Lead vs Heavy Shot?

[RangerClay]

I'm going to buy some ammo for Sunday's opening day. I've heard a lot good stuff about this new Heavy Shot but is it better than lead? Is there a particular advantage over lead? What do you think?

Thanks

Ranger

[borch]

Re: Lead vs Heavy Shot?

Hevi Shot(as well as other brands of tungsten based shot) does have some advantages over lead. For one it's denser than lead. Translation is more hitting power when compared to smaller sized lead shot. Another advantage is that it maintains it's shape. Less deflection due to mis-shaped shot(this also aids in penetration). It often shoots pretty well out of standard full ckokes(less need for expensive turkey chokes).

Some disadvantages are it's more expensive than lead(2-7 times as much). This also leads to another problem where fewer pattern shots are taken because of how much the stuff costs. Also, many turkey chokes are not rated for the tungsten based loads like hevi shot.

Many folks get very good patterns with it in one form or another. Others do not. I guess it comes down to what your gun choke likes. It not so much a hevi shot vs lead issue, but rather what does your gun like. Also what are your goals for turkey hunting. I like to call them in fairly close and limit my shots to 35 yards or so. So I use lead. SImply because I get great patterns with it and the distances I choose to shoot.

You better decide soon as you don't have much time to try it out before you go turkey hunting.

Good Luck!

[maytom]

Re: Lead vs Heavy Shot?

Borch, said it all right there. Depends on your gun.

Yes, hevishot hits much harder than lead, that's why you can go with smaller sized shot in Hevishot and still get the same energy levels as with a larger lead pellet. Hevishot is here to stay, especially since now that Remington, Winchester, and now Federal are making shells with that stuff!!