Buddy of mine shoots hypersonics exclusively. He crushed a goose at 80 yards stone cold dead. It was the last bird in the flock that tried to get away. Nnnnnno!
Think about it. 65 feet further away in one second.. That's a long ways. So think about lead reduction and the less crippled birds. I shot it at snow geese this spring thru my patternmaster (not recommended but didn't have any other shells) and it flat out dropped them at fifty yards constantly. And there's not that much more recoil either.
I have not personally shot them because most tighter chokes say not to use a shell faster than 1500 or 1550 fps but the people i have heard of using them has had the brass come off the plastic and get stuck up in the chamber.
I won't try them because they take away the option to go full choke and put such a massive gap between practice at the range and hunting. I shoot 1300fps trap/skeet so between there and 1500 is it for me so I don't have to learn too different of leads. If you want more energy per pellet bump up the shot size, otherwise there is no more juice in those shells (except a 3" flavor afaik) all up as they take away weight to give speed.
Imho, hypersonic assists where proper leading with a shotgun could be learned/improved.
In a similar vein I have had and do have black cloud and decided they are an assist where a notch tighter choke should have been used. The flight stopper wad essentially simulates a im or f choke where one is not used. It carries the shot an (mostly) unseparated bonus 5+ yards, taking away my ability to choose IC/skt if I decide its best for the current conditions.
Manufacturers are just constantly looking for a "what's new" in designer shells it feels, even if that is unnecessary.
I use hevi metal, a balance of lead-like density and cost. At $1 a round for 3.5s bought at the right store it is comparable in cost to the other specialty rounds. And instead of the speed/wad gimmicks (opinion) it's a throw back to the days of lead in a small way.
Roger's is good, bought 5 cases of AA off them for a good price before they disappeared this season and weak/odd loads are all they filled shelves it seemed like.
I bought hevi metal last from mack's prairie wings. They have free shipping on orders over n dollars (e.g. $125) that did not exclude ammo at the time. You can get a case of 3.5s shipped for about $250 and then mail the $25 rebate in assuming some good timing.
I also buy federal blue box from dunns sporting goods online when I want cheaper shells (ran #2s for spring snows, not going to sling premium shells there).
I've found Cabelas, Gander Mountain, and Scheels among other local joints to be the worst places, on the average, to try and save money on ammo (they are $70-80 higher per case of 3.5" hevi metal than MPW), except occasionally Fiocchi Golden and Win AA. Locally/brick-and-mortar I think Fleet Farm is actually where I buy the most of any type of ammo. They will rotate the sales on shells this time of year week over week. They've done Blindside and blue box already so far at least, maybe others.
Rogers, Dunns, and MPW is my current shopping trifecta online, but am always looking for other places who can compete.
Think about it. 65 feet further away in one second.. That's a long ways. So think about lead reduction and the less crippled birds. I shot it at snow geese this spring thru my patternmaster (not recommended but didn't have any other shells) and it flat out dropped them at fifty yards constantly. And there's not that much more recoil either.
I have had guys hunt with me that has shot that stuff and... they end up cussing at times due to the lack of penetration. Yes steel will kill birds and yes it works for people. I prefer Hevi Metal due to the hevi shot pellets in the loads. They hit hard and many times when guys shooting regular steel have to have follow up shots, I sit back and smile as I shot once... for one bird. Hevi Metal all the way for me!
Welcome to the resurrection of P.T. Barnum. "There's a sucker born every minute". I swear that people will buy any load of B.S. the manufacturers pawn off. The designer steel loads are a waste of money. Some (most) are noticeably less effective at long ranges. Yeah I know, there is always someone who kills that 80 yard goose. But how often could it be repeated? I once bagged a Canada at 134 generous paces as it lifted off a frozen bay. Pure, dumb luck. I misjudged the range terribly since I was crawling to the edge of the cattails with my nose six inches above the ice. It screwed with my perception of how much snow covered ice lay between me and the goose. I never would have fired if I had realized it either. Don't ever make your ammo decisions based on one spectacular shot.
Buy a good patterning load and put the pattern where it needs to go and birds will die. It's that simple. Buy Speed shocks or Kent Fasteel and spend the difference on better decoys or more gas to hunt more birds.
I can now say that I tried that stuff and have realized that it is just a lot of bang. Yes it does kill he Canadians but for how much it cost...... No thanks. I am just going to stick with what works and that's kent fasteel or blind side
I second Clint's thoughts, I just let them decoy in close and shoot regular 2's. Now for snows it would be nice to have more fire power out to sixty yards but it is just so expensive to buy the premium loads and for me it isn't as much fun to shoot at targets that are so far away. My enjoyment comes from decoying them in close and seeing the birds up close.
I do pattern my gun with a variety of loads but I am far from an expert on the ballistics of shotgun shells.
I have run the Hyper-sonics #2 threw my Browning with a factory fullchoke and it patterns well and hammers em. I personally don't bother with all the fear around no steel through full chokes. 3 Seasons of hunting with a full choke not a scratch on it. I get good patterns with the 1550's Remington make. I usually have a box or 2 of Hypersonics in my blind bag and switch between Hi speed Steels #2 and Hypersonic #2. Just see what your gun patterns well.
I have run the Hyper-sonics #2 threw my Browning with a factory fullchoke and it patterns well and hammers em. I personally don't bother with all the fear around no steel through full chokes. 3 Seasons of hunting with a full choke not a scratch on it. I get good patterns with the 1550's Remington make. I usually have a box or 2 of Hypersonics in my blind bag and switch between Hi speed Steels #2 and Hypersonic #2. Just see what your gun patterns well.
Since we are all made of money up here in Canada, a box of Remington Sportsman steel 1550 fps run $18 a box, A box of Remington Hypersonics 1700's run $30 a box. I usually run 3 inch shells. My main shooting ammo is the cheaper stuff but I do switch to the faster stuff if the shots are longer and the birds aren't co-operating with the spread.
I have been shooting a shotgun for 46 years now. I first started with a .410 using paper shells. You can shoot every type of shell and shot load, powder and wad configuration that is out there. It sounds like a lot of people, now adays, are shooters not hunters. I've killed waterfowl with the .410 up to a 12 gauge. I waited for the shot. We couldn't afford to waste a shell back then.
Why take risks wounding a bird at 50 yards or 80 yards. If you become skilled at setting decoys, hiding and practice patience the birds will come into a closer range. Some days you can't get a bird to do what you want them to. Some days you can. I'm glad punt guns are illegal since it sounds like alot of members would keep stuffing their guns with more of this and that just to kill a bird further away.
Go to the gun range and practice, practice, practice. Heck even Tom Knapp missed every now and then.
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