I know that they have steel shot in smaller sized pellets....say, number 4 shot. I guess it's for waterfowl, etc.Do they make steel buckshot? If not, why not? Would the pellets be too heavy? Wouldn't they have excellent penetration ability?
No Steel Buckshot ...Yet... The whole idea behind steel shot was because there were a very large number of migratory birds, Geese, Ducks, etc dying after being hit with lead shot and developing infections, and lead poisoning, that ultimately killed or crippled too many birds. The Federal government stepped in and made Steel Shot a requirement for hunting all migratory birds. I think the biggest reason that Steel Buckshot isn't made yet is because it can only be fired out of modern, newly manufactured shotgun barrels and unless you have a shotgun designed to be used with steel shot, it would be damaged along with chokes made for lead shot only..I have no doubts that it's probably coming in the near future....Note* Penetration was never an issue, nor was the weight.........
This Site Might Help You. RE: Do they manufacture steel buckshot? I know that they have steel shot in smaller sized pellets....say, number 4 shot. I guess it's for waterfowl, etc. Do they make steel buckshot? If not, why not? Would the pellets be too heavy? Wouldn't they have excellent penetration ability?
I know of no one who makes steel buckshot. Probably for several reasons. Steel is much lighter than lead. Penetration depends on energy, which is the weight of the pellet vs. the velocity of the pellet, equated into ft.lbs. Steel pellets have to travel much faster to achieve the same energy as a lead pellet. Steel, being lighter, would lose energy much faster downrange. The weight difference would be like teeing up a golf ball, and striking it with a club, and teeing up a ping pong ball and striking it with a club. The distance in flight would be obvious. Steel also, is much harder than lead, and would be hard on the barrel, and choke. It also would not deform, which would cause ricochets. Steel shot was a handicap for waterfowler's when the USFWS made non toxic shot mandatory. Waterfowl are bottom feeders, and they were eating the spent lead pellets, and dying from lead poisoning. Steel shot cut the effective range of a shotgun from 45 yards to around 35, and resulted in many cripples and lost birds. Environmetal, makes a T size shot which is .20 caliber, and is called Hevi-shot. Lead is heavier than steel, and Hevi-shot is heavier than lead. At the same velocity, you have 12 to 15% more energy than lead. and probably 20% better than steel....Hope this helps
Steel shot is used for hunting migratory waterfoul. Since buckshot is inappropriate for waterfoul hunting , it is not manufactured. Steel is less dense than lead and for the purposes for which buckshot is appropriate, lead is permissable and is more efective. There is no need for steel buckshot.
