I know of the cheaper steel shot for waterfoul hunting, but there is more expensive shot available. Is it worth the money, how much more distance are we talking, and what do you like the best?(brand name)
In my experience with steel shot, I found that the higher quality stuff usually just patterns more consistently. Although I prefer Federal, any of the other major manufactuers are also great.
All buckshot I can think of at the moment is lead. Steel shot is used for waterfowl hunting because lead is illegal for that use. They don't want all that lead shot falling back in the water and causing lead contamination. There would be no reason to make steel buckshot, and it would be pretty ineffective. Steel is much less dense than lead. So a steel 00 pellet would weigh much less than a lead 00 pellet. So it would carry a lot less energy to a target. Buckshot is used for just that, Bucks. Well large game like deer, bear, and for self defense. In uses like that you need that extra energy. Lead shot is used for everything, except where lead shot is illegal, which is waterfowl hunting. Steel shot really isn't very popular anymore. Waterfowl shot just can't be lead. It doesn't have to be steel. They've come out with other stuff, like bismuth, that is a lot more dense than steel, but still not as dense as lead.
Steel,as you say has a shorter effective range that heavier metals, use at least two shot sizes larger with steel, i.e. if you normally use 6's, use 4's. Also check that your barrels are suitable for steel shot, most old guns are not. The more expensive alternatives are worth the money, although my experience of tin shot was not very impressive. I would recommend bismuth or, the best in my experience, tungsten matrix shot. P.S. All of the alternatives to lead are hard on the teeth!
