Gun Dog Forum

I recently bought some Kent steel loads ( 3inch #2's) for late season waterfowl. I have only shot one shell so far and I liked the sound of it.

Anybody have any good or bad experiences with Kent loads?

They are good shells.

Ezzy

I used them for pheasant in South Dakota last year. They did a good job. Pretty dirty, though - my gun needed a good cleaning after shooting those shells for a few days. Not a huge concern to me, and I'd buy them again.

I use the High Brass #6 for pheasant. They work well for me and pattern well on my silver mallard. Plus, the price is right too.

I bought a case of 3-1/2" 12 ga BBB shot for geese, it's half the price of other brands and patterns just as well - at least for me. Kills 'em too.

I can't speak to the steel loads but I did shoot the Kent Fast Lead in 6's for a couple years. I liked them. They patterned well for me. I just wish I could find them in 7 1/2s. They were dirtier but I think that was directly related to they had a bit more powder in them than other shells.

Kents are very good shell, that is what we sell at the preseve I work for . The kent #4 2/34 ,1 1/4 gram are "Rhino Rollers" they are awesome for chickens.

All I've used for years for all my duck and pheasant hunting are Kent Fasteel 3 inch, 1 1/4 ounces of #4s, at 1425 fps. Great load, great shells. I've been through many cases of them.
Inexpensive, too, compared to other non-toxic loads.
marshboy

guess ill be the odd man out. I have patterned the Kent faststeel in 3.5 #2s and BBs out of my SX3 and out of my nova with pattern masters and factory improved cylinders in both, and havn't been able to get consistent patterns out of either. seems to me like the kent stuff is very gun sensitive.
jim

Steel isn't going to be great out of anything... Really high velocity, which you have to have with steel, isn't known for good patterns either.

I don't understand that last comment...I've got great patterns with four different 12 ga's with the Kent Fasteel loads.
For $120 or so a case, I'll keep buying and effectively using them.
marshboy

marshboy wrote:I don't understand that last comment...I've got great patterns with four different 12 ga's with the Kent Fasteel loads.
For $120 or so a case, I'll keep buying and effectively using them.
marshboy

not to start anything , but of about 8 of us that hunt together only one of us has a gun that will pattern the kent stuff well enough to get consistent kills with it (spent about 2 weeks this summer at the patterning board). as I am sure every one knows no two guns even if they came off the line back to back will pattern the same. fortunately there are enough options out there to keep us all happy.
jim

Jim,
That's truly too bad they don't pattern well for you. I am very happy with the pattern through several different guns, especially with the IC choke.
You have a good point, though, that the original poster of this topic should consider...these shells could pattern beautifully through his gun, or they might not. Borrow a few shells from a friend, try them out on the patterning board, and go from there.
What I like most, since I use these shells exclusively for both duck and pheasant hunting, is I know my leads with any shot...I'm not switching back and forth between two different shell types.
marshboy

Been using Kent 3" for dux and 3 1/2" for geese for about 10 yrs-- at price you can't beat them- i shoot a fair amount(hit some times also) and have never thought they didn't do the job.