Most Canadian waterfowl hunters are getting used to the fact that since 1997 we’ve had to use steel shot in most parts of Canada. No longer are we permitted to hunt waterfowl, over land or water with lead shot. Western Canadian hunters have raised a number of concerns with these new regulations but, as usual, it fell upon deaf ears in Ottawa.

Hunters have a couple of options, including shot made of steel, tungsten and Bismuth. While I have had the opportunity to shoot all of these shots, I did some extensive testing with steel shot at the recent Outdoor Writer’s of Canada conference in Edmonton, Alberta and found some very interesting results. Bill Stevens, from Federal Cartridge Company, was up from Minnesota and we spent quite a bit of time patterning steel shot from a number of different shotguns.

The first thing that you should know is that most modern shotguns will shoot steel shot, although it is recommended that you consult you local gunsmith first to be certain.. Some shotguns have a very sharp shoulder on the choke that could actually cause the barrel to blow up. The real problem, however, even if your shotgun is fine to use with steel shot, is that most shotguns used by western Canadian hunters have full chokes. Lead shot is very forgiving and will compress going through a full choke. Steel shot on the other hand does not compress and can cause some very erratic patterns. This is especially true with the larger shot sizes. It seems that steel shot sizes number four and smaller perform pretty well the same as lead when pushed through a full choke. But when you get into the larger sizes, number one and bigger, the shot cannot compress down to go through the choke and the pattern becomes very erratic.

The obvious solution would seem to be to shoot only number four or smaller shot sizes. Unfortunately, steel does not kill like lead and larger shot sizes are required to do the same job. "Steel kills much different, it punches straight through much like a jacketed rifle bullet", Stevens told me. "We recommend going up two shot sizes but we are hearing from hunters to go up three shot sizes."

This means that if you are used to shooting number four lead shot for decoying ducks, you should be using number two or even number one in steel. Federal has come out with several new sizes in steel shot to allow hunters a greater range of options. Shot sizes are the same from number two down, but the new sizes are one, B, BB, BBB, T, TT, F, FF. FF measures in at .23 inches, slightly smaller than number four buck, which is .24 inches. If you are used to shooting BBs for geese, you will likely have to go with T or TT.

In addition to getting similar effectiveness by going up two shot sizes, you also get similar speed and down range energy. A 1 ¼ ounce load of number four lead shot travels at about 1330 feet-per-second. A 1 1/8 ounce load of number two steel shot travels at about 1365 feet-per-second. You will not be required to alter the way you lead your target when switching to steel if you go up two shot sizes. The down range energy is almost identical as well. Number four lead shot produces 5.6 ft. lbs. at 30 yards, 4.4 ft. lbs. at 40 yards and 3.4 ft. lbs. at 50 yards. Number two steel shot produces 6.0 ft lbs. at 30 yards, 4.4 ft. lbs. at 40 yards and 3.4 ft. lbs at 50 yards.

The one other thing with steel is that you get more pellets per ounce than you do with lead. Steel shot is about 30 percent lighter, so you get about 30 percent more shot. Shooting an 1 1/8 ounce load of steel shot gives you about the same number of pellets as a 1 ¼ ounce load of lead shot.

So what does all this mean to the average hunter. Firstly, you are going to have to start using larger shot to get the same job done. To accomplish this, hopefully you have a shotgun with interchangeable chokes. It seems that modified and improved cylinder works the best with the larger shot sizes. I know this goes against everything you have been taught, but with the larger shot sizes, especially those number one or larger, a more open choke will give you a tighter pattern.

For hunters that do not have interchangeable chokes, there are a couple options. The first is to buy a new shotgun. That option will likely run you in the $500 and up range, providing you already have your FAC. The second is to have your present shotgun fitted with interchangeable chokes. If the shotgun is to double as an upland gun where you will still be using lead shot, this is likely the best option. It will cost you around $200 for a gunsmith to do this. The cheapest option, and the most practical if the shotgun is to be used exclusively for waterfowl is to have the barrel bored out to a modified choke. This shouldn’t set you back more than $50.

Presently, hand-loading of steel is not recommended. A special slower burning powder and hotter primers are required to get safe and optimum performance from steel, and these are currently not available to the average hand-loader. Whether or not they become available in the future remains to be seen, but most shotgun manufacturers will not honor the warranty on their gun if it has been shot with steel hand-loads. In addition to the special powder and primers, a longer, heavier duty wad is employed to protect the barrel of the shotgun.

There have also been many stories circulating about corrosion problems with steel shot and cases of the shot actually rusting together and coming out as one solid mass. "There is no way that could happen", Stevens told me while holding a box of Federal steel shot shells. "These shells have three water tight seals and the steel shot is copper plated."

While the transition to steel should not be a major one for most hunters, you should be aware that the slower burning powder in the steel shot shells leaves much more residue than traditional powders. This will mean cleaning your shotgun more often, and those with auto-loading shotguns have reported some problems. The best advice is to keep a cleaning kit handy at all times. Some of the older autos are bad enough without the addition of powder residue.

The other big danger with steel shot comes when you actually eat your game. Biting into a lead pellet in a goose breast is usually no big deal, but bite into a steel pellet and you’ll likely be making an appointment with your dentist. Thankfully steel tends to pass completely through birds or becomes lodged in the skin on the opposite side from where it entered, much like a rifle bullet. But you should still be extremely careful. Last time my wife had to get a crown on one of her teeth, the bill was pushing $700.

If there is one word of advice I can give you, it is to go out and shoot steel shot at a patterning target before ever heading afield with it. Each gun will shoot it slightly different and the more you understand about how steel performs in your shotgun, the more effective you will be when those geese set their wings to make the final approach to your decoys.