There is a post on shooting a lighter load and gun gauge on this board. The OP mentions how many rounds he has sent downrange near the beginning of the thread. I am willing to bet without knowing the guy that he can shoot Hevi Shot's standard and Hevi-X to its full advantage. I think he generally shoots Fiocchi steel loads at waterfowl.
Consistent good gun mount, with your head down on the sight plane throughout target tracking, and adequate lead estimation equate to birds hit consistently. Most hunters fail to do all three with any regularity. The new(er) steel loads are formulated with better wads and more efficient powder, plus many are faster, enabling some level of compensation for poor lead. Our pattern boards did not instill confidence in the shotshells during the inception period for non-toxic shot. Many hunters still carry that bias. Do you notice that almost all loads are marketed for their "improved" ability to hit hard at distance? I always find that interesting, since it is the shooter who largely determines how consistently he or she can kill a bird at those ranges. You're already shooting a load that is a mix of tungsten and steel. If you are satisfied with the results, why pay a premium price for an all tungsten load?
I would guesstimate that well over 90% of hunters can't hit a bird consistently at the range interval that Hevi-X's marketing implies that it provides superior performance. That said, via your training, you comprehend full-well that it carries more energy at a slightly higher speed at these distances, so its performance, in the right hands, is likely superior to standard steel or even high speed steel shot.
I'll shoot nearly anything I can identify inside 45 yards. My experience with Federal's Black Cloud instills the confidence to shoot the first two rounds via their Close Range #3 in 3". I pass a lot of teal waiting for mallards, wood ducks, gadwall, or redheads. Pintail just slid to second tier this year. Rogers has their first generation Black Cloud rounds on sale for $9.50 a box with the $75 rebate submission.
As I said earlier, there are lots of "flavors" out there, with largely one consistent marketing message- "Our load kills 'em dead at marginal distances where most hunters miss!" While good fiction should be rewarded, shotshells are one area where this axiom does not apply. Something tells me I would not do well in a marketing position.
I admit I picked-up several cases of Hevi shot during the Remington/Hevi shot collaboration interval's close-out, still shooting through them sparingly as my third round or for geese and cranes. A friend with "deep pockets", who also can shoot, swears by their 2 3/4" in #5 for ducks. We could both repeatedly shoot at the same five birds; I would hit three or sometimes four, while he could routinely hit all five. Is it his shot choice? No.
