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As with most of the stuff we use to reload our own shells, lead shot is just another tool for us to use. How well and how wisely we use it depends on us. I use both of the commonly available types of shot, i.e. chilled shot and extra hard or magnum grade as needed. Since dead soft lead shot has never been commonly available as long as I've been reloading, I've never had an opportunity to try it out.

In an earlier post, I stated I tend to use chilled shot up to size 7.5 in my small gauge light, extra high velocity loads for smaller game birds like quail, snipe, rail, woodcock, etc. I've also used it in the past for close range decoyed dove. I expect the front of the chilled shot pellets flatten out a bit on impact. I believe this imparts extra shock to the bird and also helps create a bigger and more effective wound canal. It just seems to kill the birds a bit faster overall. The somewhat flattened pellets I've recovered from the dead birds has backed my assumption up. Most of them are wrapped in a feather as well. I think the feather residue also adds to the shock and the bigger and more effective wound canals I've observed in the meat. The feathers might even be helping to flatten the pellets out a bit upon impact. It all seems to work together to good effect.

I've found #7.5 and #8 magnum shot is too hard to flattern much, even at extra high velocities. It was developed for trap shooting, where tighter patterns are useful for breaking targets at longer ranges. Even so, it seems to be big enough as is to dump dove out as far as it prudent to shoot at them. So I used to use my regular magnum shot trap loads for long range dove loads as well. They were very effective.

I tend to stick with extra hard shot for #7 and bigger pellets. Most of my #5 and #4 loads are for designed for bigger birds at longer ranges. These loads have more modest velocities. I'm striving for as tight a pattern as I can get out where it will do the most good, so I don't push the loads as fast as my light, close range loads of smaller shot. Pellet impact velocities at longer ranges is always lowered to the point that not much flattening of the pellets happens anyway. But again, the bigger pellets already have enough footprint or surface area (usually with feather included) to create a big enough wound canal to do the job nicely.

Unplated #7 magnum shot is all that is commonly available around my area. At least I've never found any chilled #7 shot available. So I assume it is not commonly made in the states. That is fine. I use it mostly for ruffed grouse and early season stocked pheaant. It seems to kill grouse very well at any reasonable range. Extra high velocity 7/8 ounce loads of #7 shot dump young roosters and legal hens nicely out to about 30 yards max. I tend not to use them for longer ranges,as the killing power tends to drop off rapidly past this range.

My best advice here is to give both types of shot some use depending on the type of load, the range, and the size and toughness of the birds being hunted. Picking and using only one type of shot limits our ability to hunt effectively and to our own best advantages IMO. they are both effective if used correctly.

I have always used hard, sometimes plated shot for hunting. Soft shot can be pretty "dirty" and my thought has been it is probably best to minimize lead consumption. In another life, as serious skeet shooter, we considered it best practice to use soft shot for 12 & 20ga and hard shot for 28 & 410. As a practical matter it not so easy to find soft shot any longer.

Member Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 107 Location: Idaho

BigCreekMI has it right - soft shot will open up patterns. Useful for effectively opening up choke, though the general bell shaped pattern expands more rapidly (pattern degrades quicker, however you want to consider it). That said, I like shot as hard as I can get it (up to about 6% antimony), have my shotgun chokes cut to the patterns I want. I believe the patterns hold up to further ranges that shooting soft shot in tight barrels.

Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 6

Hi Everybody

I am a newbie, to all this. I inherited a 16 ga Ithaca Model 37, so I have a lot learning to do about reloading. I am very thrifty but I still want to reload properly.

I have a question for Mr. 16 Gaugeguy.

Sir, could you explain the difference between chilled and magnum shot? What is soft lead shot. I thought all shot was lead?

It is so nice to see such intelligent and thoughtful postings. Very classy website. I hope there won't be any rude or harsh men on here, I don't care for people that are crude with others.

Guest

Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 6

Hi Mr. Twice Barrel,

Did I ask something funny? Or am I missing something?

Or are there crude people here?

Wait and see, you'll figure it out.

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1257 Location: Nebraska

No problems, jbiss, twice barrel just thought you might be a reincarnation of another poster recently removed from the board. (I'm guessing anyway) Ask away, you will get your questions answered and learn a lot as you go along. The search tool will turn up a lot of information on just about anything 16ga you'd care to know!

Welcome.

kgb

Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 6

Thank you Mr. kgb,

But I really just want to know about the different types of shot that Mr. 16 GaugeGuy was talking about.

Guest

Oh, don't worry. !6GG will tell you aaalllll about it.

Welcome!

Joined: 20 Mar 2009 Posts: 428

Magnum shot which is produced with higher levels of Antimony incorporated during production creates a HARDER shot pellet which helps in many ways: First, it reduces the amount of pellet deformation which occurs as shot pellets are all forced into the forcing cones & chokes of shotgun bbls bumping against each other as they go. This deformation results in flyers or stray bb's as they exit the bbl. Secondly, these stray bb's reduce pattern density efficiency. In other words, you now have bb's straying out of the intended group of the intended pattern.

This can be o.k. for very close bird hunting and even skeet in some cases as one of the other posters put it "it opens the pattern". Personally, I like the Harder shot often plated shot when hunting.

Original? Nope. I'm just following and passing along some very sound advice given to me nearly 30 years ago by a very decent fellow who used to sell Lawrence Shot and other componants out of his wholesale shop near Orlando, FL. He was one of the most knowledgable folks I ever met. He got me started out right.

So no thanks Slide. My chilled shot loads work just fine for the purpose they are designed for. Perhaps some the other folks might take you up on your kind offer...or not. Very Happy

However, if you or anyone could steer me to some dead soft lead shot, I'd appreciate it. I've never found any for sale. I'll bet the stuff would be great for similar uses at more moderate velocities.

Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 6

Good Morning Gentleman,

I am still confused, is magnum shot lead shot? Is chilled shot lead shot? And what is soft lead in comparison to the others? Is antimony added to the lead and that makes it harder Mr. KolarDan?

Are there manuals of any sort out there about reloading? If there are where would I be able to purchase them?