Why HEVI Shot or any Expensive Shells?

[Duck Hunter Paul]

Can anybody really give me a convincing argument as to why some hunters use the expensive HEVI Shot? Thanks.

[Killer Miller]

Yeah if you have lots of $$$. Otherwise, I dunno why some hunters use it. I do know that those expensive non-toxic shots like Hevi-shot and Winchester X-tended range do kill waterfowl at much further ranges than steel shot will. But you pay more for 10 shells of the expensive stuff than you pay for 25 shells of steel. I think I am going to buy a box of Hevi-shot and try it out on some long-range geese.

[hammer007911]

I finally have the answer.

I like buying gear the best gear Foiles calls etc. I am so tight though. Heck check it out I am reselling some of those calls from Gander last year on ebay now. I can make 60 bucks a call. No biggie but I make some good money now and I am still tight.

So I finally have a great reason to buy some heavy shot and it is killing me but I feel I have to buy it.

I am hunting in a area where 4 shot is the largest shot size allowed. I just can not see pounding geese with steel 4 shot so I will have to buy the heavy shot. My son will also be hunting with me and using a 20 gauge. He will defiantly need to use heavy shot.

If someone has a better idea and how this tight wad can save some money let me know ASAP please.

Thanks

Hammer

[Duck Hunter Paul]

I have never heard of a restricted area for shot size. But that is the first reason that I have heard where it makes sense to spend the extra cash. To me, shooting that whole box of 25 is a lot more fun than shooting that box of 10, especially when I can shoot 50 for the price of 10.

[Mark Spence]

For some it is strictly a confidence thing. For some it is a "keeping up the Jones' " thing.

Personally, I don't use it. Not because I don't believe in it, but I can't justify the cost. I have seen Hevi-Shot in action and it is impressive. There are very, very few cripples if any with that (assuming you hit your target direct or atleast somewhat direct). Also, with Hevi-Shot , you have the option of going with a smaller pellet size, therefore allowing more pellets on target and sometimes better patterns.

For my hunting, I use the Winchester X-Pert Hi-Velocity rounds in 3.5", 1 3/8 ounce, BB for geese and #3 for ducks. I find that this load, used in the proper ranges, is just as devastating as Hevi-Shot. But for dispatching cripples (the few that we have), Hevi would be ideal, but the X-Perts do the trick.

So, I guess to answer your question Hammer....people use Hevi-Shot to make things as dead as possible with the hopes of no cripples and the thought of being able to take a bit longer shot without worrying about crippling the bird. I don't necessarily agree with the latter, but these are reasons I have been given by those that use it!

[hammer007911]

The spot I hunt is by a elementary school. I do not want to explain them that heavy shot will fly father then steel BB shot may lose a spot to hunt.

Hammer

[Chris C.]

All I can Say is Why not buy Hevi Shot? :? It knocks the living crap outta birds. You can shoot #6s At ducks all year long and #4s at geese. I tried some of the Dead Coyote last season on geese and i have to say it is one of the deadlyest loads i have ever tryed. We have 60 days to hunt, we only go hunting half of that time because of school or work. We all buy the best calls, clothes, guns, boats,decoys, etc, Why not buy the good shells?

[hoosierhunter]

Not me brother! :( With the price of gas and trying to shoot as many birds as we can, it would bankrupt me to buy all those hevi-shot. On average I go thru about 1/2 to 3/4 of a case of shells (and no I'm not a bad shot! 8) ). Just shoot at a lot of birds and kill quite a few! So that's apx. 125-175 shots a season, you do the math, Winchester Expert Hi-Velocity get them on sale around 7.99 a box= $40-60 or so, Hevi-Shot around here is about $25.00-30.00 abox of 1= $300 min.-$510.00 max or so, :shock: . Just imagine how many dekes I can buy for that money!

[kingkilla]

my buddy was down in the ATL last week and he bought like 7 boxes of heavy shot for 7 dollars a box.

[legacyshooter]

you shouldn't need it with your SMH and SMM on the lanyard!!! :wink:

[Killer Miller]

I'm with Hoosier! I shoot alot of shells each year. I think I shot about right at a case of shells (250 shells) last year just at ducks (I killed in the neighborhood of 70-80). And I think I probably shot about 3 boxes of 3 1/2 inchers at honkers last year (killed around 35-40, 5 banded!! :D :D :D ). That's the most shells I have ever ran through in one season. But still, I shot around 325-350 shells at waterfowl last year. So I probably spent under $150. Hevi-shot is about $2 a round so I woulda spent around $600 on that many rounds of Hevi-shot. But like I said, I am gonna try some out this year, just a box though.

[HRK]

heavy shot doesnt fly any farther than steel but it holds its killing power longer than steel, i asume you have to stay 150yds from any building like us in mi. shoot a load and see if it travels 450 ft it wont!

[kingkilla]

hossier hunter hit the nail right on the head. i would rather buy decoys than that expensive stuff. fasteel the stuff for me

[mndiverwacker]

i buy the best gear so i get the ducks right in my face, i could do vice versa by buying hevi shot, using crapy decoys no blind and not scouting as much, for about the same ammount of money. although that hevishot #4s is looking really appealing for shoreline diver hunts.

[Killer Miller]

I'm gonna try some Hevi-shot or that new Remington Wingshock or whatever it is called. I have a waterfowl mag. that shows patterns at 60 yards that are incredible, almost all shot inside a 30 inch circle. They probably tested it with a black SBE and a PM! :wink: :lol: But I am going to save it for a late season goose hunt like if me and the IOWA KILLIN CREW have to run traffic on geese with a big spread and maybe they're just flying over high. I think I can bring a few down. We'll see

[hammer007911]

heavy shot doesn't fly any farther than steel but it holds its killing power longer than steel, i asume you have to stay 150yds from any building like us in mi. shoot a load and see if it travels 450 ft it wont!

I do not want to start a pizzing match but I do not agree with the above statement.

It is just simple math that leads to denser objects flying farther. If you throw a foam base ball as far as you can then throw a regular base ball which one goes further (and why)? A heavier object (denser) has more energy to give up to resistance so it can travel farther.

Where denser shot really makes a difference is also when the pellets are penetrating the birds. The denser the shot the further into the bird the shot can go and that is where the extra killing power comes from.

Example 4 shot heavy shot is the same weight as 2 shot steel. The 2 shot steel is larger and burns up more energy penetrating the bird then the smaller 4 shot.

Hammer

[Waterfowlhunter2]

I have to agree with hammers last post on here. He is totally right about the size and weight thing. I shoot well what used to be Remington Heavy shot but now heavy shot went on to be their own company and Remington came out with the new Remington Wingmaster. I will not be shooting the wingmaster at 40 dollars a box for 12 gauge 3.5 in number 2. I think im gonna try the stuff from hevi shot themselves it is way cheaper. I liked the Remington Hevi Shot just for the reason of shooting a further distance and killing birds at a further distance. I have the confidence to shoot at birds further away because it knocked them dead and there was no :?: about them being dead when they were right over the decoys not saying i cant shoot straight but it is a awesome load early or late season.

[h20fowler]

I shoot HeviShot and I also Shoot the Winchester X-pert. Both of which I like. Both have their place. However, one can not compare the two, especially when looking at number of shots over season.

I put it to the test over the past three seasons. 2 seasons ago I shot NOTHING but HeviShot, Last season, NOTHING but Xpert's. Not only did I harvest more birds, I shot less with the hevi shot. I harvested more birds per shell with the hevishot. It was not quit a 2 to 1 (2 shots of X-pert to every 1 shot of hevi shot) but it was close. Close enough that the money wasn't that much difference.

The smaller denser shot gives one a denser pattern and a more successful kill rate. Hardly ever was there a need to swat a downed bird. Our cripple rate was next to nothing.

Now, trying one box will not give you much of a test. I and most others that I have talked to had a lot of misses out of our first couple boxes. It was different for us to shoot. We were use to 1500 fps loads, then went to a 1250. We were shooting behind birds constantly.

Having said that lets look at some math.

In one post he said he shot 250 shells and harvested 80 birds. That's 3.125 shells per bird. So 25 is 10 boxes at 7.99 (xpert price on 3 inch) is $79.00. As I don't think the ratio on mine was quite 2 to 1 I'll use 1.5 as a rate just to be generous.

so 250 shells at 1.75% is a total of 125 shells. So 13 boxes at 25 a box puts one at $325

Yes, there is a HUGE $$.$$ amount difference. And it is everyone's choice. But the average hunter will shoot less shells overall shooting hevi shot.

Like everything it is all about preferences.

[hammer007911]

Here is some great info on the exspensive junk :?


http://shotshell.drundel.com/pelletcount.htm

No. 4 PELLET PERFORMANCE
Yards Velocity (fps) Energy (ft.-lbs.) Penetration (in.) in ballistic gel
HEVI-SHOT
20 1,023 8.13 3.63
40 799 4.95 2.64
60 647 3.25 1.95

TUNGSTEN
MATRIX
20 986 6.56 3.02
40 749 3.80 2.12
60 594 2.39 1.53

TUNGSTEN
IRON
20 981 6.45 2.97
40 745 3.72 2.08
60 590 2.33 1.49

BISMUTH
20 962 5.79 2.71
40 721 3.25 1.86
60 563 1.99 1.30

LEAD
20 1,001 7.16 3.26
40 770 4.25 2.33
60 616 2.72 1.70

STEEL
20 906 4.17 2.04
40 647 2.13 1.30
60 485 1.19 .83


*For standardization, velocity adjusted for
all loads to represent
1,350 fps three feet from muzzle

[h20fowler]

Kind of DISproves the JUNK theory doesn't it? :!: Great Post.

[hammer007911]

at 40 yards Hevi shot has more energy per pellet then steel out of the barrel :shock:

Less pellets then a load of steel but what whacking power. :lol:

Hammer

[hoosierhunter]

Thanks for posting that, that is some interesting info. 8) But like I said I'm still sticking with Win. Hi-V. steel, just too much money for Hevi-shot. I do just fine with it, like I said last year I shot around 125 shells and killed about 60 or 70 ducks and about 12 geese, so not too bad of odds, quite a few of them follow up shots, but still way cheaper than shooting the Hevi-shot. But that's me, I'm a tight wad when it comes to buying ammo. Most of the shots I take are within 40 yards, so I really don't need the long range abilities of Hevi-shot. I'll tell you what though, I am pumped to let some fly this weekend, it's been a LONG off season! :shock:

[hammer007911]

I would like to drop on of those 10 pounders from 70 yards straight up with that dead coyote.

They may tear open on impact :D

Hammer

[Justin Mcdonald]

so you dont ruin your gun barle thats my reson but outher resons are that the nock down power is dramaticly more than that of steel and that is a prooven fact acording to Remington . but i think that you should shoot what ever works for you. just my 2 cents.

[Duck Hunter Paul]

Justin, what do you mean about ruining your gun barrel?

Never heard that one.