Winchester blind Side, ""Square and stacked pellets"". Has any one on this board
ACTUALLY SHOT any of these non tox Steel Shot shells. if so what were the results, and what is your opinion. I see that Blind Side costs a little more than some of the other steel shot shells. Will the Stacked Square shot be more or less likely to bridge in the choke??? How will the square shot pattern at longer ranges??? I do know that you cannot shoot steel shot in any of the older doubles.. I Have a couple of shotguns that are steel shot friendly, and thought I may try some of these shot shells on waterfowl this year. What say you???
David

In my humble and rather ignorant opinion, Blind Side is a gimmick. Square pellets will never fly as well as round pellets. My brother shot these in waterfowl season for two seasons and the shots to kill ratio were high. When he switched to higher quality non-tox loads, his success increased drastically. If you're going to shoot steel, the standard Kent Fasteel is hard to beat. If you want to spend more money on shells for waterfowl, put it towards softer and better patterning/energy carrying non-tox shells like bismuth or tungsten. When one shot will drop a duck instead of 2 or 3, you'll be saving money in the long run.

Again, just my opinion and respect anyone else's...

Pheasant's Forever gave me some $20.00 Gander Mt coupons, so I bought a box of Blind side and a box of Fed Black cloud w/Flight control wad.

Black cloud killed better for me.

0-30 yards no diff. That's a high % distance.
It was when I stretched a bit that I felt I got better kills with the Federals. Just an opinion of course.

Could just as easily have been my jacket thickness, or the hat I was wearing.

And here I thought my friend "long range" was still using copper plated lead #4s and dodging the federales!! Can't dodge on that titanium hip?

Researcher, can you believe it has been almost a decade since the last time I was checked by a Federal agent duck hunting? Got checked by a state one last year. I don't see as many of them today as I use to see. I hear others who have been checked in the area or just a day before. Most of the time I rather suspect they were being watched or they should have been anyways.

I bet you the first 30 years I hunted ducks I got checked 200 times. A slow year was just once or twice. Heck, I have been checked several times, in a single day, while shooting off the Chesapeake Bay. Never got a Federal Citation for anything but it has been close a few times. Did get a State Citation for hunting Red Heads on a point I own, right next to a refuge. The State warden did not know there was still one private piece of land on that side of the river. I pulled my boat blind up into that spot and had about two thirds of a four limits of Red Heads, a couple Cans and a Black duck before they descended on us. Took half an hour to get them to just write me a citation for it. Everyone else got one as well.

Spent three hours finding and copying the land records and tax records that clearly proved I did in fact have land on that spot. Went right to their office and showed them the records. They would not just drop it. They made us go to court and then dropped it. Being a bit of a prissy a-hole I thought so I went down the the local volunteer firehouse and asked if anybody there wanted to hunt ducks. Of course half a dozen responded. Told them of my land and gave them written permission, with a map, to hunt it for the rest of the season. Explained it was only the point, on the Southern tip of the bend of the river, on the refuge side. There was a concrete marker they could tie their boat up to and that would make sure they were at the right spot. They had to be within fifty feet of that marker. I had to return to where I lived and could not hunt it anymore in the late season.

Heard later a few had big days over there and the game wardens were totally pissed because they were not only on private land but had written permission to hunt it. No one has hunted it for years but it is still there and I still pay a few dollars taxes on it. And I bet if I hunted it I'd get another have a nice day citation from either a state or federal game warden or maybe not, this time I'd just have my papers with me and give them a copy. If the wind was out of the NNW or N it was one hell of a spot for Red Heads, Blue Bills and and Cans but the river could be extremely dangerous.

I like the federal 3 inch 1 1/4 oz #2's. That is the cheap ones, bought a flat for $100 total Here on tax free day. I use only an extended IMod choke. I have killed many at 60 yards, pattern is roughly 3 feet at that range. In close you better be right on because the pattern is very small.
bill

I had no problems Blind Side ammunition. I think your success with the various nontoxic shot may depend on the type of shots you take.

Describe that Federal load a little better for me, Bill. I'd like to get some to pattern.

SRH

I have shot a box or so of them, I didn't notice any better or worse results with them. I have not patterned them though so I can't say for sure if they are better or not. Remington steel and Black Cloud work very well for me so I don't see a reason to switch

Stan
I find that the Federal load with my Briley extended IMOD choke makes the best pattern of all chokes we have tried. I think the super fast loads are not patterning well and they kick the devil out of me. At $10 a box the price is lowest around and the results are great. Federal Waterfowl Load, 3 inch 12 1.25 oz of #2 steel at 1400 FPS. In my 3.5 gun the same choke will kill a goose at 80 yards with T,s. The biggest problem at that range is hitting them. T's are very big medicine.
bill

While I've not personally used T's one in our group uses them quite frequently on canadian geese in December when their plumage is very dense. 60-70 yard knockdowns are very common. Kill shots much less frequent than cripples.

Having said that I see as many cripples in the 30-50 yard zone with hunters using Federal 3", 1 1/4 at 1550 fps.

Old Friend Researcher, dodging the Federales is not the problem. I can still run just fine, the issue is the added weight of all them heavy shot shells is starting to slow me down.

Today I purchased a box of Blind Side Shot Shells size square BBs, and went out for a very scientific study. First was the pattern board at 50 Yds. (NOTHING SPECIAL). Next was a SALT LAKE CITY Phone book shot up at 55 Yds. and count the pages of penetration again NOTHING SPECIAL here either. Last scientific study was a crow fly by at 50 Yds. Missed him both shots NOTHING SPECIAL here either. If I get the opportunity Will try to shoot some ducks with the rest of the box of Blindside Shot Shells.

I do thank you all for your comments and advise on my question. I have shot some of the Kent bismuth shot shells this year, and the work much better than in years past.
David

Thanks, Bill. I've been using that exact same load for several years in the RIO brand. I won a little DU sporting clays shoot and the prize was a flat of RIO Blue Steel shells, this load.

Model: RBSM362Z
Gauge: 12 Gauge
Shot Type: Steel
Length: 3”
Load: 1 ¼ oz.
Shot Size: #2
Muzzle Velocity: 1400 fps
Rounds/Box: 25

I think I will get a box of the Federals and pattern them at the same time out of a IM CompNChoke. Should be interesting.

Thanks again, SRH