I tried some of the new Hevi X Tungsten waterfowl shells this opening morning. Color me impressed.
Last year, running steel, I had several days where my shell to bird ratio was simply astronomical- often as much as 15 or 20 rounds fired to 1 duck. The properties of steel (lighter, rounder, and retaining less energy) combined with my lackluster wingshooting ability meant that a lot of shot shells got fired for little result on game.

Enter Tungsten.

Tungsten is from the Swedish "tung sten", translated "heavy stone", and is slightly denser than lead shot and much denser than steel shot. Roughly speaking, it makes your waterfowl loads shoot very similar to old school lead loads most folks my age grew up shooting. The pellet arrives with more energy (mass is part of the energy equation) and behaves more like lead through a choke.

Today's ratio was 4 ducks for 13 shots including what is perhaps the largest duck I've ever shot- a White-winged Scoder weighing 4-5 pounds on a tough passing shot at 30-40 yards. The bird just folded mid air and sounded like a butterball turkey dropped from the sky when it smacked the water.

Evan remarked that it looked like a Cabela's commercial when it happened.

Incidentally, that's a shell ratio that is very much similar to what my ratio is on upland birds like ptarmigan and grouse using lead loads. The gun simply handles exactly like I've been used to for a decade prior to taking up waterfowl hunting.

The bad news, tungsten shells are fairly expensive. For me though the ratio difference pencils out at this point in the season. Less shooting at the same bird, fewer cripples and lost birds, and much more definitive connecting shots. While not as spendy as the company's "Hevi Shot" (which is staggeringly expensive at $4+ each), it is still upwards of $1.75 each. Of course, premium steel is $1.40 and the cheap stuff $0.60....but it takes 5 times as many in my hands for the same results, which is something of a textbook false economy.

Spendy or not, the stuff just works for me far better than steel as a non-toxic waterfowl load. I'm very much interested at this point in trying it out on geese or cranes in #BB and I'm also interested in getting some in #4 sizes for denser patterns on small ducks like teal.

Excellent results!

I have to use non-toxic/non-lead shot even for the upland game areas I hunt. Fortunately steel works well enough on pheasant, grouse, chukar, quail...

Back when steel shot was a new thing, I remember doing some jump-shooting of mallards on a small stream with beaver ponds. Loved to do that with my little 20 gauge double, but up till then I'd always used lead shot... After jumping, hitting, and watching a couple of ducks fly away... I unloaded my shotgun and walked home, kinda soured on steel shot.

I haven't tried the tungsten shot yet - but someday, perhaps I will! Thanks for the good report.

Regards, Guy

If you don't know about Rogers Sporting Goods you should. They typically beat everyone on price by a good deal and have free shipping, maybe not to AK, but it should be cheaper then your current prices. I bought Remington Hypersonic steel 3" two years ago, with a Remington rebate, for 10.00 a box delivered. Last year on Black Friday I bought the standard 3" 1450fps Remington steel loads for 10.00 a box with rebate. The 3.5" were 13.00 after rebate.

I don't have a need for tungsten but they have rebates and sales all the time on shotgun shells. I don't typically have a problem killing our ducks with the standard 1450fps steel shells but I take some Hypersonics along in case it happens to be long shooting that day. I shot a triple the second time out this year and have had a couple doubles. I also had a couple empty the gun and nothing times too .

I see this is a bit old but, is tungsten safe in vintage shotguns? Do any of you guys have personal experience shooting this stuff in old shotguns. My father passed last year and being the only son I inherited all his gear including a 1960 Belgian Browning Auto5 2 3/4” It has two barrels, modified and full. Typical of those shotguns the choking is on the tight side. Last thing I want to do is screw up my Dad’s gun but, I would love to shoot ducks and geese with it again. I’m hoping this stuff could be my huckleberry. Thanks.