Round shot versus Heavy 13 pattern quality...

[Ozark Ridge Runner]

OK, so for 40 years we've all heard how the rounder the shot the better it will fly true and stay in the pattern right?  So if H-13 is not all that round how the heck does it pattern as well as it does?  I can see TSS patterning well since it seems pretty round, but the Heavy that I've seen is anything but round.  What do you say pattern gurus?

[SumToy]

I also dont think that the flat spot rule is as big on the small shot. 

[Ozark Ridge Runner]

I can understand the concept and accept the fact that lead gets deformed at the moment of firing, but if H-13 is not round ("deformed" if you will) how is it capable of flying straighter than "deformed" lead?  It seems to me that not round is not round.

[drenalinld]

Flight characteristics are definitely affected by shape (ballistic coefficient), but as density is increased this effect becomes less. Think paper airplane. the more weight you add to it the straighter it will fly.

Even though making HS round might not give enough pattern improvement to justify EM going to the extra cost to do it, the round HS would definitely yield more consistent, even patterns.

[pdqt]

I don't know wher the cutoff is between big and small shot. I have patterned "T" hs against "T" lead and didn't get enough diff to change shot. T hs is round, but bb hs aren't but they pattern a lot better than lead bb.     Also one gun is not a true test overall, just what that gun and choke like.      Also what about the guys that use recycled lead shot, and say they can't see and diff in the way it preforms???  I don't know how many actually pattern it on paper.    SOMETOY does a lot of work with the clay guys.  Mabey he has some input on the subject of recycled shot.
     

[Ozark Ridge Runner]

I can clearly remember the first pictures of H-13 shot that I saw and remember thinking "there's no way that stuff will pattern well" because of the odd shapes that were present.  I sort of wrote it off until I saw pattern results here.  I now shoot and like the H-13 #7 and like what I see from them.  I found a deal after turkey season last year and stocked up on what seems to be a very good lot....you get lucky every so often.