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Kent fast steel

5K views 34 replies 23 participants last post by  kcwellington 
#1 ·
Are kent fast-steel as good as I have heard? I have heard they are excellent. Give me some opions
Thanks :smile:
 
#2 ·
Yes, they are a very good round, especially for the money. The 3 in. stuff should be very good if your going with that but the 3.5 will at times jam in my 11-87. I wish this were not the case because I would run Kent's full time. I had to go to Black Cloud to get a 3.5 in. shell to cycle through my gun. My friend uses Kent all the time, and it treats him very well.
 
#4 ·
Yep, it's good stuff and it's affordable, just wish I could get the 3.5 to cycle better through my gun. It's strange because the Hevi-Metal 3.5 will jam at times also. The BC is the only 3.5 that hasn't jammed yet, but I have to shop around to get it on sale because its too expensive for me to pay regular price.
 
#5 ·
OK , this is mine ! You would see , a Kent 3" 1 1/4 oz of 3's or 1's will kill every legal bird dead as far as you should be
shooting ! And , after a good day of hunting with all the different birds Ducks and Geese you limited out with , you will
be glad that your shooting was so good ( that day ) because , you didn't take the pounding of 3 1/2" shells .
 
#7 ·
In my testing of factory loads they are hands down the most consistent patterning, getting advertised speeds with good polished round shot.
Now for the bad, the 3 1/2 loads don't have the advertised shot weights but they do get the advertised speed. And maybe once or twice in a case I've seen the primer just ping and the shell not go off. That's the only bad. With that said,if I was shooting factory loads that's all I would shoot because the good far out weighs the bad.
 
#8 ·
grnhd said:
In my testing of factory loads they are hands down the most consistent patterning, getting advertised speeds with good polished round shot.
Now for the bad, the 3 1/2 loads don't have the advertised shot weights but they do get the advertised speed. And maybe once or twice in a case I've seen the primer just ping and the shell not go off. That's the only bad. With that said,if I was shooting factory loads that's all I would shoot because the good far out weighs the bad.
I would agree, with some caveats. First, those Kent's use B&P wads, which, typically, will produce pattern averages across a variety of guns that are better than any other wad I use. That DOESN'T mean that they'll produce better patterns with any specific gun than another wad brand, but overall, they're the most consistently good patterning wad I use. If I had to load a round that I could not pattern before using it in a gun that I hadn't seen, I'd definitely use the wads kent uses. In over-bored guns, my pattern tests indicate that the old-school, thicker wads used in Winchester, Federal, and Remington factory ammo tend to excel lover the B&P, wads. To that end, for a guy that doesn't have time to spend at the patterning board, Kent's would probably be my choice, BUT FOR the fact that they don't seal up very well at the primer.

Because I tend to be sloppy about how I transport and handle my shells, they tend to get wet. Moreover, I live in a high-humidity climate, and sometimes store shells in the garage, which means that they're exposed to moisture. When that happens, Kent's tend to leak over time, and sometimes the powder is damaged by exposure to moisture. About 12 years ago, I saw 1 barrel damaged and one barrel destroyed in the same season by guys who had stored their shells in the garage over a summer. Powder got wet, wads got stuck, and both of em we're using pump guns. One guy split a choke, the other split the barrel. That said, if you use em, don't let em get exposed to moisture for extended periods. Other than that one thing that is, in my opinion, a weakness, they're great shells.
 
#9 ·
cannon said:
grnhd said:
In my testing of factory loads they are hands down the most consistent patterning, getting advertised speeds with good polished round shot.
Now for the bad, the 3 1/2 loads don't have the advertised shot weights but they do get the advertised speed. And maybe once or twice in a case I've seen the primer just ping and the shell not go off. That's the only bad. With that said,if I was shooting factory loads that's all I would shoot because the good far out weighs the bad.
I would agree, with some caveats. First, those Kent's use B&P wads, which, typically, will produce pattern averages across a variety of guns that are better than any other wad I use. That DOESN'T mean that they'll produce better patterns with any specific gun than another wad brand, but overall, they're the most consistently good patterning wad I use. If I had to load a round that I could not pattern before using it in a gun that I hadn't seen, I'd definitely use the wads kent uses. In over-bored guns, my pattern tests indicate that the old-school, thicker wads used in Winchester, Federal, and Remington factory ammo tend to excel lover the B&P, wads. To that end, for a guy that doesn't have time to spend at the patterning board, Kent's would probably be my choice, BUT FOR the fact that they don't seal up very well at the primer.

Because I tend to be sloppy about how I transport and handle my shells, they tend to get wet. Moreover, I live in a high-humidity climate, and sometimes store shells in the garage, which means that they're exposed to moisture. When that happens, Kent's tend to leak over time, and sometimes the powder is damaged by exposure to moisture. About 12 years ago, I saw 1 barrel damaged and one barrel destroyed in the same season by guys who had stored their shells in the garage over a summer. (unless, in a dry box with silica gel) Powder got wet, wads got stuck, and both of em we're using pump guns. One guy split a choke, the other split the barrel. That said, if you use em, don't let em get exposed to moisture for extended periods. Other than that one thing that is, in my opinion, a weakness, they're great shells.
 
#10 ·
cannon said:
grnhd said:
In my testing of factory loads they are hands down the most consistent patterning, getting advertised speeds with good polished round shot.
Now for the bad, the 3 1/2 loads don't have the advertised shot weights but they do get the advertised speed. And maybe once or twice in a case I've seen the primer just ping and the shell not go off. That's the only bad. With that said,if I was shooting factory loads that's all I would shoot because the good far out weighs the bad.
I would agree, with some caveats. First, those Kent's use B&P wads, which, typically, will produce pattern averages across a variety of guns that are better than any other wad I use. That DOESN'T mean that they'll produce better patterns with any specific gun than another wad brand, but overall, they're the most consistently good patterning wad I use. If I had to load a round that I could not pattern before using it in a gun that I hadn't seen, I'd definitely use the wads kent uses. In over-bored guns, my pattern tests indicate that the old-school, thicker wads used in Winchester, Federal, and Remington factory ammo tend to excel lover the B&P, wads. To that end, for a guy that doesn't have time to spend at the patterning board, Kent's would probably be my choice, BUT FOR the fact that they don't seal up very well at the primer.

Because I tend to be sloppy about how I transport and handle my shells, they tend to get wet. Moreover, I live in a high-humidity climate, and sometimes store shells in the garage, which means that they're exposed to moisture. When that happens, Kent's tend to leak over time, and sometimes the powder is damaged by exposure to moisture. About 12 years ago, I saw 1 barrel damaged and one barrel destroyed in the same season by guys who had stored their shells in the garage over a summer. Powder got wet, wads got stuck, and both of em we're using pump guns. One guy split a choke, the other split the barrel. That said, if you use em, don't let em get exposed to moisture for extended periods. Other than that one thing that is, in my opinion, a weakness, they're great shells.
Your observations are interesting. While it has been at least 10 years since I shot Kents, poor patterns was the reason I quite using them.
 
#11 ·
Best factory steel on the market! I patterned it for my brother. He's to lazy to pattern it himself. 3" 1-1/8 oz and 1-1/4oz 2s and 3s he shoots the 3.5" 1-1/4oz 2s on heavy wind days works good for him. Very clean burning powder compared to federal but that's not saying a lot. If you cut them open and weight shot charges they are usually within a few pellets of advertised weights. Much closer Thant other manufactures. He's never had a primer ignition problem but we don't hunt in a col climate. Like cannon said. Kent's are not sealed for water proof. If they get wet the shot can rust together and cause barrel and or choke damage.. There are dealers avalible. My brother usually jacks his wife's clear nail polish and seals primer and crimp with that haha!

Dwight
 
#12 ·
I was just at Bass Pro and almost bought a box of Kents Fast Steel 3" 1 3/8oz. #2 @1300fps but passed up on it. May have to go back and try a box after all this praise. I was going to try and focus on Remington Nitro Steel and Winchester Drylok. Are the components in Kents as good as NItro Steel and Dryloks?
 
#16 ·
buckmeister said:
I was just at Bass Pro and almost bought a box of Kents Fast Steel 3" 1 3/8oz. #2 @1300fps but passed up on it. May have to go back and try a box after all this praise. I was going to try and focus on Remington Nitro Steel and Winchester Drylok. Are the components in Kents as good as NItro Steel and Dryloks?
Yes and no. The shot in Remington nitros and dryloks are fine. "Experts" is another story altogether. Thing is, Remington's are water sealed from the factory and Dryloks are welded at the crimp. If one of your criteria is keeping em absolutely dry, I'd go with either the wins or the rems. If you're shooting an invector plus barrel or a mossy 935, I'd say either of those would stand a significant likelihood of out-patterning the kent load. If I were shooting a Mobil-choke gun (benelli/beretta), I'd lean towards the Kent's. It all comes down to your specific needs and preferences.
 
#17 ·
I quit shooting 3.5 inch shells and had an old box of Kent, Rem Nitro, and Winchester Drylok and winschester Xpert.

I just now opened them all up and the most aero dynamic looking shot was the kent fast steel. The xperts were just poorly shaped while the coating or plating put on the Nitro Steel and Drylok makes it rough looking.

I am definetly getting some Kent 3" fast steel to shoot out of My SBII and see how it does on the pattern board.
 
#20 ·
I just patterned the Kent Fast steel 3in. 1 3/8 #2 @1300 fps. I had 129 hits in 30 inch circle at 40 yards with a light mod Brileys choke on SBII. The number of shot in the shell is 165. Its about a 77.5% Not bad.

At this point still leaning toward the Nitrol Steel #4's with a 174 hits.
 
#21 ·
I bought a case of kent fast steel for this season. approximately 3 to 5 shells out of every box where miss fires. I shot and 870, the gun was not the problem, and there where nice dents into the primers but for what ever reason the loads where not going off. I realize it was probably a bad batch, but i will never buy from kent again.
 
#22 ·
Did anyone have problems with the 3 1/2 Remington nitro or speed steel can't Rember the name shells couldn't kill anything with tgen but my kent 3 1/2 killed easy I didn't even hit the mallard drake hovering with the Remington's a shot I rarely miss but I could kill birds aslong as they where in range with the lent

Sent from the woods
 
#23 ·
No, killed a bunch of ducks this year with Remington Sportsman and Federal Speed Shok mostly 3". I can buy Sportsman for $$9 a box and Speed Shok are $10, Kent are $14 and I can't tell the difference on birds.
 
#24 ·
Jake S said:
I bought a case of kent fast steel for this season. approximately 3 to 5 shells out of every box where miss fires. I shot and 870, the gun was not the problem, and there where nice dents into the primers but for what ever reason the loads where not going off. I realize it was probably a bad batch, but i will never buy from kent again.
I have 2 regulars in my blind that feel exactly the same way. I'd be willing to bet that the case you got was exposed to moisture at some point before or after you got em. Like I said, a couple of months in a garage in high-humidity climates was enough to cause problems in their case.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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