#7 Nickel shot

[Penguin907]

Looking at #7 Nickel shot with %6 antimony for a 12 gauge load. Anyone have experience with #7? I know 7.5 is considered to light for 40 yards, but I'm wondering if the nickel coated slightly heavier pellet would be able to do it while having a denser pattern than #6.

[BandedSpur]

Yes, quality NP 7s will kill to 40 yds, but I wouldn't push it any further than that. 7.5s are good to 35 yds. Beware though, that there is some low quality NP shot out there from a large seller of reloading components. If it really is 6% antimony, it should be fine, but I have bought some in the past that did not pattern as good as Lawrence magnum grade unplated shot. It has everything to do with the quality of the underlying pellet.

[Penguin907]

I use a 20ga 7 nickel plated pheasant load in o/u. It's good to about 35. I would say 40 is pushing it a little but should work
I use it in my O/U for close to about 30 and other barrel is tss for 30/40
Yards


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This would be in a 3 1/2in or 3in 12 gauge, so a bit more juice behind it. Is your pheasant load the Fiocci? I've seen that one pop up in a lot in nickel plated discussions.

[tracker#1]

X2 what wchadw said. I use a handload turkey recipe off Ballistic Products archives with #7s nickleplated lead in an O/U 20 gauge, which kills at 40. I wouldn't try over 40 though. So I believe with a 12 you should be fine...

[Penguin907]

Do you guys use BPs nickel plated shot? Theirs says 4% antimony and Precision Reloading says %6.

[crow]

Yes, quality NP 7s will kill to 40 yds, but I wouldn't push it any further than that. 7.5s are good to 35 yds. Beware though, that there is some low quality NP shot out there from a large seller of reloading components. If it really is 6% antimony, it should be fine, but I have bought some in the past that did not pattern as good as Lawrence magnum grade unplated shot. It has everything to do with the quality of the underlying pellet.

I have also gotten better patterns with L. magnum shot then with some nickel plated

[BandedSpur]

Do you guys use BPs nickel plated shot? Theirs says 4% antimony and Precision Reloading says %6.

Go with Precision Reloading.

[Ihuntoldschool]

Maybe. But you have to pattern to confirm it's actually denser than #6 shot at 40. Lighter shot spreads faster and may not give you the denser pattern when you get to 40. 

[Penguin907]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2f2uQHKE7We1HfcP6
2oz of #7 Nickle at 40 yards. Pardon my terrible circle drawing abilities. Looks like it will work well enough.

[Marc]

as Ihuntoldschool points out, larger pellets will often hold a tighter pattern for longr than smaller pellets, until you get pellet bump (i.e. pellets bumping into each other degrading the pattern).


The more antimoney, the harder the lead pellet would be, but also the less dense it will be (lead is denser than antimony).  Needs to be a good balance here to create shot that is hard enough not to deform, but heavy enough to maintain energy.

"Antimony is the alloying metal used to harden lead. Antimony is a brittle flaky, crystalline metal with a density of 6.7 grams/cc. Pure lead's density is 11.34 grams/cc. Therefore, when lead is alloyed with antimony it becomes a harder pellet, but as more antimony is added, the overall density of the pellet is reduced."

When I used to load lead for dove quail, I always liked #7's over #7.5's...  Very little difference in pattern density for 30-35 yard shots taken on smaller game birds such as dove/quail, but it sure seemed to hit the quail a bit harder

For turkey hunting, unless I was getting screaming deal on shot, I would stick with lead #6's...  Easy to pattern densely out to the ranges I am comfortable shooting, with more down-range energy...  I just do not see the downside?

[the Ward]

No offense intended toward o.p., but why? A good lead 5's or 6's will kill plenty good at 40 yards. A few extra holes in paper are of dubious value if they lack penetrating power. A good turkey load of 5 or 6 shot will pattern plenty good enough, and give a margin for error if your range estimation is off. No need to reinvent the wheel here, just call them close and shoot them in the head, and warm up the oven.

[Penguin907]

No offense intended toward o.p., but why? A good lead 5's or 6's will kill plenty good at 40 yards. A few extra holes in paper are of dubious value if they lack penetrating power. A good turkey load of 5 or 6 shot will pattern plenty good enough, and give a margin for error if your range estimation is off. No need to reinvent the wheel here, just call them close and shoot them in the head, and warm up the oven.

I haven't been able to get good patterns with three different chokes, two barrels, and 5s and 6s. Trying to solve the problem without getting a new gun or using tss.

[Marc]

I haven't been able to get good patterns with three different chokes, two barrels, and 5s and 6s. Trying to solve the problem without getting a new gun or using tss.

What is the issue with the patterns, and at what ranges?

If memory serves, #7's are pushing the envelope at 40 yards as far as having the energy to consistently penetrate bone and kill a bird.  And getting reasonable patterns with #6's under 40 yards should be easily attainable.

Have you taken a bore gauge to the barrel and to the chokes to see what type of constriction you are actually getting as opposed to what is marked on the chokes?  Are you certain you are purchasing the correct branded chokes for your gun (Briley once sent me Beretta chokes for a Benelli, which effectively made all the chokes cylinder as I recall)...

A standard full choke should be 0.035 in constriction...  My current XS-4 has a bore diameter of exactly .740, so my full choke should measure .705...  My Extra-full measures exactly .700

If I were shooting a gun with a bore diameter of say .710, that same extra-full in my current gun would be an effective improved cylinder choke (no matter how it is marked).

[Penguin907]

At 40 yards I'm getting holes and not appropriately dense patterns in a 10in circle. Not getting to that 100 in a 10in circle mark. I don't plan on shooting that far, but if that's considered the standard to meet, I'd like to meet it.

Gun is Benelli Nova, so all the chokes are Beretta/Benelli mobil. Tried a carlson coyote .680 (already had for varmint hunting), patternmaster anaconda striker .670, and a carlson .650. Carlson .650 patterns the worst. Blows it out even with 7s.

I haven't taken bore gauges to the barrels or chokes.

[BandedSpur]

Have you tried Winch LBs since you are not willing to pay the price for TSS? You will likely never be able to load ammo with any shot size that will equal their performance. Although I will say, there seem to have been some quality control issues with those the last couple of years.