[muleequine]

@ 1600 fps, 0 elevation; steel;

#1 B BB BBB T

2.25 gel 33.7 yds 40.8 yds 47.8 yds 55.3 yds 63.2 yds

600 ft/sec final vel 57.9 yds 61.5 yds 65.2 yds 68.8 yds 72.4 yds

energy 5 ft/lbs 43.4 yds 53.4 yds 63.6 yds 74.4 yds 85.4 yds

# pellets 7/8 oz 89 74 62 53 45
1 oz 101 84 71 60 52

 

[muleequine]

@ 1600 fps, 0 elevation; steel;

#1 B BB BBB T

2.25 gel 33.7 yds 40.8 yds 47.8 yds 55.3 yds 63.2 yds

600 ft/sec final vel 57.9 yds 61.5 yds 65.2 yds 68.8 yds 72.4 yds

energy 5 ft/lbs 43.4 yds 53.4 yds 63.6 yds 74.4 yds 85.4 yds

# pellets 7/8 oz 89 74 62 53 45
1 oz 101 84 71 60 52

sorry the table looks terrible

 

[10 ga Bob]

Interesting! I can read the table just fine, I think. So, the BBB steel I use for late season honkers penetrates 2.25" of gel out to 55.3 yards, if I read this correctly. If I remember correctly from a Tom Roster article, pellets need at least 5 ft lb of energy to be effective on large geese. That same article said that you need a pellet count of at least 50 to 55 pellets in a 30" circle at whatever range you can maintain that level of energy to be an effective, killing pattern. Don't recal reading about the 2.25. I assume that is the theoretical penetration you need to obtain? Naturally, alot depends upon the number of pellets striking the bird and where they strike. At 55 yards+, I sometimes stone them and sometimes need a swatting load or two to finish them on the water with my 10 gauge.

 

[derbyacresbob]

Penetration is much more important than energy is. Look below at how much more energy it takes for steel shot to penetrate the same amount of gel as TSS #6 shot.

I just ran the below loads for a guy on another forumn. They show that penetration is much more important than pellet energy is.

Frpm KPY Shotshell Ballistics, with 1-1/4 oz loads.

1500 fps steel #1 shot gets 2.50" of gel penetration at 25.7 yards, with 7.67 pounds of energy and has about 127 pellets per shell.

1500 fps steel BBB shot gets 2.50" of gel penetration at 46.6 yards, with 9.11 pounds of energy and has about 76 pellets per shell.

1300 fps TSS #6 shot gets 2.50" of gel penetration at 86.2 yards, with 2.31 pounds of energy and has about 171 pellets per shell.

 

[Jim Atlas]

I'd advocate using the largest size shot that would get you a working pattern. Which I'd assume you'd need at lest 70 - 75 pellets in the shell to get. So if you're limiting yourself to 1 oz of shot, I'd start at #BB and be willing to go to #B.
Of course, you might be able to more with less with enough tinkering.

 

[Dr Swane]

I shoot b’s and 1’s in steel in cold weather, the rest of the group shoots BB’s or 2’s if it’s steel. Kills lots of geese

 

[muleequine]

Interesting! I can read the table just fine, I think. So, the BBB steel I use for late season honkers penetrates 2.25" of gel out to 55.3 yards, if I read this correctly. If I remember correctly from a Tom Roster article, pellets need at least 5 ft lb of energy to be effective on large geese. That same article said that you need a pellet count of at least 50 to 55 pellets in a 30" circle at whatever range you can maintain that level of energy to be an effective, killing pattern. Don't recal reading about the 2.25. I assume that is the theoretical penetration you need to obtain?

correct, I'm using 2.25" gel penetration for geese (suggested in the program), FYI this is at 55.3 yd, with a final velocity of 697 ft/s and an energy of 7.72 ft lbs.
Derby is using 2.5" gel penetration for geese, I'm sure he's killed a lot more geese than I have, so at 2.5" gel penetration, this is at 47.8 yds, 757 ft/s final velocity, energy of 9.11 ft lbs.

Interesting some people use gel penetration 2.25" or 2.5", some final velocity of 600 ft/s, some energy of 5 ft lbs.
I guess I'm leaning toward penetration of 2.5" for large honkers.

Any more comments from the hard core goose hunters? I realize that over decoys and pass shooting are different situations. Thanks Bob and Dr. Swane




Thanks Bob and Dr. Swane

 

[Nw cajun]

After this season.

You couldn't pay me to go back to steel shot. Its tss from here on out for me.

 

[10 ga Bob]

If you're going to shoot steel at large geese at 50-60 yards, get a 10 gauge!

 

[10 ga Bob]

FWIW, my RSI Steel Reloading Handbook lists BBB steel with a MV of 1393fps having a velocity of 609 fps at 60 yards and 5.9 ft lbs of energy.

 

[derbyacresbob]

I think good pemetration is way more important than high energy is, especially with steel shot. Many steel shot loads have high energy but don't penetrate very deep.

From KPY Shotshell Ballistics
1393 fps steel BBB shot gets 1.99" of gel penetration at 59.9 yards with 6.35 lbs of energy.
1393 fps Rem HD 12g/cc #2 shot gets 2.85" of gel penetration at 59.9 yards with 5.84 lbs of energy.
1393 fps steel BBB shot gets 2.20" of gel penetration at 51.7 yards with 7.45 lbs of energy.

 

[dduckman]

I prefer smaller shot, I shoot decoying birds and large shot is harder to get head hits!

I hunted with a bunch of be all you can be guys shooting T and BBB shot, my dog sure loved chasing cripples, my birds were generally dead being head shot!

Couple steel 2s followed by an HTL number 2 in case. That HTL stuff in 2 is serious medicine! Aslo had some of the Federal stuff in 4s which was also deadly!

 

[10 ga Bob]

Decoying birds under 40 yards, steel #2's OK. Shooting pressured birds which like to land wide of the decoys at 60 yards - I'll take steel BBB's.

 

[bubba682]

With the price of getting tss in Canada i can't afford it but i do use itx for geese usually the 3rd shot .Last season i put bb steel for first shot and bbb steel for 2nd i had pretty good success in pass shooting.I would love to try tss for pass shooting but ain't goin to happen...