So what is the best waterfowl ammo? I hear this question a lot, so I decided grab my trusty Remington 870 and pattern the new 2011 steel loads myself. Last year — Black Cloud was a big-hit (no pun intended). In 2011, Winchester is introducing a new load called, “Blind Side.” I purchased the top six waterfowl loads for 2011 and shot them into a 30-inch circle at 30 yards. Here is a list of what I tested:
Winchester (Blind Side) 3-inch, #2 and BB
Federal (Black Cloud) 3-inch, #2 and BB
Remington (HyperSonic) 3-inch, #2 and BB
Hevi-Shot (Hevi-Metal) 3-inch, #2 and BB
A pellet in the wing doesn’t count as a Kill Shot
Together, I shot a total of 16 times; 8 each (#2’s and BB) with improved cylinder and modified chokes. I then took a picture of the large pieces of paper and increased the contrast so that you could see the pellet holes. I then counted all the shot inside the 30-inch circle.
What I found is Black Cloud is still the superior load at 30-yards. The pattern is very tight. I counted a total of 10 pellets within the Kill Zone. You will see that the improved cylinder choke with BB is a killer! Next was Black Cloud with #2’s (8 pellets in the Kill Zone) using IC choke. It was interesting to see that the Winchester’s Blind Side did not do as well with the improved cylinder choke tube, but I DID noticed the increased number of pellets! The third runner-up was Hevi-Shot’s, Hevi-Metal with #2 (6 pellets in the Kill Zone) and a modified choke — I also notice that Hevi-Metal was 10 less pellets then Winchester’s Blind Side! Less noticeable, was Federal’s HyperSonic with OK number in the Kill Zone, but found the pattern wide — even with the modified choke.
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have you done any comparisons with the same shell using different aftermarket choke tubes?
Were your chokes factory Remington chokes?
Jake,
Sorry I didn’t answer sooner. Been away from my computer.
Yes, I used factory Remington chokes. What a lot of hunter don’t realize…and perhaps Black Cloud (Federal Ammunition) dosen’t promote well enough is that the WAD within the shell has more to do with, “How tight a pattern is.” Even more-so than trying to use a tight choke, such as FULL or one of the Pattern Master chokes.
I will say this…and please have an open mind! When I first discover what I’m about to tell you – I had a difficult time convincing others, but here’s the incredible truth…
#1 We all know Steel shot is not as forgiving as Lead
#2 Firearms manufactures have always said to NOT use a tight choke (Full), but to use Modified or Improved
#3 Black Cloud has a WAD technology that is designed to hold a tight pattern for longer distance shots
#4 When I tried to shoot Black Cloud with a Modified – the pattern on paper was disrupted and not centered (I related this to using a tighter choke than Improved, The choke was working against what the WAD technology already provides (Tight Pattern)
#5 When I used an Improved Choke my pattern was tighter and I had more pellets in the KILL ZONE (body/head, not wings)
Go ahead and give it a try. Test your gun with both IMPROVED and Modified and see what choke truly provides a tighter pattern and give better shot placement. You will be surprised!