Black Cloud

I decided to try Black Cloud. I bought 2 box's and I realized after shooting it....It is still Steelshot... it doesn't matter if it has flight stopper pellets in it or not...It slows down just as fast as steel..that's because it is steelshot. It delivers the same cripples at 25 to 30 yards. I guess back to Federal High Velocity... J.T.

Been using black cloud now for 3 years with there choke tube and the only thing I can see is that its good out to around 50 yards but like you all are saying its still steel shot.

Frost, you hit the nail on the head there. If you're crippling birds with a 12 gauge at 25 or 30 yards you suck as as a wing shooter and as you told them, they should be shooting more. Do they even know what that means? It means they need to get to Critter Path or some other clay range and shoot, and shoot and shoot before ducks come in. I found this out a few years back when I joined a summer sporting clays league. My best score by the end of the summer was only 75%, but you know what, I never missed/crippled a duck that fall season. You read  about the need to do this, but let me tell you, it makes all the difference in the world. Christ, steel or lead, at 25 yds, if you're at least an adequate wing shot, you should be dropping those ducks. But you know what? I see the worst shots in the world in adjacent blinds on the peninsula. Those same people tend to be sky busters too.

Thunderpole,

The cripple comment was not pointed towards you.  It was pointed at waspman who said he cripples them at the 25/30 yard distances.  I understand cripples will happen no matter what your shooting, even the hevi-shot and such will still produce cripples, especially if your hitting them in the tail cause you don't know how to lead a bird and swing through.

To be 100% honest with you my cripples are always the ones flying directly at me or away from me (such as second or third shots on birds), but I can honestly say that I have not crippled a bird within 35 yards on a crossing pattern landing or buzzing the deeks left to right or right to left.  I would much rather have birds crossing then head on or heading away.  I killed two drake green wing teal this morning, the first shot was at them crossing left to right and dropped on the first shot, the second took two shots cause the second bird was flying straight away and I completely missed with the first shot at it.  The third shot was a black cloud 3" #2 and dropped it dead at 45 yards (typically wouldn't have even shot, but do have confidence in my shooting and the ammo I'm shooting out of my gun).

I agree with you on the price of steel and being to expensive to shoot alot and end up with cripples.  I have a dog, but will still put a clean up shot on them ( I have shot more clean up shots on my buddies ducks this year that they cripple with experts and other regular ammo).  Unlike most hunters, especially where I'm hunting, I pick my shots and will pass on birds that are 45-50 yards out.  I would rather shoot 25 birds that decoyed then 100+ pass shooting.  To me, there is no sport or skill in pass shooting.  Getting birds to land in your face especially on pymy or other high pressure areas is where the skill is. 

I passed on 4 flocks of mallards this morning that were 30 yards above me, cause they were passing not working the deeks.  Were they in range? Of coarse, but it's just no fun for me.  I have killed 75 ducks this year so far, and every one of them were working the decoys.  I lucked out on my job this year and get to hunt almost everyday of the week (I have missed 5 days this season), but this year there have been atleast 3 other groups in the same area as me (most years I have been by myself on weekdays).  Not one of them call or have decoys cause they are all pass shooting.  The worst are the ones that shoot at the birds 100 yards out that are working my decoys (circle and locked up coming in when they shoot).  The one guy even had the nerve to yell over at me and say "if we can't get them close then neither can you".  Whatever happened to sportsmanship?

Sorry bout the rant, but waterfowl is becoming more popular in this state especially in the northwest, and I just wish people would respect others and if your not going to invest the time and money into decoys and calls and learning how to use them, don't get pi$$ed at the ones that do.

Before you get all hyped up on different manufactures of steel shot and why some shells kill birds stone dead and others leave you with cripples, think about a choke and shot pattern. Your far more efficient killing birds with a good pattern out of your gun. Each gun and choke combo is going to shoot every shell on the market differently, I dont care if the bb's coming out of your shells are round, square, look like ufo's or explode on impact, if you hit a bird with a good chunk of your pattern, you should kill it. There are so many situations to consider on why a bird did not die the way you expected it too, 10 yrds could be a big difference, a few inches on your lead could be the difference.

So to answer your concern wasp, try some different chokes and shell combos. Pattern them at 10, 20, 30 and 40 yrds, see what happens, you may be surprised. Ive shot every shell on the market over the years, I don't like black cloud but the guy next to me could love it, who cares. I choose to shoot federal premiums, I like the weight/speed for the different shot sizes they offer and the always pattern great out of my chokes. I shoot a strait heat for geese, but shoot a mid range patternmaster for ducks mostly. There is a lot of good chokes on the market that all serve there purposes and your choke if far more important than what brand shell you have jammed in your gun. Just play around with some stuff and you should figure out whats deadly out of your gun, in return you will probably cripple less birds.

X2 for straight heat love that choke never leaves my gun Patterns excellent wit the blind sides no teal is gettin threw that pattern if you shoot them in the head there dead is Wat I say and X2 again for pass shooting I bought expensive decoys to bring ducks or geese in not to shoot them circling or passing over I love hunting pym just to hear some of the tards calling hi ya hi ya ser you don't sound like a goose shut up

Yes front 1/3 of the body dead bird,the back of the body 1/3 CRIPPLED

Middle 1/3.........live decoy lol