There are two very important factors that you have to understand and consider when properly switching from lead shot to steel shot.
(1) Steel shot is harder than lead shot (Advantage).
(2) Steel shot is lighter than lead shot (Disadvantage).
(1) Steel shot is 3 times harder than lead shot:
Let’s first examine the steel shot advantage by firing a shell and observe all that takes place within the barrel of a shotgun.
Upon ignition the shot pellets are compressed against each other deforming some lead pellets this does not happen with steel shot.
Next, the shot enters the forcing cone, compression takes place, further deforming more lead pellets, again this does not happen with hard steel shot pellets.
The next compression takes place in the choke or choke tube further deforming more lead pellets, again this does not happen with hard steel shot pellets.
Steel shot is very hard so it stays round and flies truer to the target. At 40 yards, a much higher percentage of steel pellets will be on target than lead shot loads. At 60 yards, steel shot will yield an even higher pattern percentage as well.
Lead shot, which is easily deformed upon firing, develops a relatively long, large-diameter shot string.
Steel shot however because it is three times harder than lead, stays round, and develops a shot string that is 50-60% shorter and 60-70% narrower than lead.
The reason that most lead shot hunting game loads average around 1,350 feet per second on the high velocity side down to 1,150 feet per second on the low velocity side is the fact that lead shot will deform easily and blow patterns.
Steel shot has a very distinct advantage here, it is very hard and the pellets or shot will not deform at all, so the velocity can increase without shot deformation and blowing patterns.
Steel shot hunting loads average 1,500 feet per second on the high velocity side and down to 1,265 feet per second on the low velocity side.
Overview:
Steel shot does not deform from the time ignition starts in a shotshell until all the shot has come to rest in a piece of game, therefore steel shot (as a whole in percentage) penetrates deeper than lead shot.
Penetration factor is based on the remaining round pellets that are left which will penetrate deeper than dented or deformed lead pellets.
(2) Steel shot is lighter than lead shot:
Because all shot sizes are determined by the pellet diameter and not by weight, steel shot is disadvantaged in down range performance when compared to lead shot of the same size designation and diameter.
To convert to steel shot you must make the conversion in pellet weight and not in size.
If you take two pellets of the same weight and fire them downrange there is no difference in their energy levels until they reach 60 – 75 yards, then the larger diameter will start to give way to its smaller diameter counterpart and this is clearly maximum effective hunting distance.
Shot size in diameter measure in steel and lead are the same and steel weighs less than lead, so, it takes more steel pellets to make up a charge weight equal to lead pellets of the same shot size.
Relevant Lead Shot to Steel Shot Shotgun Ammunition Ballistic Equivalency Conversion Chart For Small Game Hunting Applications:
| Steel Size # 6 # 4 # 3 # 2 | Shot Count 1 1/8 oz. 335 212 175 141 | Energy 40 yds. 1350 f.p.s. 1.3 ft.lbs. 2.4 ft.lbs. 3.4 ft.lbs. 4.0 ft.lbs. | Lead Size # 7 1/2 # 6 # 5 # 4 | Shot Count 1 oz. 350 225 170 135 | Energy 40 yds. 1350 f.p.s. 1.3 ft.lbs. 2.3 ft.lbs. 3.5 ft.lbs. 4.0 ft.lbs. |
| Steel Size BB | Shot Count 1 1/8 oz. 80 | Energy 60 yds. 1350 f.p.s. 5.6 ft.lbs. | Lead Size # 2 | Shot Count 1 oz. 87 | Energy 60 yds. 1350 f.p.s. 4.9 ft.lbs. |
#4 Steel Shot, Pellet Weight 2.278 Grains, Velocity 1,375 FPS.
| Pellet Down Range | 20 yds. | 30 yds. | 40 yds. | 50 yds. | 60 yds. |
| Velocity / FPS.: | 935 | 785 | 675 | 590 | 515 |
| Energy / FT. LBS.: | 4.71 | 3.32 | 2.46 | 1.88 | 1.43 |
| Time Of Flight / SEC.: | .0517 | .0869 | .1283 | .1761 | .2307 |
6 Lead Shot, Pellet Weight 1.947 Grains, Velocity 1,330 FPS.
| Pellet Down Range | 20 yds. | 30 yds. | 40 yds. | 50 yds. | 60 yds. |
| Velocity / FPS.: | 940 | 800 | 700 | 620 | 550 |
| Energy / FT. LBS.: | 3.81 | 2.76 | 2.11 | 1.66 | 1.30 |
| Time Of Flight / SEC.: | .0529 | .0876 | .1278 | .1736 | .2252 |
2 Steel Shot, Pellet Weight 3.509 Grains, Velocity 1,375 FPS.
| Pellet Down Range | 20 yds. | 30 yds. | 40 yds. | 50 yds. | 60 yds. |
| Velocity / FPS.: | 965 | 815 | 710 | 625 | 555 |
| Energy / FT. LBS.: | 7.64 | 5.45 | 4.14 | 3.21 | 2.53 |
| Time Of Flight / SEC.: | .0510 | .0849 | .1244 | .1695 | .2205 |
4 Lead Shot, Pellet Weight 3.248 Grains, Velocity 1,330 FPS.
| Pellet Down Range | 20 yds. | 30 yds. | 40 yds. | 50 yds. | 60 yds. |
| Velocity / FPS.: | 970 | 840 | 740 | 660 | 590 |
| Energy / FT. LBS.: | 6.72 | 5.04 | 3.91 | 3.11 | 2.49 |
| Time Of Flight / SEC.: | .0519 | .0852 | .1235 | .1666 | .2147 |
Choke tubes and ounces of shot have to be adjusted as well, if a steel shot pattern is 60% to 70% narrower, then this automatically tells you the pattern is too tight so the logical choice is lower ounces of shot and a more open choke are needed.
The most effective combinations of choke and ounces of shot in all our tests revealed that 1 and 1/8 ounces of smaller shot (BB and down) fired at 1,350 feet per second velocity through a stainless steel improved cylinder choke gave well above standard hunting pattern percentages.
Overview:
Steel shot has proven to us that when the conversion is made right, that it is more than acceptable for field hunting use out to and beyond 40 yards.
Tom Roster, working in conjunction with the Cooperative Nontoxic Shot Education Program (CONSEP) has put together a database on the performance of lead shot vs. steel shot. In this study is an X-ray analysis of over 16,000 ducks and geese.
A fact revealed by this study was that a steel pellet with an energy level equivalent to that of a lead pellet, provides 5% to 10% deeper penetration, thus increasing shotshell lethality on wild game. (that link goes to our shotgun wild game guide).
You may want to read up on how Travis improved his Remington Tac-14 to be useful in defensive situations, next.
Both steel and lead shot shells can be found at these fine retailers:
