The steel thing

[Les53]

Has anyone here shot Steel shot at clays  in Europe or Scandinavia, in places where lead is already banned? 
If so what is your impression of the steel loads? Were they high performance or standard steel? 
What happened to all the guns in those countries that were only nitro proof? Were they  re proofed and opened up or do people just open the chokes and shoot standard steel? 

There seems to be little information on how well standard steel breaks clays at various distances and at different disciplines. 
 

I guess we all know steel is coming to clays, but will we actually need steel proof barrels? Maybe not, just so long as standard steel shells will do the job. 
 

I’ve seen tests of some steel shells and they are talking 32grm, to me that’s like going back over 30years. I can remember 32grm loads when I came into trap shooting, very thumpy , not sure I would like to go back there, not after shooting 24 grm since they became the norm for OT. 
 

So, anyone got any decent info? 

 

[Charliedog]

Not exactly what you are asking but I was given some 24g gamebore white gold steel to try, I would happily shoot them all day long if I had to, no idea what they cost but they provided very convincing breaks, think they were 7.5s through a 3/8 choke at good range

 

[perazman]

I've no experience of steel on clays yet but found it lacking on game.

What no one can tell me is why does my gun need to be "steel proofed"? If on the original proof certificate my gun is proofed to 1370 bar, what's the issue? Pressure is pressure. Obviously you need to repect your chamber length and stay below half choke but the way the trade are currently  devaluing perfectly suitable guns and people's clamour to have a jesters hat stamped on their barrels seems bizarre to me.

PM.

 

[Les53]

I've no experience of steel on clays yet but found it lacking on game.

What no one can tell me is why does my gun need to be "steel proofed"? If on the original proof certificate my gun is proofed to 1370 bar, what's the issue? Pressure is pressure. Obviously you need to repect your chamber length and stay below half choke but the way the trade are currently  devaluing perfectly suitable guns and people's clamour to have a jesters hat stamped on their barrels seems bizarre to me.

PM.

As far as I’m aware 1370 bar is ok for high performance steel, it’s way higher than  nitro proof which I think is 930/940 bar? 
As for the clamour for the jesters hat? The marketing guys are having are jumping on the bandwagon field day!

You know, I felt sure we had a guy on here who lived and shot in Holland? Or did I imagine it? 
I’m sure we have guys on here who shoot abroad though, PhilR being one of them. We shall see. 

 

[Les53]

Not exactly what you are asking but I was given some 24g gamebore white gold steel to try, I would happily shoot them all day long if I had to, no idea what they cost but they provided very convincing breaks, think they were 7.5s through a 3/8 choke at good range

We’re those White Gold, standard steel or high performance steel? 

 

[Jan Powell]

Has anyone here shot Steel shot at clays  in Europe or Scandinavia, in places where lead is already banned? 
If so what is your impression of the steel loads? Were they high performance or standard steel? 
What happened to all the guns in those countries that were only nitro proof? Were they  re proofed and opened up or do people just open the chokes and shoot standard steel? 

There seems to be little information on how well standard steel breaks clays at various distances and at different disciplines. 
 

I guess we all know steel is coming to clays, but will we actually need steel proof barrels? Maybe not, just so long as standard steel shells will do the job. 
 

I’ve seen tests of some steel shells and they are talking 32grm, to me that’s like going back over 30years. I can remember 32grm loads when I came into trap shooting, very thumpy , not sure I would like to go back there, not after shooting 24 grm since they became the norm for OT. 
 

So, anyone got any decent info? 

I’ve shot steel at skeet in Northern Ireland on several occasions. It’s not banned there but some grounds shoot over wetland.

For skeet no issues at all, in fact it may even be preferable. I’ve little doubt it would be fairly useless for trap though.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/uT2F18WPGew?feature=oembed

 

[Charliedog]

We’re those White Gold, standard steel or high performance steel? 

honestly no idea but they were very impressive

2 hours ago, Jan Powell said:

I’ve shot steel at skeet in Northern Ireland on several occasions. It’s not banned there but Route GC shoots over wetland.

For skeet no issues at all, in fact it may even be preferable. I’ve little doubt it would be fairly useless for trap though.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/uT2F18WPGew?feature=oembed

really, why?

 

[Jan Powell]

really, why?

For the reasons shown in the video.

 

[k80ben]

Shot probably more steel at clays than any other Brit. Mostly at the mighty Dornsberg in Germany with targets at serious distances 

i shoot them with 5/8s choke and Gamebore dark storm 7s and notice absolutely zero difference and the scores stay the same 

 

[Steve W]

Our son shot in the Grandprix at Dorhout Mees several times, which only allows steel shot. All the shooters I spoke to during the event had no issues or experienced any concerns about how they performed, only standard steel & some using more than 1/2 choke.
I know Ben H. shot the event, he may be able to advise on this with a more detailed insight.

Edit - Ben can type quicker than me, thanks Ben.

 

[k80ben]

Our son shot in the Grandprix at Dorhout Mees several times, which only allows steel shot. All the shooters I spoke to during the event had no issues or experienced any concerns about how they performed, only standard steel & some using more than 1/2 choke.
I know Ben H. shot the event, he may be able to advise on this with a more detailed insight.

Exactly and some huge targets, the people stating they’re no good are clueless 

watched a Olympic champion shoot 124/125 at Olympic trap with steel 7s 

 

[FESkent]

The video claimed to use the same size shot for lead and steel, so obviously the energy in the steel pellet will be much less, is not the idea with steel shot you go up two shot sizes to then equal the lead pellet energy, assuming same terminal velocity.

Wads are still an issue with steel shot, lots of Club grounds are fibre wads only, the so called biodegradable steel wads cost a lot more, yet further pushing up the cost of cartridges, and some of the so called biodegradable plastic wads will still take many months if not years to degrade.

Even Ben posted on a youtube game shoot video comments I read that they were not using steel shot because of the wads and no legal need not to use lead.

 

[Jan Powell]

That steel’s inferior to lead at distance is well proven and frankly, isn't really a debate anymore. There’s plenty of evidence online for those that wish to look. That’s not to say distant targets can’t be shot, it just involves compromises.

Assuming steel’s inevitable in the future the discussion ought to be how the sport will change to meet the performance (or lack of it) of the equipment we’ll be using.

I can’t comment on anything other than the disciplines I shoot. Trap, especially fast trap, cannot be shot effectively with steel. Skeet certainly can and there’d likely be no difference in score. 

Looking further afield at some of the great trap shooting nations in Europe, I see no movement towards steel at all. In fact quite the opposite.

 

[FESkent]

Assuming steel’s inevitable in the future the discussion ought to be how the sport will change …..I

it will be a lot more expensive  

 

[JoostB]

I am from Holland. I have only ever used steel shot, since lead has already been banned here since way back when. 
I can’t tell you what the difference is. I can only tell that steel does the job, and that shooting it is great fun. 

 

[FESkent]

I am from Holland. I have only ever used steel shot, since lead has already been banned here since way back when. 
I can’t tell you what the difference is. I can only tell that steel does the job, and that shooting it is great fun. 

providing you have been happy until very recently to pollute with single use plastic wads which will be around for hundreds of years in the environment however we in U.K. are trying to avoid that otherwise after any lead shot ban that will be the next thing on the anti shooting campaigners agenda.

 

[TRINITY]

providing you have been happy until very recently to pollute with single use plastic wads which will be around for hundreds of years in the environment however we in U.K. are trying to avoid that otherwise after any lead shot ban that will be the next thing on the anti shooting campaigners agenda.

Let's be fair, if this is all about the environment than plaswads are just as damaging as lead shot. No point banning one and not the other.

Personally if I was a land owner I would prefer lead and fibre, over steel and plastic ,being shot over my property.

 

[FreeShot]

I am shooting steel exclusively - Fitasc Compak and Parcours + trap (Fitasc). Using standard and high performance steel (Hull, RC, Clever) 24g and 28g - all work just fine + you dont have to think about different shells - one works for everything - number of steel pellets #7 (2.54 mm) is app equal to lead #8 1/2 (2.2 mm). Reagrding chokes there is no pattern difference compared to lead.

Many guys here are using older Berettas and Brownings + occasional Perazzi trap guns with fixed 3/4 and Full chokes - no problems noted.

I dont know about aftermarket titanium chokes tho.

 

[Les53]

I am shooting steel exclusively - Fitasc Compak and Parcours + trap (Fitasc). Using standard and high performance steel (Hull, RC, Clever) 24g and 28g - all work just fine + you dont have to think about different shells - one works for everything - number of steel pellets #7 (2.54 mm) is app equal to lead #8 1/2 (2.2 mm). Reagrding chokes there is no pattern difference compared to lead.

Many guys here are using older Berettas and Brownings + occasional Perazzi trap guns with fixed 3/4 and Full chokes - no problems noted.

I dont know about aftermarket titanium chokes tho.

Well that’s interesting to know. Especially as we are being told that no more than half choke for standard steel or high performance steel, even in guns that have steel proof barrels. 
We are also told that high performance steel shot should not be used in a gun that is not steel proof. 
Which country are you in?