I was reading a magazine the other day, I want to say it was the DU Magazine and they used some gel blocks to do some penatration test on diffrent types of loads. They tested regular steel shot, (don't remember which brand) Black Cloud, and Hevi Steel. I have to say I was real impressed with the Hevi Steel and some what dissappointed in the Black Cloud after reading that article. In the test the regular steel performed ok getting maybe a 1/3 to 1/2 way through the block. The Black Cloud didn't do near as well as the regular steel though the regular steel pellets in the BC mixture went as far as the other steel shot, the actual BC pellets didn't get far at all. With the Hevi, it was just the opposite. The regular steel mixed in their load performed about the same as the other regular steel shot, but the tungsten in their loads nearly went all the way through the gel blocks, that got my attention. Could that genrate into more kills if you can pattern it right. I'd think so. My two cents.......opinions?

If you shooting them over the deeks it don't matter, if you are sky busting hevi steel will help ya I'm guessing. Never bought it myself..

Used Bismuth for goose hunting several times, but for ducks I will stick with my old steel.

Defanetly better shells out there, but is it worth the extra coin? In my opinion....no its not.

That is something I have gotten away from with my calling getting better. Didn't get to hunt this past season because of me having surgery and my dog being injured but my previous season I was bringing them in under 15 yards pretty regular. My son snagged a few far out but he is really good. This Hevi might help him.

Hevi Steel no longer exists, so I assume your talking about the duplex load Hevi Metal. The problem I see with Hevi Metal is the size on the box is the size of the steel shot in the load. The hevi metal is a smaller diameter size pellet matched close to the weight of the steel shot pellet. So you have two different diamter shot sizes with similar weights, but not identical.

As for penetration, not sure why the hevi shot is penetrating more than the steel shot in the load. The hevi shot pellets in the load are supposed to be similar in weight to the steel shot pellets to maintain the pattern. Maybe because the hevi shot is smaller but equal in weight to the large steel shot pellets it penetrates deeper??? Maybe the hevi shot is slightly hevier than the steel.

But with that what you don't see on the paper or gel blocks is what this is doing to the shot string. You would think that two diameter pellets with different weights in the same load would jack up the shot string significantly. And it probably does.

I am lumping bismuth, tungsten, hevi shot, and heavy steel all together. They are better, but not near worth the extra cost for ducks.

Well this past season I was hunting with someone that was folding the birds with the Hevi Metal, while I was shooting Xperts and watched them fly away.

After a couple of hunts, I took a ride to Cabela's to pick up a new choke. While I was in there, I woundered over to the shotgun shells with the intent to grab a box of Hevi Metal.

Looked at the price and looked at the Kent, which was on sale, and for the price of Hevi I was able to get 2 boxes of the Kent.

On my next hunt with the new choke and Kent, I was folding the birds that on the previous hunts had been flying away.

I'm pretty much sold on the Kent for my gun. Hevi's price point is to much for my pocket book.

I am still a Winchester Steel guy, but my son had a great season with Kent out of his 20 gauge.

Have not patterned my SBE II yet, really want to been saying that for years, but I always shoot kent #4 stock choke IC 100% of the time, they work great. When I miss I know it is me and not the shell or gun. I never miss and say “how did I miss that?”, I know when I’m not putting the pattern on the bird or if I take a shot that is out of range..

When you buy from ROGERS, you can afford HEVI METAL, IMO $20/box shipped to your door equals about $15 at the store when you include GAS and TAX. How many loads can you buy for $14.99 at the store that compare to Hevi Metal??? None if you ask me, but that's my opinion Disclaimer: I'm not a great shooter

Comparison to Black Cloud was brought up. Choke design would have a big impact between Black Cloud and Hevi Metal.

Black Cloud is not to be used with a wad stipping type of choke. It's design with a "flight control" wad having no slits is to stay with the shot to hold it together for a tighter down range pattern. Reloaders have been playing with patterns for years by how much they slit the wads in their shotshell loads so it is nothing new. Black Cloud is also a duplex load in that it has a second type of steel pellet with a band around it that weighs .4 grains more than the round pellet in the load that is supposed to penetrate deeper. Being retained in the wad farther down range, there would not be much of an issue with the different pellets in the pattern I would think.

With the Hevi Metal shells on the other hand they propably shine with a wad stripping type choke. This would eleviate some of the shot string problem I brought up that likely would be created from this duplex load having two vastly different diameter pellets and different weights. The purpose of a wad stripping type of choke is to create a very short shot string.

Matching your choke to your shotshell to your purpose is critical with these designer loads IMHO.

I am a fan of the hevi metal. Yeah it costs a little more but I feel like I shoot half as many shells as I do with the cheap stuff. I am a fan of kent too but I prefer hevi metal.

I shoot 3" 6s hevi shot with IC barrel. Kills them dead at 50-60 yds.This is not a cheap sport to begin with.I go to 4s late in the season.

Kind of a corny example...because then you could buy the regular steel from Rogers as well and save even more money. It's best to keep examples about price in an apples to apples comparison.

Steel shot penetration will be determined by the size of the pellet and the FPS it's going and assuming all those are the same as well as it's density you will perform the same no matter what in a test like this. The flight Stopper pellets in BCs are effectively bigger yet weigh less because they have the wings on them...so it's pretty easy to understand they would have less penetration but they would have bigger wound channels.

A penetration test is a good way to see how High density loads work better than steel but as far as testing one steel load vs the next it's pretty worthless. You're better off just using a patterning board.

I feel like that's a pretty big embellishment saying you shoot half the amount. I've shot them and had the same number of shots pretty much. In your case if you really have seen these results it's because you shot poor or at birds that were too far away.

Marcstar, I lurk on here more than I post and everytime there is a post about shells you seem to have an expert opinion. So on top of being a financial planer, you are also a ballistics expert and a champion skeet, trap, and sporting clays shooter???

I'm only going to hunt ducks in Mexico and S. America so I can use the good stuff #6's

I agree, I didn't mean to say you couldn't, but it's all in the eye of the beholder. Shells are the least expensive thing I buy during the year b/c I don't go a whole lot, so I'm willing to spend a little more. Just like dove hunting. Do you shoot the 3/4oz loads or 1 1/8? The 1 1/8 are more expensive but worth it to most people.

Sorry I've never really sat down and counted it out. And my post said "I feel like," it didn't say it was a scientific fact. And you're correct, on one thing. I dang sure don't shoot perfect everytime out. I don't think anyone would claim that they do.
I like how hevi metal perform for me and will keep shooting them, I like the pictures they produce at the end of my hunts.

Fair enough

This is accurate. Kidding I would not say I'm an expert on balistics but yes I am a financial planner and did win a skeet tourney so that technically makes me a champion. Thanks for letting everyone know haha!

Many people have misconceptions about shotshells and all I'm trying to do is make sure people have correct info...if that makes me a dick in your eyes sorry.

Fair enough Richard, whoops I mean Marc

So then I'm assuming you are NSSA ranked, what is your ranking? And I guess you have personally test fired and patterned each and everyone of these shotgun shells through different shotguns and chokes at different distances in a 30 inch circle to come up with your expert knowledge on all things ballistic?