16ga.com ~ View topic - Kent Tungston Matrix

Member Joined: 26 Aug 2004 Posts: 120 Location: FL

Bad news boys, Kent has discontinued production of their Tungston Matrix loads for the 2006-2007 season.
They state the reason is the high cost of raw materials.
I've looked at every possible place I know of on the web that carried them for the 16 ga. and they're all sold out! (Macks Prairie Wings, Ballistic Products, Firearms Service and Auto Life Outdoors.)
Cabela's doesn't carry any for the 16 ga.
Looks like it's Bismuth if you use factory loads.
Chris

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

No sweat boys, I've used Bismuth exclusively in my Merkel 1620 since 2003 and it works fine---I admit it's a bit expensive but the load brings down the ducks. It too is getting hard to find. My source has been Gander Mountain....but Mack's Prairie Wings carries Bismuth too, I think.

Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 145 Location: minnesota

ooohhhh sh!t, here we go!!!!!
EVERYBODY THANK ALL THE A-HOLE BURECRATS WHO ARE AFRAID OF LEAD!

I called Kent today to express my disappointment with the ending of the TM line for 06-07. I found two things...

Kent can not get Tungsten right now and are line down with that product line. They purchase it form over seas and they don't have any moving at this point. When they do ship Tungsten it's going to be slow boat to the US.

Additionally, Kent advised that they retail price will likely double when the do have more due to the price increase in raw materials. More along the lines of the hevi/hi-density/extend loads by the big three.

So whats wrong with the steel shot that Remington and Federal makes. I have a few boxes but must admit, I haven't shot any yet. I did notice that the Federal advertises about 50 fps more than Remington. I plan to use it in my Ithaca 37's. An open choke of course.

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

87016ga,

Are you old enough to remember ducks dying of lead poisoning from ingested shot?

Are you old enough to remember that the change to non toxic steel shot was not an act of political correctness, it was for conservation of wild ducks.

Are you old enough to have learned that not all our problems can be blamed on "BURECRATS".

Jeff

Joined: 23 Nov 2005 Posts: 8

Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 145 Location: minnesota

jeff mulliken:
yes sir i am old enough to remember all of the above you've posted.
thanks to dcat for saving me the trouble of typing out an answer almost verbatem.

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

Steel shot is positively the worst, most dubious "conservation measure" ever foisted on an unsuspecting public ! It has probably crippled as many ducks per year used as the lead loads presumably have. It is a joke, and I absolutely will not use it; I respect the waterfowl resource too much for that. The Bismuth, Tungsten and Hevi-shot are quite costly---but they do not cripple ducks nearly as readily as steel. I wait all year to shoot 3 or 4 dozen ducks per season, and it's sickening to see them limp away if they are fringe-hit with poor loads. I don't mind paying a few bucks more to keep that ugly sight to a bare minimum.

Amen Wolfchief!

And if Billary gets back in, they can throw their weight behind banning lead for shot and bullets, and damn near near put us out of business. A very effective form of gun control (without actually banning guns), especially with today's weird science and culture of misinformation. Scary!!

Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 145 Location: minnesota

you hit it on the head h/c:
burecrats come in all shapes and sizes.
poor farming practices, i.e. draining low grounds, herbicide and pesticide run-off etc........
mass-market hunting 100-120 years ago.
factory and manufacturing plant dumping waste into lakes and streams years ago......
all have done far more to degrade quality duck hunting and "poision" more ducks than "uncle roy shooting 1/2 a box of lead #4 high brass loads for woodies back in "72"

burecrats, mr. mulliken, come in all shapes and sizes.

seeing as how the price of ammo is sky-rocketing along with everything else, (ammo requires petroleum to produce and ship) thank a corporate burecrate at exxon.
the 10 BILLION dollar 3rd quarter profits sure help line the pockets of that corp's upper tier. (stock options, bonuses driven by profit etc.....)

know wonder our ammo is so damn expensive, in part.

burecrats, mr. mulliken, come in all different colors.

my original "outburst" stands tall. it hade nothing to do with "political correctness" as you seemed to think it ment.

I wouldn't worry too much about the cost of ammunition. If things continue down the current path, hunting will be a rich man's game before too long anyway. In many places it already is.

Fin

Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 145 Location: minnesota

yes fin, sadly, you are correct.