Hevi 13 6’s and 7’s

[Longshanks]

How short sited would a company have to be to acquire environmental metals and stop making Hevi 3/2/6's and 3/2/7's. Along with 3.5/7's. It's not that difficult for a company to look at the numbers when acquiring. They only produce  the Mag blends now. Doesn't take a genius to see they just lost a tremendous amount of money and they could have competed with all of the TSS coming out for half the price.
I shot 270's today with 3" 7's at 40 and 220's with 3" 6's. If you believe it takes more than that to effectively harvest turkeys one has completely drunk the coolaid and is fooled by the marketing hype.
If they want to hire me I can show them some millions they left on the table and show them how to be a player in a market where people would totally be willing to pay half price in an inflationary economy.  Aquiring a significant percentage of the market share would be elementary.

[Longshanks]

I'm sure Federal bought them to kill their competition but they could have done it and still maintained a significant part of the market. Federal has major competition on the TSS front now.

[Spring Creek Calls]

I believe the subgauge market had a lot to do with the demise of Hevishot. It was great for the 12 gauge 3" shooter which I was for many years. The Hevi 20 gauge 6's and 7's didn't do well in my guns and can't imagine shooting them in a 28 or .410.

[ChesterCopperpot]

If they'd just load the Hevi XII waterfowl offering in a turkey load I'd be happy. But, yes, makes no sense, made no sense. Hevi 13 #7s was the best turkey load ever made in my opinion.

In the end, I don't believe it was bought out or anything. I'm sure it was margins. It was them wanting to make more money (though I'm not sure it's had the effect they believed it would). I don't know if 18g/cc is pure or not but let's say it is for this scenario. If they cut that by 27% and add another, presumably much cheaper, metal to get to 13g/cc, they might have created a substantially cheaper shell to produce. However, they were typically getting between $7-$8 per shell for that offering and now they're getting between $11-$12 for the Hevi 18. So they're getting 33-36% more per shell on the Hevi 18. That's already a much higher percentage than the alloy difference, and that's assuming the alloy difference somewhat matched cost. They just flat make higher margins on the Hevi 18.

Where I think they might've dropped the ball, though, is in presuming someone who shot Hevi 13 would just move over into THEIR new offering. The truth is that they moved into a much more crowded space. I don't buy anything at all from Hevi anymore and not for any other reason than that they no longer have an offering I'd like to shoot. If I'm spending $12 a shell, I'm buying Foxtrot. I think the shortsightedness on their part was in failing to realize they owned a very niche segment of the industry, and they owned it solely.

Of course it could also be that whoever they were buying that alloy from quit producing it, but I'd find that hard to believe in that they're making that Hevi XII. Really just wish they'd load up some 3" 2oz loads of #7s in that to let us try. Bet they'd hammer birds and be real close to what we were getting before.


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[ChesterCopperpot]

I believe the subgauge market had a lot to do with the demise of Hevishot. It was great for the 12 gauge 3" shooter which I was for many years. The Hevi 20 gauge 6's and 7's didn't do well in my guns and can't imagine shooting them in a 28 or .410.

That's pretty interesting. Guns are fickle things. I had a 20ga that gobbled up 3" #7s. I'd absolutely still be shooting them in my 20s if they made them. But I think you're absolutely right in the 28s and 410s. There are folks throwing ~200 patterns at 40 out of a .410 now. Just another world.


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[Tom007]

Agreed here, the Heavy 13's and the Heavyweight shot patterns and knocks turkeys down as good as anything out there. I think it's all about greed, and limiting us all to copper plated lead, or TSS. At $12 plus dollars per shell, I can see why they went through great lengths/costs to eliminate the option of Heavi-Shot. Unfortunately Hevi-Shot for Turkey will join the other long lists of great products that got discontinued...

[Greg Massey]

If Federal would just bring back the heavy weight 7's back I would be happy.. Glad I still have a stash of these put back..  I would like to see these in 28 ga / 410 shells ...

I also Have a stash of the H 13 in 20 ga 6/7 ...

It's like a lot of things, if you find something you like , you better stock up, because if they sell a lot of it they will stop making them... I don't understand these people.  IMO

[bbcoach]

I've stated before, Hevi 7's were/are the Best Turkey load IMO.  Yes, TSS has upped the game in the 20 and .410 arena but are overkill in the 12.  I have stocked up on the Hevi 7's for my 835 and will continue to use them for a lifetime.  I wish someone would bring them back or come up with a low cost alternative to TSS. 

[BandedSpur]

I can load TSS for less than $5/shell. No way I would ever even consider going back to HS, and I killed a lot of birds with it. TSS is just head and shoulders better, but I can certainly understand not wanting to spend $12/shell.

And...TSS is not overkill in the 12 gauge. The 1.625 oz load I load and shoot in my 12 gauge is no different than the 1.625 ounce load someone else shoots in their 20. I load l&1/4 oz reclaimed shot for the open barrel of my O/U for less than $1.00 to less than $4.00 depending on how you view using shot that has already been shot and paid for.

[bbcoach]

I can load TSS for less than $5/shell. No way I would ever even consider going back to HS, and I killed a lot of birds with it. TSS is just head and shoulders better, but I can certainly understand not wanting to spend $12/shell.

And...TSS is not overkill in the 12 gauge. The 1.625 oz load I load and shoot in my 12 gauge is no different than the 1.625 ounce load someone else shoots in their 20. I load l&1/4 oz reclaimed shot for the open barrel of my O/U for less than $1.00 to less than $4.00 depending on how you view using shot that has already been shot and paid for.

Reloading 12 gauge TSS is a viable option and can lower the cost at the expense of buying ALL the components and reloading equipment required.  It is DEFINITELY overkill when most turkeys are killed inside 30 yards and most of us only shoot 2 shells per season.  Most of us aren't going to Go Out and Purchase the required components and reloading equipment for 2 shells per season so most will be relegated to $10 to $15 a shell unfortunately.  With the 20 and .410, TSS has definitely brought in smaller gauge guns into play.  Giving us lighter and less recoil guns to Play with.  My       

[Old Swamper]

My game is 35yrds and in, regardless of what gun and load I am hunting. I hunt an old full choked, 870 wingmaster magnum. I am proud to still be man enough to tote and shoulder a 7lb gun. Federal Heavyweight 6's and 7's are what I shoot.

[Spring Creek Calls]

Federal Heavyweight 7's in 20 gauge, I truly miss them. They were pure evil in my 1300 with a Sumtoy 562.

[TrackeySauresRex]

Many moons ago. Someone once said here on OG. "if you found a great shell, ya better buy a bunch." Because, they're not going to make it anymore.
In my 20, the 3" Hevi 7's did a little better than the Fed HW. I still have some to shoot. I believe I was up in the 220 range as well. It was unbelievable great at half the price. With tss that's it, they priced themselves out JMO. How much more can the charge for a box of 5?

This
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If they want to hire me I can show them some millions they left on the table and show them how to be a player in a market where people would totally be willing to pay half price in an inflationary economy.  Aquiring a significant percentage of the market share would be elementary.

[Spring Creek Calls]

I have a full box (10) of these if anyone is interested.

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[DocHolliday]

I can't speak to the Enviro factory loaded Heavi, but my hand loaded 1-1/2 oz (pressure tested) straight 7's, straight 9's (out to 25 yds), and 6,7,9 triplex are absolute death out of the little 20. the sub gauges are where TSS shines.