Hevi-Metal Opinions

I am considering a switch from Kents to Hevi-Metal this year. Those of you that shoot or have shot/patterned Hevi-Metal, do you think it is worth shooting? I don't mind spending more for a more effective shell, but I have heard very mixed reviews on Hevi-Metal shells. Some guys say it hammers the birds, while others say it patterns poorly and some shot stays stuck in the wad.

Looking to hear from those with first hand experience, and thank you in advance for the help. I searched the forum for this topic, and didn't find anything from the last year, but I apologize if I missed a thread somewhere.

I hunt with Patternmaster Classic short and mid range chokes.

I have been shooting it the last couple years, and I think its worth the upgrade. I patterned it before I started using it and it patterned great for me. I would recommend going up one shot size since the hevishot pellets are a couple sizes smaller. i.e. if you usually shoot #4s at ducks, switch to #3s. Plus, if you get a case with free shipping from Rogers, the price really isn't that much more than cheap steel.

It's awesome. You will see a vast improvement over standard steel because of the addition of the hevi shot.

I have been using it since it was introduced and have had good success.

I have never used it, but I do handload steel and am a bit knowledgeable on the subject of shotgunning and patterns.

I know fellas that swear by the stuff.

I personally do not like duplex loads as different shot sizes seem to migrate to different parts of the pattern.

Remington tried duplex loads back in the 80s and ended up pulling them off the market as a dismal failure. It acts as a spreader load.

Maybe the guys at EMI have figured it out...or maybe my friends are just confident in the shell, which goes a long way.

There is much debate along with pattern results over at duckhuntingchat.com

There is no doubt that it will kill birds. And again, I have never personally tried the combination. But, I'd rather shoot a properly loaded Round pellet steel round or an all tungsten rounds rather than mixing the two.

I really like the shot but not the price tag

I need to correct myself,

Remington still makes a duplex load, but it is only targeted for turkey hunters.

It's fine for a stationary targets like a turkey head.

You dont see it offered for anything else, because the differing shot size makes for elongated patterns. The differing shot sizes arrive at the target at different times.

EMI claims to negate this fact because the smaller pellet (with higher density) has the same weight as the larger pellet.


Think of it this way, if a 4x8 sheet of plywood and a gold ball of the same weight were shot out at the same speed. The gold would reach the target first because the larger plywood would be much slower because of wind resistance.

This is a much exaggerated example, but is exactly what happens when a two round balls of different size are fired in a shotgun pattern. The bc of the two projectiles are different.

This is true in all steel or all lead duplex loads. No clue on the mixing of Tungsten into the steel. But I have a hunch, same results.

Over decoys i love the 2 3/4 kent nr 4 with patternmaster.
On higher ducks i love heavymetal 3 inch nr 2 or 3 with same choke.

What patternmaster do you shoot? Seems like everyone shoots the long range or extended range, but I prefer the short and mid.

I shoot 3 inch #2's If there cheap and go bang there good enough for me

Well I'll break up the love fest I guess. Shot a box of hevi 4's and 2's 2 seasons ago. After 2 hunts they became my waterswat loads for cripples. Cut open 5 shells and the hevi shot is shaped like snowmen, not even round. At the range that those oblong objects pattern effectively you could just shoot em with a .410. It seems the purpose of the hevi shot is to carry more downrange energy 40+ yards, but the pattern at that distance is horrendous out of standard chokes. (I shoot IC
Or MOD factory chokes). I would imagine 1 of 2 scenarios for the people that love hevi shot, either a. They're shooting ducks in the decoys and it crushes them with whatever choke (which you don't need hevi shot to do) or b. they are knocking ducks out clean at 50 yds with their kicks high flyer or pm duck choke (which you can do with factory steel choked like that, again, not sure you need hevi shot for that)

Jeez you'd think I hate the stuff, I guess I just don't understand it, and for sure didn't like it for my gun.

Try with a hevi-shot choke I like a full choke myself