black cloud shotshells

theduke · #1 02-15-2008, 11:39 PM

i was watching a hunting show and they were useing these shells, just wondering if anybody has used these shells, and are worth spending extra on them then regular stell, the difference is they have 40% of steel shotwhich have a cutting edge on them

shekaree · #2 02-15-2008, 11:54 PM

I used them for geese this year in Sack and they are amazing. Although I was using Benelli SBE II, I could still feel them on my shoulder. In my books, they worth every penny.

Faststeel · #3 02-16-2008, 12:44 AM

Yep them shells are snappy, and seem to kill real well, even better than Fasteel.

sullijr · #4 02-16-2008, 06:06 AM

We used them exclusively for pass shooting geese and they are amazing,I cut one open to see the workings and the shot cup is not split.The shot cup flies over 40 yds and I got a 100% pattern with BBB

theduke · #5 02-16-2008, 10:59 AM

asweome sounds like sumthing to use this year, how much would it be for a box, i couldnt find them on ws's site, are they as much as tungsten, cuz i know that stuff is like 28 for a box of 10

Faststeel · #6 02-16-2008, 11:27 AM

When we bought it , it was $25.00 per box of 25 shells

theduke · #7 02-16-2008, 12:05 PM

thats not bad at all though they were more, what was the shell size i buy steel shot 3 inch for about 28 i have a new gun that takes 3.5

Cowtown guy · #8 02-17-2008, 12:22 AM

I bought a box of 3.5" BB for geese last season. They were 32 dollars from Can Tire in Calgary. If you are planning on eating the geese as breasted birds and not burger I would say don't bother. These pellets destroyed a pile of meat on any shot under 30 yards. I decoy geese as to me that is part of "hunting" them. I'm not against pass shooting unless it is wrecking someones morning shoot. I shoot a Benelli Super Nova with an IC choke and I can honestly say that the 3.5" Fasteel #1's killed as many birds stone dead at 40 yards or less than the Blackcloud. Do some scouting, get the birds into an acceptable range and spend time at the range patterning your gun to different shot and chokes instead of paying the extra money to blow the birds apart. I think I pay 13 dollars a box for the Fasteel. That is about a 60% price difference. Just not worth it for me. I'd rather put more money in the tank for spotting.

sullijr · #9 02-17-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faststeel

When we bought it , it was $25.00 per box of 25 shells

Great price,where?We bought 2 flats at Canadian Tire in Calgary and they were $0 for 3.5" BBB.That was the only place that had them the other store we tried had not even heard of them.

ABDUKNUT · #10 02-20-2008, 09:50 PM

[QUOTE=Cowtown guy;113218]They were 32 dollars from Can Tire in CalgaryQUOTE]

You guys are absolutely freakin nuts to spend that kind of money on 25 rounds of steel shot... I'm callin snake oil on these things, even though I've heard from numerous sources that they work fine and all (but tear the bird all to rat ***** at less than 25 yds, aka 99% of all my shooting)

For the same price you can get Hevi-Steel, but I'd rather have 3 boxes of Winchester Xperts...

Most all of the average "couple hunts a season" shotgunner would be much better served burning their money at the range on a few rounds of skeet, or doing some test patterning and tweaking with their gun.

willy · #11 02-20-2008, 10:27 PM

I tried them last year seemed to work fine didnt tear up the birds any worse then the regular steel will use them again.

Maverick_Brittany · #12 02-21-2008, 07:03 AM

I used them all of last year with great success.
When hunting over decoys I used a mod choke and I did not experience any problems with tearing up the geese.

Mav.......

sullijr · #13 02-21-2008, 07:16 AM

[QUOTE=ABDUKNUT;114915]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowtown guy

They were 32 dollars from Can Tire in CalgaryQUOTE]

You guys are absolutely freakin nuts to spend that kind of money on 25 rounds of steel shot... I'm callin snake oil on these things, even though I've heard from numerous sources that they work fine and all (but tear the bird all to rat ***** at less than 25 yds, aka 99% of all my shooting)

For the same price you can get Hevi-Steel, but I'd rather have 3 boxes of Winchester Xperts...

Most all of the average "couple hunts a season" shotgunner would be much better served burning their money at the range on a few rounds of skeet, or doing some test patterning and tweaking with their gun.

Here you go again ragging something you haven't tried,grow up you are now ignored

Versatile · #14 02-21-2008, 07:22 AM

Id have to agree with ABDUKNUT you guys are crazy for shooting these things. 25 bucks a box wont make you any better of a shot. Shootem with Xperts or shootem with Black Clouds you going to get the same results. Dead birds. They may have the upper edge when pass shooting at birds 50 or 60 yards up but now your just praying and spraying. I guess if you got them money and need to shoot the expensive stuff go right ahead but the cheap steel works just as well.

Faststeel · #15 02-21-2008, 10:07 PM

So you fellows that boo hoo expensive shot shell ammo, are you all still shooting Sabre tips in your rifles? They killed just fine back in the day.FS

willy · #16 02-21-2008, 10:29 PM

I agree fasteel they seem to work like they claim then why not use them. Maybe people should just stick with the sp win rifle ammo works fine accurate enough why do you need a barnes bullet just practice more and hit in right spot LOL bunch bs

ABDUKNUT · #17 02-21-2008, 10:44 PM

Nope, can't say I've ever shot sabre tips... But I am a die-hard fan of Partitions

As far as this comparison is concerned, I shoot, maybe, 100 rounds of rifle ammo in a year, compared to many thousand shotshells, so economics certainly are a factor. Plus, I'd rather spend my cash on gas to scout for hot fields, and keeping my rig in immaculate shape, than sinking it into the latest fad.

Ironically, I can attest that I really spare no expense when it comes to bird hunting, and I definitely don't shoot cheap shells to 'cheap out', it's just that the ones I use flat work, time and time and time again.

Believe it or not, I have done a serious amount of monkeying around with the newest, latest, and most hyped shotshells on the market (hmm come to think of it, there's a new one every year, just in time for the season opener) and have yet to find any new magic bullets- 1 and 1/8th 3" and 1 and 1/16th oz 2.75" boring ole round steel in the proper pellet size/choke combination will smoke geese, and ducks out to farther than anybody needs to be shootin... that's an undisputable fact, plain and simple. Put the pattern on the target and the bird takes a dirt nap...

I find it rather funny to picture the guys out there sitting in a spread of crap lookin decoys in a pasture blowing their crap calls like a kazoo, with a box of $35 shotgun shells, waitin to "KILL SOME GEESE!"

And the guys that empty their gun behind the bird, and yell "damn steel dont work worth a pinch of coon *****!!!"...

ABDUKNUT · #18 02-21-2008, 11:13 PM

[QUOTE=sullijr;114985]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABDUKNUT

you are now ignored

please feel free

Cowtown guy · #19 02-22-2008, 07:48 AM

If you read the rest of my post you will see that I am not nuts. I gave them a try and as stated no longer use them. I bought 1 box. Patterned these in my gun and they did well. Gave them a try in the field and knocked serious holes in the breasts of the birds. To me, I would rather use the money for scouting and be able to eat more than goose soup from what is left of the birds.
If more people would spend some time and see what shoots well in their guns they wouldn't need to shoot these kinds of shells to have birds falling dead out of the air consistently.

How did you manage to not tear up the birds with a mod choke Mav? Good for you if you didn't but I am shooting IC and was ripping them apart at 30 or 35 yards consistently. Blows my mind what the engineers are coming up with though nowa-days.

ABDUKNUT · #20 02-22-2008, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowtown guy

If more people would spend some time and see what shoots well in their guns they wouldn't need to shoot these kinds of shells to have birds falling dead out of the air consistently.

You hit the nail dead on the head there pal...

Furthermore, advice is generally free and I can't stress enough the value of obtaining coaching from an expert... Someone who can 'look over your shoulder' essentially, and offer suggestions on improving technique.

Accurate and consistent wingshooting requires a fast sequence of movements involving the body, gun and eyes (and brain). These need to be performed in one smooth, precise and co-ordinated movement. Practice makes Perfect- A little refinement here and there, will improve your success above and beyond what any fad shell (or gun) ever possibly could.

I hunt with a few old-time bird murderers that shoot nothing but 2.75" shells (1 and 1/8th oz of steel) at ducks and geese... 1300 fps, 'cause that's what lead was and that's what they have ingrained in the mind. After witnessing a thousand times what this round is capable of doing in the hands of a true Expert shotgunner, I continue to scoff at the 3.5" magnum craze, and all the new expensive 'improvements' in shotshell technology. I personally am comfortable with a quality (Xpert or Fasteel), consistent and fast 3" load of 2's for ducks and geese. Believe me, this load will kill 13 lb geese as far as the top 0.01% of shooters on the planet can consistently hit at...

When cleaning your birds, see and take note of where your pellets hit- a few in the breast is inevitable but the target is actually the head and neck. Mangled breasts and bloody butts are the result of poor shooting technique and lousy shot pattern, and 9 times out of 10, birds flying away from the kill hole unscathed are due to a clean miss...

ABDUKNUT · #21 02-22-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theduke

i was watching a hunting show and they were useing these shells

'nuff said...

Cowtown guy · #22 02-22-2008, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABDUKNUT

When cleaning your birds, see and take note of where your pellets hit- a few in the breast is inevitable but the target is actually the head and neck. Mangled breasts and bloody butts are the result of poor shooting technique and lousy shot pattern, and 9 times out of 10, birds flying away from the kill hole unscathed are due to a clean miss...

I agree here again. I normally have 2 or 3 pellets in the breast. I set up to shoot the birds in the rig. Preferably when they are back flapping 5 or 6 feet off the ground. I think this is where people go wrong. Wait for the birds to commit. Don't shoot them on the first pass when they are 40 yards up.

If they are coming straight on it is inevitable to have the odd pellet hit there. When I used the Black Cloud, the normal pellets were the same wound channels as usual. I found a couple of the "new" pellets at the end of some massive holes. I found one pellet that hit at the very tip of the breast. This one smashed the wish bone and ripped a hole through one half of the breast the entire length. I found the pellet right at the back of that breast. It pretty much turned it to burger.

Versatile · #23 02-23-2008, 01:36 AM

Why would you think you need these shells for in close range? Why not go to a smaller size like a 4 for decoying shots?

Cowtown guy · #24 02-23-2008, 04:47 PM

This was strictly experimental. Canadian Tire had BB or BBB for sale. I typically stick to #1 shot or sometimes #2 shot if the store has run dry of #1's. #1's seem to work for me in my gun. I have a nice consistent shot pattern with them and they kill em dead. Why go smaller? I don't need more shot in the air. I am shooting 3 1/2's so I have a fair amount already. I don't like to have different sizes of shot with me in the blind. It just gets too confusing if the birds are coming fast and furious. I only have 1 compartment in my blind as the dog cuddles in with me on the side as I won't run the muzzle blast over her head. I will be sticking to my Fasteel #1"s from now on until the next fad and I almost guarantee that I will try a box of them as well just to see the latest new crap. I didn't lose a bird last season and out of the 100 or so birds that were killed on my outings I think we had to kill 8 or 9. If 90% of the birds are dead before they hit the ground I am a happy man.