1/12/2011

While non-traditional loads have been required for waterfowl since the early 90s—even earlier in some areas—lead shot on upland game and clay targets has been largely accepted until recent years. As more shooting ranges, hunting preserves and even states require non-traditional loads, hunters and shooters, whether they agree or not with this change, are searching for high-quality, affordable, lead-free shells.

Steel has long been the go-to substitute for lead. However, steel loads are expensive for high-volume activities such as sporting clays and upland game, and steel doesn’t seem to have the same patterns and down-range punch of traditional shot.

Seeing the need in a growing market, Winchester has developed a steel load for the budget-conscious, non-traditional shooter in its Xpert Steel Upland Game & Target shell. Available in 12, 20, 28 and .410, Winchester’s Xpert Steel delivers a payload of either No. 6 or No. 7 steel shot at speeds up to 1,400 fps, depending on the gauge. In addition to higher velocity, Xpert Steel has a wad designed specifically to protect barrels from the harder steel while producing consistent shot patterns. Xpert Steel also contains a higher pellet count than equivalent weight traditional loads, meaning more pellets in the air and more chances of hitting the target.

I recently had an opportunity to try out Xpert Steel No. 6s in a 20-gauge Zoli double-barrel on pheasant, chukar and clays at Rose Hill Game Preserve near Culpepper, Va. Considering it was the first time I had ever used the gun or the load, I was quite pleased when I dusted the first few clays before settling into my usual better-than-half hit percentage on small flying targets. I crushed the flushers, but the left-to-right crosser often got the better of me.

In the field, I completely missed the first cock pheasant, which shot up and over my shoulder, resulting in some choice words, but shortly afterward a chukar kicked straight out in front and the Xpert Steel No. 6s dropped it hard. While there were a few more misses, at no point would I attribute this to the shells, which performed admirably on every bird I hit, even a couple that were on the far end of the range of a 20 gauge.

During a morning hunt, we brought in four pheasants and eight chukars, including a couple that took some pretty hard hits, but were still edible. Overall, I was very impressed with the power of Winchester’s Xpert Steel. Every good hit resulted in a dead bird and even birds that were only hit by a few pellets dropped and were recovered.

Regardless of which side of the lead debate you’re on, the fact remains that non-traditional loads are slowly being required in many hunting areas and on shooting ranges, and now there is an affordable substitute in Winchester’s Xpert Steel Upland Game & Target.