prior to releasing its payload of shot as individual pellets. What takes place because of this different release system is that the lightweight steel shot pellets actually gain as they get a 10-yard jump over a standard delivery system. Ten yards is a whole lot in the world of “nor- mal target range” waterfowl hunting. It means that 10 yards farther downrange you will retain more velocity, tighter patterns, and in effect a better kill rate when you’re doing your job. Flitecontrol wads tend to hold up
in cold weather, and are so tough in terms of its design that I’m sure they could be reloaded and used several more times. Recovered wads during late season hunting over frozen lakes and streams indicated that at normal shoot- ing angles these heavy wads would fl y as far as 80 yards downrange after drop- ping off their payload of steel shot. What that says is that this very different wad retains mass, and its weight is a major player in its ability to hold payloads of shot while staying on course over some longer range shooting applications. About the only glitch I have ob-
served with the system is that it is tight shooting, and can be hard to hit with if you are not on your gunning game. In the past I have been informed by some (turkey hunters) that the new wads don’t always run true to the target. Well, I have not found that to be the case at all, but staying on our crisp shooting game is required here. The fi rst day I took this ammo afi eld I fanned three successive birds. Not easy shots, as I was lying in corn during a wind storm on one occasion, and shooting through trees on another. However, it illustrates that Black Cloud is indeed sending its payload in a more directed and effi cient manner if pattern has anything to do with the fi nal outcome. Pattern work with Black Cloud
was limited, as I didn’t have massive amounts of reference ammunition to work with. Shooting was done here in the Black Hills at a somewhat higher altitude than will be addressed by most hunters, which gives the patterns a slight edge in effi ciency. In general, however, we can see by the results at 50-yard targets that the new loads are effective, and for steel shot are some high performing payload systems. In the early 1970s I was hand- building wads something like what I
Remington is another shotshell company involved in the development of new, longer range shotshells for game and varmints alike.
was seeing here with a special heavy wall Supersonic 10 gauge wad with a smaller 20 gauge plastic tube that was made from a spent hull riding inside the 10 gauge wad/hull. That system was much like a sabot in a slug, or like what Federal is using in the Black Cloud shell. What I didn’t have was a system that built the whole payload package as a single unit. Federal has just that system going now, and I’m here to tell you that we are seeing a whole new cre- ative idea regarding payload packaging (wad design). Will we see this wad used in high density tungsten, or heavyweight loads?
Federal says, “No,” for the time being. Steel needed a facelift, and this seems to be the answer for now. With the addi- tion of FS shot that gives standard steel a “cutting edge,” the next year or so will be the real proving grounds among hunters across the country. If this system is accepted by hunters, Federal is on to something very big. Federal will offer Black Cloud in 12 gauge only, and in payloads of No. 2, BB, and BBB when loaded in 1¼ oz. 3", and 1½ oz. loads in 3½ " Super Magnum loads. In terms of what I have observed in testing, which includes live fi re testing over chrono- graph screens at normal target ranges,
Pattern Black Cloud #2 1¼ oz.
Range 50 Yards 3" 12 gauge
Benelli BE Mod: 77% 74% 86% Avg. 79.0%* Mossberg 935 Undertaker Mod: 80% 72% 68% Avg. 73.3%* Mossberg O/U Top Barrel Mod: 74% 72% 79% Avg. 75.0%* Savage S/S “Russian” Right Barrel IC: 72% 68% 71% Avg. 70.3%*
* Based on three-shot average Elevation: 3,000 feet above sea level Temp 60 F
Wind following 5 to 10 mph Ranging : Bushnell 1500 (cross check)
Total payload: No. 2s FS = 57 pellets. Standard steel = 85 pellets. Total payload = 142 pellets (hand count)
However, that is not the whole story. This new wad acts like a guided missile. In fact, when I checked the wad closely it resembles the outer casing on the hot U.S. Army Javelin hand-held guided anti-tank missile. I guess I would wonder if ATK (Federal), a very major player today in military contracts, had anything to do with the develop- ment of the wad itself. If I’m correct, this new wad, as a non-toxic payload delivery system, may go away soon. Any other opinions out there?
www.varminthunter.org Page 39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212