Outdoor Life - Editor's Choice RSS

Win This Gun: Beretta A400 Extreme Unico

Alex Robinson — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:04:47 -0400

Shooting Editor John B. Snow highlights his favorite things about the Beretta A400 semi-auto shotgun. Enter our contest and win the gun!

Bloomberg Anti-Gun Commercial To Air During Super Bowl

OL Editor — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:59:23 -0500

Keep the remote handy during Sunday's Super Bowl telecast because you'll want to mute the volume when Big Nanny himself--New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg--and Boston Mayor Thomas Merino share a couch and lecture unsuspecting football fans about the evils of firearms and, by extension, the dangers posed by the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Bloomberg and Menino filmed a 30-second gun-control commercial Tuesday in New York that will air in the Northeast, not nationally, during Sunday’s big game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

The commercial will show the two mayors sitting on a couch, wearing Giants and Patriots jerseys over their shirts and ties, ribbing each other about New York-Boston sports rivalries, pretending to watch the game, before declaring that one thing they agree on is the need for stricter federal gun control laws.

Both mayors are founding members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is pushing for a stronger federal background check system on firearms purchases.

With billionaire Bloomberg footing the bill from pocket change, the group had no problem purchasing air time during TV's most watched event. According to TNS Media Intelligence, 30-second commercials during the Super Bowl on CBS are selling for between $2.5 million and $2.8 million.

The lecture-mercial is already drawing criticism from divergent sources, including Boston Herald columnist Michael Graham, whose Feb. 3 column noted a disconnect between the mayors' message and reality.

"The ad will reportedly talk about gun laws and the need for the presidential candidates to address the issue," Graham wrote. "What the ad most assuredly won’t talk about is gun violence itself. Because the last thing these two big-government grannies want you to know is that gun violence is plummeting, even as gun ownership has skyrocketed."

For more, go to:

Bloomberg Appears With Boston Mayor In Super Bowl Commercial Urging Gun Control

Mike Bloomberg, Tom Menino to Star in Anti-Gun Super Bowl Ad

During Super Bowl, for 30 Seconds, 2 Mayors Will Be on Same Side

Mayor Bloomberg Has His Own Super Bowl Ad This Year

NYC, Boston mayors in Super Bowl gun-control ad

Mayors wide of mark

Anti-Gun Protestors Target Starbucks for Upholding the Second Amendment

E-mail Submission — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:01:48 -0500

A nationwide boycott of Starbucks stores and its products will be launched on Valentine's Day to eliminate "the risk of guns in public places and ultimately to bring sane gun laws to the U.S."

This boycott is being called by the National Gun Victim's Action Council (NGAC), a network of 14 million gun victims, and is targeting Starbucks because it allows guns and assault weapons to be openly carried in its stores in 43 states, and concealed and carried in its stores in 49 states.

"Starbucks has the legal right to ban guns but despite having been petitioned by thousands, asked at a shareholder meeting, and a direct appeal made to their Board, Starbucks clings to this policy that puts millions of Americans at risk every day and encourages the spread of guns being carried in public," said NGAC CEO Elliot Fineman in a Jan. 23 press release circulated by the group.

Of course, such reasoning is sheer idiocy, said Seattle Guns Rights Examiner Dave Workman in a Jan. 23 Examiner.com column.

"Starbucks’ sin is that the coffee giant caters to everybody, including legally-armed citizens, whether they carry openly or concealed," Workman wrote. "Starbucks made it plain in 2010 when the Brady Campaign, assisted locally by Washington CeaseFire, that it abides by local state laws and does not discriminate against a certain class of customers. Starbucks has the legal right to serve any customer it pleases, including someone exercising his or her right to bear arms. Fineman evidently doesn’t grasp that."

For more, go to:

Starbucks' "Pro-Gun" Policy Prompts Gun Victims' Advocate Group to Launch Nationwide Boycott on Valentine's Day 2012

More DOJ embarrassment; more Starbucks stupidity; Oly hearings re-scheduled

Call for Boycott of Starbucks on Valentine's Day Over Gun Policy

Starbucks boycott: National Gun Victim's Council boycotts Starbucks on Feb 14

Where Do Romney and Santorum Stand on the 2nd Amendment?

OL Editor — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:51:52 -0500

Since the 2012 Presidential campaign began the day after Barack Obama was elected in November 2008, we've avoided discussing Republican candidates' views on the Second Amendment here on the Gun Shots blog.

There were better uses of your time and this space, especially since some candidates -- Herb Cain, Michelle Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul -- were never more than marginal hopefuls while others, such as Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, peaked and paled even before the primaries began.

And there was also this: Whoever gets the GOP nod will be far friendlier to the Second Amendment than the incumbent liberal seeking a second term in the White House -- a second term in which he is expected pursue an anti-gun agenda that has been simmering on the backburner since 2009.

But, alas -- and finally -- the primary season did begin on Jan. 3 with the Iowa caucuses. If results there prove prognostic, the race for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination could shape up to be a contest between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (even though Santorum was recently trounced in the New Hampshire primary).

As the links below indicate, there is a great deal of chatter and contention regarding where Romney and Santorum stand on defending your Second Amendment rights.

One alarming note raised by the National Association for Gun Rights Executive Director, Dudley Brown, is that neither Romney or Santorum -- nor Gingrich, for that matter -- have returned a survey seeking answers to questions important to gun owners.

Among questions the survey asks is, as President, if the candidate would: Repeal the Brady Gun Owner Registration Scheme? Oppose the UN "Small Arms Treaty"? Call for a repeal of the Lautenberg Gun Ban and the Criminal Safezones Act?

"My experience shows me that candidates who refuse to return gun rights surveys and answer important Second Amendment questions are almost always hiding something. Hiding anti-gun political views," Brown said.

Demand that Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich respond to the survey by contacting their campaign offices in your state.

Meanwhile, in the coming weeks, and especially before the GOP's Aug. 27 National Convention, we will explore each Republican hopefuls' views on the Second Amendment in depth.

For more, go to:

Rick Santorum’s Anti-Gun History

Santorum Favors Gun Control Candidates

RICK SANTORUM ON SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

Mitt Romney - The Second Amendment

Santorum says 11th-hour robo calls falsely claim he’s anti-gun

Mitt Romney on the Second Amendment

NEWT GINGRICH Defending Second Amendment Rights

Ron Paul Iowa Team Welcomes New ‘Gun Owners for Ron Paul

Mitt Romney Gets Owned on The Second Amendment

December Firearms Sales Shatter Retail Records

E-mail Submission — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:38:31 -0500

Gun sales shattered records on Black Friday and that pace continued through the holiday shopping season as more than 1.5 million instant criminal background checks for firearms purchases were conducted in December, according to the FBI.

In the six days before Christmas, gun dealers submitted nearly half-a-million names for checks on criminal records and mental health issues, with 20 percent coming on Dec. 23, according to the AP. That was the second-busiest gun-buying day in history, topped only by firearm purchases on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

“The firearms industry is one that hasn’t suffered in this economy,” Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, told CNBC. “Everyone else is hurting, but not firearms.”

With another presidential election cycle under way, Pratt said 2012 could be a replay of the last election cycle. “I think the same dynamics that we saw in 2008 will come up again.” Pratt points to the fact that gun sales increased strongly after the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, continuing throughout 2009 and into 2010. After a slight dip, sales have been picking up, notably with a record day on Black Friday, which saw the largest single day of FBI background checks.

Final tallies for all of December haven't been released, but the month's gun purchases will eclipse November. As of Dec. 28, 1,534,414 names had been sent to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, The New York Times reported in an editorial.

For the first 11 months of 2011, the FBI did a record 14.6 million checks, an increase of more than 70 percent from the 8.5 million in 2003.

Kentucky led the nation, with more than two-million background checks conducted through November; double the No. 2 gun-check state, Texas. The Bluegrass State, with a population of about 4.3 million, has been tops in background checks the past five years and has the most checks of any state since 1998 -- more than 12.6 million.

For more, go to:

Total NCIS background checks by state Nov. 1998 to Nov. 2011 (pdf)

FBI's state-by-state breakdown through November (pdf)

Firearms Sales Ring in 2012 With a Bang

Retailers surprised but pleased by record gun sales

Record gun checks, sales for Christmas

Happiness is … a warm gun for Christmas

Gun sales break records before Christmas, as FBI reports gun dealers ordered 1.5M background checks in December

FBI: Gun sales up in 2011

Guns a popular Christmas gift in Idaho

Gun sales boom in Kentucky for Christmas

December Gun Sales Break Single-Month Record

All I Want For Christmas Is A Shotgun! Record Gun Sales This Christmas

Bang! Bang! We know what you got for Christmas

Obama spurring one aspect of economy?... December gun sales set all-time record

FBI data indicates gun sales in New Mexico will reach record numbers in 2011

Lock & Load

In Smith and Wesson We Trust (and it looks like Santa does, too)

Video: Death to the Angry Birds

E-mail Submission — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:53:40 -0500

To build up a stronger online community, we've been trying here at Outdoor Life to boost our presence on Facebook. With that in mind, we bring you our first Facebook exclusive video. Click the photo, become a fan and watch this Angry Bird get smoked by a 12 gauge.

Take two cutting-edge high-speed cameras, a dozen rifles, shotguns and muzzleloaders, a truck bed of ammo, a Wal-Mart shopping spree, a 200-yard shooting range, and what do you get? The first Outdoor Life/Field & Stream high-speed video shoot.

We shot .223s, .308s, broadheads and every kind of shotgun shell imaginable at steel targets, paper targets, golf balls, tennis ball and basketballs. We shot PowerBait, glitter tubes, a sleeve of paintballs, apples, and, yes, Angry Birds.

We were the pigs. The pigs had guns. The pigs won. Sort of... As you’ll see in the video (just click the image above) the plush red Angry Bird actually held up pretty well against our volley of Black Cloud No. 2 and a home-defense slug.

This trip to the range, however, wasn’t all about shooting things we thought would look cool. No, there was some editorial intent. So for the next few weeks we’re going to show you, among other things, exactly how a compound bow works and how a muzzleloader fires in super slow motion.

We couldn’t have done any of this without the help of Vision Research. They provided two Phantom high-speed cameras, the v1610 and v711, for our three-day shoot. The $100,000 v1610 captured bullet impacts at 43,400 frames per second. (Digital video and television, for comparison, usually runs around 30 frames per second.) We captured targets exploding, muzzle flash and other fun stuff in color at 19,300 frames per second with the v711.

Now, you may be wonder why sworn enemies OL and F&S are teaming up. Well, the opportunity to use such high-end cameras was so sweet niether brand could pass it up.

Special thanks to Winchester, Federal and Winchester Ammo.

Help Us Pick The Prize for Our Next Caption Contest!

Alex Robinson — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:33:47 -0500

So Outdoor Life is part of a cool contest operated by Crown Royal, sponsor of Field & Stream’s Hook Shots show and maker of the whiskey that comes in a purple bag. The contest is called “Pass the Crown,” and it’s a variation on the Secret Santa gift exchange anyone who’s ever worked in an office is familiar with. Are you lucky enough to have never worked in an office? Then here’s how this works:

Each day from now until Dec. 15 Crown Royal is giving away a prize to a different web site to pass along to its readers. Today is Outdoor Life’s turn, but here’s the catch. Crown’s not telling us which prize they’re giving us right away. Instead, we get a clue, embroidered on one of their famous purple bags,* and we have to guess what prize the clue refers to. Based on that guess, we then get to decide whether to keep the prize in our bag or steal one of the prizes that have already been opened by a different site. Here’s a list of the prizes that have already been opened.

This is where we need your help. Do we keep our prize, or steal one from somebody else? You’ve got until 4 PM this afternoon to weigh in. Check out our clue (below), then post your best argument for keeping the prize in our bag or for stealing a specific prize from another site in the comments section here or on our Facebook post about the contest over at facebook.com/outdoorlife. If you can convince us your argument is best, we’ll go with your suggestion. If you’re not convincing enough, we’ll make the decision ourselves.

We’ll post an update here tomorrow telling you what prize was in our bag, and whether we decided to keep it or not. Keep in mind that any of the five sites who come after us can steal our gift, so don’t get too attached to whatever we end up with!

And last, of course; how will we determine which of our readers wins the prize we end up with at the end of the contest? It’ll be a caption contest, photo and date TBD. Stay tuned!

*Crown is running this contest is to get the word out about the custom-embroidered Crown bags ($9.95), and the free personalized Crown Royal bottle labels (21 and over, only) available at CrownRoyal.com. If you’ve got a Crown-lover in your family, this would make a great gift.

Unleaded Alternatives How today's best waterfowl loads pattern and perform

outdoorlife-editor — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:00:00 -0500

After testing thousands of rounds of nontoxic waterfowl ammunition, my right shoulder looked like it had been beaten with a hammer. But the pain was worth it. By testing today's best waterfowl loads, I was able to get a clear picture of how well all of these new and popular shells perform.

I tested five types of nontoxic shot in two 12-gauge autoloading guns (Beretta's A391 3.5 Xtrema and Winchester's Super X2). I shot each load through screw-in improved-cylinder, modified and full chokes at 25 and 40 yards. After firing I counted the pellet holes inside the standard 30-inch circle at 40 yards and within a proportionally reduced circle of 8.75 inches at 25 yards. The chart below lists the percentage of shot that made it into each circle.

There was one important factor that couldn't be tested for: deadliness. Manufacturers don't use set scales to tabulate how many foot-pounds of energy each pellet size needs to be deadly on ducks or geese. There are just too many variables--pellet density, size, speed, hardness--to be accounted for. There is also no industry standard for measuring the feet-per-second (fps) speed at the muzzle of waterfowl loads. The figures listed here are from manufacturers--some of them use tables from powder companies to calculate fps; others, like Federal, use computer programs that take density, velocity and shot size into account to calculate pellet energy.

This test made it clear that when buying steel loads, velocity is everything. Steel slows down faster than heavier nontoxics and therefore is considered to be a close-range alternative in many loads. As a result, you shouldn't sacrifice speed for more ounces of shot.

Increased weight, and therefore energy retention, is, of course, why we ante up for Bismuth and Hevi-Shot and Tungsten. But two other factors weigh in for all nontoxic shot types: pellet shape (some nontoxics have deformities that compromise accuracy) and price (shells that cost two dollars apiece quickly decimate budgets). Thankfully, both of these issues have been addressed with some of this season's new offerings.

HOW THEY FARED

BISMUTH

Bismuth pellets are round and contain only a few deformaties. The pellets are relatively soft, but buffers lessen pellets smashing together on firing. Some tin has been added to Bismuth pellets to make them more malleable. This has lowered the pellets' density but increased the number of pellets in each load. For instance, Bismuth lists 83 BBs in a 1 5/8-ounce load and 155 No. 4s in a 1-ounce load, yet I counted 95 BBs and 194 No. 4s, respectively.

The two shot sizes (BB and No. 4) of Bismuth in this test patterned consistently, with between 60 and 80 percent of the shot in the circles at both 25 and 40 yards. The BB size had plenty of energy for long-range shooting, but the smaller No. 4 in this test slowed down too fast for anything beyond moderate ranges. (800-759-3333; www.bismuth-notox.com)

FEDERAL OUTDOOR LIFE EDITOR'S CHOICE 2003

Because steel pellets are round and hard, they fly true. Large pellets, like BBBs, flare less from air resistance than smaller pellets. The Classic Heavy High Velocity 3-inch, 1-ounce load of BBBs put 88 percent of the pellets in the 40-yard circle when shot in the Winchester Super X2. With a cloud of large shot like that, there's little sense in shooting 3 1/2-inch shells. According to Federal, this load's foot-pounds per pellet at 40 yards is 11.76, which is more than enough for ducks or geese.

Federal's newest T-I shot is a 3-inch shell with 1 1/8 or 1 3/8 ounces of No. 5 shot. In our test, the 1 3/8-ounce load put over 150 pellets in 40-yard patterns, but with a pellet energy of only 2.96 pounds per pellet at 40 yards, the load is better suited to shots at moderate ranges. (800-322-2342; www.federalcartridge.com)

KENT CARTRIDGE

Kent Cartridge's Impact Waterfowl loads made with Tungsten Matrix shot are 95.9 percent tungsten and other malleable materials and 4.1 percent polymer. Tungsten Matrix shot is soft enough to shoot through any shotgun that accepts modern lead loads. Matrix pellets are also round and full, with only a slight belt around the middle from the forming dies, so they fly straight. The 3-inch, 1 3/4-ounce load with No. 1 shot put 80 percent of its pellets in the circle at 40 yards when shot in the Winchester Super X2. With 7.8 foot-pounds of energy per pellet at 40 yards, they should be deadly on geese at long range. The 1 3/4-ounce load of No. 5s does the same to ducks, but because pellet energy falls to 2.85 foot-pounds of energy per pellet at 40 yards, this load should be restricted to moderate ranges. (888-311-5368; www.kentgamebore.com)

REMINGTON

Remington has continued to expand its line of Hevi-Shot, a tungsten-nickel-iron alloy that is 10 percent heavier than lead. This year Premier Hevi-Shot Nitro Magnum High Velocity Waterfowl Loads have been added in 12-gauge 3- and 3 1/2-inch shells. The 3-inch load adds 125 fps over its predecessor. Its 1 1/4-ounce load of No. 4s still retains 4.5 foot-pounds of energy per pellet at 40 yards.

Remington has vastly improved Hevi-Shot pellets since it started loading them. But 20 percent or so of the pellets were teardrop-shaped or contained voids. These pellets don't fly straight, which resulted in some poor patterns. However, the dual targets showed that most of the pellets that flew true at 25 yards continued to fly straight at 40 yards. Hevi-Shot patterned tightly with full chokes in both the Winchester and Beretta guns.

Another addition to the Remington line is Sportsman Hi-Speed Steel, which has 25 to 150 fps more velocity than regular Sportsman loads. Sportsman Steel's lower price comes from the use of plain steel pellets instead of the zinc-galvanized steel loaded in Remington's Nitro-Steel shells. (800-243-9700; www.remington.com)

WINCHESTER AMMUNITION OUTDOOR LIFE GREAT BUY 2003

The Winchester Xpert Steel loads show that the 2 3/4-inch 12-gauge is still alive in the duck blind. The Xpert 1 1/8-ounce load of No. 2s held patterns of 69 to 76 percent at 40 yards. The load's muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps runs out of steam at about 35 yards (at 40 yards they have only 3.5 foot-pounds of energy), but that's plenty of reach for decoyed ducks. At just $12.80 for a box of 25, they edged out the competition for our "Best Buy" award.

For a long reach on geese, go for speed. Winchester's Supreme High Velocity Drylok Super Steel 3 1/2-inch shell launches 1 3/8 ounces of BBs or BBB at 1,450 fps. Copper-plating helps the big pellets flow through chokes. With 72 to 79 BBs in 40-yard patterns and each pellet packing 8.61 foot-pounds of energy, a goose does not have the option of flying away. Patterns with the BBB load showed 56 pellets drilled into the 40-yard circle, each with 10.64 foot-pounds of energy. (618-258-2000; www.winchester.com)

Waterfowl Loads

MANUFACTURER/MODEL Bismuth Cartridge Bismuth

Shell length/shot load/shot size 3 inch, 1 5/8 oz., BB

Muzzle velocity 1,300 fps

Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards 11.8

Cost $18.79 for 10

Total number of pellets 95 pellets

Percentage of pellets in circle WINCHESTER SUPER X2 25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL 64/69/73

Percentage of pellets in circle WINCHESTER SUPER X2 40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL 43/76/69

Percentage of pellets in circle BERETTA XTREMA 25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL 61/81/69

Percentage of pellets in circle BERETTA XTREMA 40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL 64/64/63

Pattern VG

Range E

Price/Value F

Final Rating VG

Comments Bismuth added more tin this season to make its nontoxic shot more malleable.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] Bismuth Cartridge Bismuth

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 2 3/4 inch, 1 oz., No. 4

[Muzzle velocity] 1,312 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 2.97

[Cost] $16 for 10

[Total number of pellets] 194 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 46/54/81

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 38/58/75

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 69/81/79

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 56/68/73

[Pattern] VG

[Range] G

[Price/Value] F

[Final Rating] G

[Comments] A slightly changed formula means more pellets now fit into each load of Bismuth.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] EDITOR'S CHOICE Federal Cartridge Classic Steel HHV

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 3 inch, 1 oz., BBB

[Muzzle velocity] 1,450 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 11.76

[Cost] $16.95 for 25

[Total number of pellets] 77 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 68/55/90

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 52/73/88

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 84/78/92

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 66/86/78

[Pattern] E

[Range] E

[Price/Value] VG

[Final Rating] VG

[Comments] A combination of price and performance took our Editor's Choice award.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] Federal Cartridge Premium Tungsten/Iron

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 3 inch, 1 3/8 oz., No. 5

[Muzzle velocity] 1,300 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 2.96

[cost] $18.95 for 10

[Total number of pellets] 230 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 55/65/77

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 45/54/68

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 69/71/77

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 66/67/65

[Pattern] VG

[Range] G

[Price/Value] F

[Final Rating] G

[Comments] This is a good short-to-medium range load for decoyed ducks.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] Kent Cartridge Tungsten Matrix

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 3 inch, 1 3/4 oz., No. 1

[Muzzle velocity] 1,250 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 7.8

[Cost] $17.26 for 10

[Total number of pellets] 133 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 39/52/80

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 43/71/80

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 68/77/88

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 50/59/62

[Pattern] VG

[Range] E

[Price/Value] G

[Final Rating] VG

[Comments] Tungsten Matrix retains plenty of energy downrange with larger shot sizes.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] Kent Cartridge Tungsten Matrix

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 2 3/4 inch, 1 1/4 oz., No. 5

[Muzzle velocity] 1,400 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 2.85

[Cost] $13.56 for 10

[Total number of pellets] 197 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 30/42/57

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 25/45/49

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 60/70/71

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 41/46/62

[Pattern] G

[Range] G

[Price/Value] VG

[Final Rating] G

[Comments] This speedy duck load is frugally priced and packs a punch to medium ranges.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] Remington Sportsman Hi-Speed Steel

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 3 1/2 inch, 1 3/8 oz., BB

[Muzzle velocity] 1,550 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 7.5

[Cost] $15 for 25

[Total number of pellets] 99 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] N/A

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] N/A

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 82/70/79

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 78/79/82

[Pattern] VG

[Range] VG

[Price/Value] E

[Final Rating] VG

[Comments] Hi-Speed steel consistently patterned well with all chokes and at both ranges.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] Remington Premier Hevi-Shot Nitro Magnum

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 3 inch, 1 1/4 oz., No. 4

[Muzzle velocity] 1,450 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 5.13

[Cost] $19 for 10

[Total number of pellets] 158 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 13/27/61

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 30/24/50

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 35/47/65

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 38/49/62

[Pattern] F

[Range] E

[Price/Value] G

[Final Rating] VG

[Comments] Hevi-Shot patterned fairly, but has amazing energy retention at long range.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] GREAT BUY Winchester Xpert Steel Loads

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 2 3/4 inch, 1 1/8 oz., No. 2

[Muzzle velocity] 1,300 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 3.5

[Cost] $12.80 for 25

[Total number of pellets] 141 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 44/52/74

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 39/60/69

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 64/79/84

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 69/70/76

[Pattern] VG

[Range] VG

[Price/Value] E

[Final Rating] VG

[Comments] Winchester's Xpert Steel Loads are a deal worth checking out.

[MANUFACTURER/MODEL] Winchester Supreme High Velocity Drylok Super Steel

[Shell length/shot load/shot size] 3 1/2 inch, 1 3/8 oz., BB

[Muzzle velocity] 1,450 fps

[Foot-lb. per pellet @ 40 yards] 8

[Cost] $28.15 for 25

[Total number of pellets] 79 pellets

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] N/A

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [WINCHESTER SUPER X2] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] N/A

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [25 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 59/63/73

[Percentage of pellets in circle] [BERETTA XTREMA] [40 YARDS I/C / MOD. / FULL] 58/70/80

[Pattern] VG

[Range] VG

[Price/Value] G

[Final Rating] VG

[Comments] This speedy steel load is a smart money-saving choice for geese.

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