Remington HyperSonic Steel Shotshells
Lewis Creek Shooting School 10.28.13
While I’ve never been convinced that lead shot was toxic to waterfowl, I learned early that lead shot is much more effective for taking waterfowl. However, conventional steel shot does a great job over decoys at shorter ranges out to 35 yards, and many wingshooters can’t manage longer shots than that because of the longer leads required. There are wonderful non-toxic substitutes made from more exotic materials than steel, but they come at a much higher cost.
Last week I was at the beautiful Bienville Plantation, in Florida, for Big Green’s annual new product rollout, and one of the most intriguing products was Remington’s new waterfowling load. HyperSonic Steel is a new steel shot load with a muzzle velocity of 1,700 feet per second. HyperSonic Steel was designed to be a lower-priced ammunition that yields similar results to the more expensive non-toxic, non-steel loads.
While the extra velocity has benefits in killing power, the big advantage is in the ability to hit birds at longer ranges. Steel shot has a larger aerodynamic signature for its weight because it’s less dense than lead. The aerodynamic disadvantage causes a faster drop in velocity. This isn’t obvious at close ranges over decoys but on longer shots at passing birds, the required lead is even longer. Since HyperSonic Steel has a considerably higher muzzle velocity, it requires less lead or forward allowance to make a shot.
The amount of difference at close ranges is remarkable. At Bienville, we tested guns and loads on the skeet field. At one point in the afternoon, I was shooting the new VERSA MAX waterfowl gun at station four. Station four is the center of the field where the targets require the most lead. I switched to HyperSonic Steel and began to miss. According to Remington engineers, the HyperSonic Steel shortens lead by up to 11 percent—an eight-inch lead difference at 40 yards. I shortened up the lead in small increments and by my estimates I reduced the lead by about 30 percent and again began crushing targets. Keep in mind that the station four target is probably about a 25-yard shot. Since steel loses velocity faster than lead, the forward allowance at 40 to 50 yards would be a little more comparable to lead shot. Hunters may need to compensate a little on closer shots, but shooting the head of a duck or goose is always a better killing proposition than a body shot.
There is a limit to the payload in shotgun shells because higher velocities generally require higher peak pressures. Remington engineers managed to spread the pressure curve out by creating a special “Xelerator” wad that has a chamber area that provides progressive ignition of the powder charge.
Dick Jones is an award winning outdoor writer and a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Board of Directors. He writes for four North Carolina Newspapers as well as regional and national magazines. He’s hunted and fished most of his life but shooting has been his passion. He’s a former High Master, Distinguished Rifleman, and AAA class pistol shooter. He holds four Dogs of War Medals for Team Marksmanship as shooter, captain and coach. He ran the North Carolina High Power Rifle Team for six years and the junior team two years after that. Within the last year, he’s competed in shotgun, rifle and pistol events including the National Defense Match and the Bianchi Cup. He’ll be shooting the Bianchi, the NDM, the National High Power Rifle Championship, The Rock Castle AR15.com Three Gun Championship and an undetermined sniper match this shooting season.
He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife Cherie who’s also an outdoor writer and the 2006 and 2011 Northeast Side by Side Women’s Shotgun Champion. Both Dick and Cherie are NRA pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructors and own Lewis Creek Shooting School.
