blindside vs blackcloud

[Orange Dust]

Our season opens next Saturday. We hunt in pits and sled blinds in fields. This year's improved HeviX is heavier than bismuth, which puts it right about where lead was. To celebrate the new shot we all went out and bought brand new 20ga's. We kill geese every morning duck hunting, and I normally shoot a 10 with Hevi Metal BB's and BBB's. Going to work with the 20 with HeviX 4's and 2's. We will see how it goes. I think it will kill better than a 12ga magnum with steel.

 

[oklahomaboy]

]I like Black Cloud #4 in 3". Cripples don't last long. But pattern them. Chokes matter.

 

[wildwings]

Our season opens next Saturday. We hunt in pits and sled blinds in fields. This year's improved HeviX is heavier than bismuth, which puts it right about where lead was. To celebrate the new shot we all went out and bought brand new 20ga's. We kill geese every morning duck hunting, and I normally shoot a 10 with Hevi Metal BB's and BBB's. Going to work with the 20 with HeviX 4's and 2's. We will see how it goes. I think it will kill better than a 12ga magnum with steel.

Orange
I have been using the HeviX in the rice fields of NE Arkansas and they are
flat out amazing. I have not lost a duck and I have been able to take several very shy mallards at extended ranges

 

[Redhawk41]

Don't forget to look at your velocities it will change your hold some of the faster loads threw my boy a curveball he picked up some shells running a couple hundred feet faster and he could not make the adjustment

 

[mcnanysa]

We've been dropping geese between 40 and 50 yards with Kent Fasteel and Fasteel 2.0, 12 gauge, 3", in #2 and BB. It's tough to beat the velocity and the price. I verified the velocity with an Alpha Chrony and it was within 10fps. We have shot them in a Remington 870, Winchester SXP, and a Remington V3 now. All pattern well with good distribution within a 30" circle at 30 yards using Carlson Cremator Choke Tubes, ported/extended in the mid-range configuration. The marked restriction on the tubes are 0.715". I know that doesn't answer the Blindside vs. Blackcloud question, but from a price perspective, I've never paid over $20 for a box of 25. With steel, speed is (pretty much) everything and Kent Fasteel delivers with 1560 fps.

 

[JSHKS]

An old bit active thread, I will throw in my findings.
I shot Kent faststeel for years with no complaints from me. I will try "new" stuff but nice in a while.
As mentioned patterning will pay you back in return. I have a choke tube I won in a drawing for black cloud, so I bought a box. Ridiculously tight, either hit them or miss them ,geese.
The first bunch that came in that do were on a string. About 35-40 yards, I whacked two. Got them in the blind and was doing a bit of inspection, torn up so bad you could throw a cat through the side of them.
Before I could say anything buddy grabbed my shotgun and cut down on some passing over, about 40 yards. Same thing, killed them to death.
Went back to my Kent BB loads.
Gave the rest of the ammo and choke tube to a coyote hunting buddy.

 

[Orange Dust]

Here is another tidbit that hasn't come up, Blindside, and the Flight stopper pellets, along with real Hevi Shot, with its gravel shaped pellets are terrible "Feather Pullers". Meaning they will suck a large amount of feathers into each wound channel that must be removed when cleaning birds. Something I hate doing. Round, smooth pellets aren't nearly as bad.

 

[Pointers]

I agree with JSHKS the choke tube from black cloud makes the shot pattern to tight for any decoying birds. We eat what we shoot and most of the times it's to tore up to eat. For us we shoot Remington hypersonic with a skeet choke and it works for us just fine speed kills 1700 FPS with 1-3/8 ounce

 

[DJ Fergus]

You won't want to here this but both loads are Junk & a marketing gimmick. Buy the top to the line shells with round pellets. Think of it this way throw a ball then coffee can lid. If your shooting close range, say timber shooting Mallards where 30 yds is a long shot they will be fine. Above is correct Pattern what ever you use it will be a eye opener & every barrel is different. Good Hunting

I can't agree more. I've tried multiple shotguns & multiple chokes in each for blind side & black cloud both. Neither patterned as well as regular round pellets. It's regular round pellets for me.

 

[Sam4886]

I've seen talk of the "rims" around the black cloud causing the shot to veer wide, which makes sense I guess. I will say that the 3" 4 shot in my long range black cloud branded choke start to really open up at about 35 yards. I'm about out of them now, so I'm planning on doing a pretty extensive test this summer to get the best patterns I can. i reload for my rifles, but can't bring myself to start for the shotguns.

 

[DoneNOut]

I tried Blind Side, Black Cloud, Kent Fast Steel, Winchester, Remington, and Black Cloud Kills them deader! I could hear the others hit the bird and the bird not fall out of the sky. Not with Black Cloud. I hear the pellets hit bird and they fall. I hate gimmicky stuff so I am not kidding. I bought a couple cases of Black Cloud after my trials.

 

[Reelamin]

Tried them both and not even close to worth the cost. Both not great patterns or on birds no matter what choke I tried IC M or F. Just buy some cheap fiochi or Winchester use a full choke and knock the quack or honk out of the birds.

 

[Sdw1030]

Black cloud… they're just dirty so you've gotta clean your gun more often.

 

[Colorado Luckydog]

Old thread but I'll play. I shoot only decoyed birds. So unless the ammo is just junk, it really doesn't matter. However, Black Cloud is no joke. It has a rim around the pellet that slices through the bird like a razor. It's not the best I have ever used but without paying for Bismuth, it's hands down the best.