.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Legion, I am very encouraged by all your gun questions. Now all you have to do is move out of that anti-gun state and come over to Virginia, which is for lovers AND for shooters.

legion · 11-30-2006, 06:33 PM

I'd love to.

For the time being, I'm very tied to this location for employment.

Besides, "down here", we roll our eyes at all the crap Blago and Dailey shove down our throats.

Perhaps we could send them deer hunting with Cheney?

targa911S · 11-30-2006, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee
Legion, I am very encouraged by all your gun questions. Now all you have to do is move out of that anti-gun state and come over to Virginia, which is for lovers AND for shooters.

I too am encouraged by your interest in sporting arms. Come on over to PA buddy, we ALL have guns here!

slakjaw · 11-30-2006, 07:29 PM

We all had guns when I lived in Nebraska. Now I live in Minnuhsoder and its like being in a diffrent country. People here do not speak english, I am guessing a "scatter gun" is the same thing as a shotgun but who knows.

Jeff Higgins · 11-30-2006, 08:03 PM

I don't think you can even buy steel shot in the smaller sizes like that. If the box does not say "steel" or "bismuth" or some other proprietary non-toxic shot, it's lead. Lead is still the assumed "default" material for shot.

berettafan · 11-30-2006, 08:16 PM

sweet mary you need to get a bit more of an education on firearms if you don't know what you were shooting! i don't mean to be a jerk but firearms are the real deal and require a lot of discipline for the sake of safety.

For example:
if you're shooting trap you might be inclined to drop in a full choke and step back to the 27yd line. not gonna work out real well if those are steel loads. very possible to damage the bbl in such an instance.

Most likely you have lead (see jeff's comment). steel is generally used only when mandated (migratory birds) as it carries less energy than lead. clays ranges will most likely eventually require steel shot (not by their own choice) but that isn't the case right now.

targa911S · 11-30-2006, 08:35 PM

Low on fiber today?

m21sniper · 11-30-2006, 09:34 PM

Tungsten shot is by far the best(and most expensive).

Rick V · 12-01-2006, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by legion

Perhaps we could send them deer hunting with Cheney?

Wouldn't work, he uses "8's" now if you handed him a "slug gun"......................

berettafan · 12-01-2006, 05:24 AM

Targa i get my share of fiber and have the reading material in the bathroom to prove it!

Maybe i was a touch jumpy with my inital reaction but the older i get the more bad stories i hear about firearm accidents. Just a bit of paranoia. I know that somewhere out there is a guy new to shooting that borrows uncle billy's old sxs, runs to walmart and buys whatever shells have a neat box and heads out. Probably not the case here but you never know.

lendaddy · 12-01-2006, 05:59 AM

www.seasonshot.com

targa911S · 12-01-2006, 06:02 AM

I was just bustin on ya. No offense intended. I know of what you speak. I restore old SXS shotguns as a paying hobby/PT Job. I get em all the time. They inherit grandpa's shotgun and go to Walmart to buy 21,000 PSI ammo. Lately I have been providing a box of 7,000 PSI ammo with every restoration along with the web address of the company that makes it. I have seen too many old Ithaca Flues and believe it or not Foxes with cracked receivers and cracked stocks. Good for me, bad for them. They are lucky they didn't lose a few fingers or an eye in the process. At least legion is asking the right questions, we all learn from this board.

targa911S · 12-01-2006, 06:09 AM

SEASONED SHOT!!! I can die now..I've seen everything. I think this smacks of the old farmer loading rocksalt instead of buckshot.

304065 · 12-01-2006, 06:10 AM

Can you fellows comment on Bismuth? I have heard Bismuth referred to as "pretendo bullets" because of its lesser knockdown ability vs. good old Pb.

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

slightly ot here, but you can't hunt with lead shot in arkansas, for nearly 20 years. is it the same in other states? the thinking is that cripples will go off and die from the lead poisoning i believe..haven't hunted since early 90's. just curious if same else where in the country..
ryan

lendaddy · 12-01-2006, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by targa911S
SEASONED SHOT!!! I can die now..I've seen everything. I think this smacks of the old farmer loading rocksalt instead of buckshot.

Not "seasoned shot", seasoning IS the shot.

fastpat · 12-01-2006, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lendaddy
www.seasonshot.com

Well

I don't know if this is for real or not, but it does make sense. After all, who likes eating a really tasty quail breast, only to bite down a a piece of shot?

Not me. The question I'd have is how heavy were they able to make their shot pellets?