Black Cloud

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waspman
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2011/11/10 21:56:59 (permalink)

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.


There's room for all gods creatures....right next to the taters and gravy.
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    thunderpole
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/11 13:49:02 (permalink)
    Steel is steel it sucks but i now shoot blindsides way better then premium steel,bigger wound channel still get cripples but you always will but i was never a fan of federal ammo Winchester always shoot good out my gun just matters if you head shoot them or not
    #2
    upland310
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/11 23:00:36 (permalink)
    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.
    #3
    frost
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/14 12:01:23 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: waspman

    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.




    Not to sound like a d**k, but if your crippling birds at 25/30 yards only, you sir need to shoot more, because at those distances, you should be able to kill birds stone dead with 20ga 2 3/4" shells even.  Anybody that has been waterfowl hunting for any extent of time can tell you that 25/30 yards should be an easy clean kill with even steel shot.

    I have shot black cloud since it came out and haven't had a problem with it.  I have killed birds stone dead out to 45 yards (I won't shoot past that, and try not to even shoot that far), and all I shoot is the 3" #2's.  I have killed 100s of ducks with the black clouds and wounded 2 birds only over the last few years.

    The worst day hunting or fishing will always be better then the best day at school or work!
    #4
    pikepredator2
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/14 20:00:30 (permalink)
    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.
    #5
    thunderpole
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/15 03:01:49 (permalink)
    I shoot clays on the off season and I ant no Tom napp but I definitely done suck as a wing shooting and i never said im cripplein birds that are in my face those ones died on the first 2 bangs my cripple is on the last shot if I shoot that is cant afford to miss steels to expensive and we have a pretty high success rate on cripples wit no dog I got a boat now still may loose a few but its not because of lack of effort tryin ........ y do people shoot them if you cant retreve them?
    #6
    frost
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/16 10:37:56 (permalink)
    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.

    The worst day hunting or fishing will always be better then the best day at school or work!
    #7
    Hummer82
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/16 12:32:42 (permalink)
    Good posts! I try to find more smaller, private spots to avoid all the idiots on public grounds. Pymi sounds the same as PI. skybusters = Russiansteelheaders LOL.
    #8
    krott243
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/16 12:52:00 (permalink)
    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.

    The Lord has blessed us all today... It's just that he has been particularly good to me.
    #9
    Big Tuna
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/16 17:03:54 (permalink)
    I've bought cases of Rem.Steel and Kent shot and stoned them all day(no cripples)hunting geese. The next day everyone might be a cripple.It's all in your shooting.When geese are in range 45 yards or less and I'm on I've had very few cripples.Cripples are most often body shot do to lack of lead.I really goose hunt but do shoot few fat Ohio malards every year.BB's or 1's work just fine. I have no problems shooting and killing birds with steel.
    #10
    thunderpole
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/16 19:54:08 (permalink)
    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
    #11
    psu_fish
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/16 20:06:19 (permalink)
    Biggest thing with any type of Waterfowl Shotshell is distance and location of the hit on the bird.


    #12
    Big Tuna
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/17 17:58:51 (permalink)
    Yes front 1/3 of the body dead bird,the back of the body 1/3 CRIPPLED
    #13
    krott243
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/17 18:14:53 (permalink)
    What about the middle 1/3?
    post edited by krott243 - 2011/11/17 18:15:19

    The Lord has blessed us all today... It's just that he has been particularly good to me.
    #14
    thunderpole
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    RE: Black Cloud 2011/11/17 19:11:23 (permalink)
    Middle 1/3.........live decoy lol
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