# Federal Black Cloud???



## Fowlfeller1100 (Mar 30, 2009)

Anybody tried this stuff??? I whacked a goose the other day at about 50 yrds but it took two hits with Kent BB, pentration was good but I think my pattern was shaky. So I've been thinking... Is this stuff great or just an overprived placebo?


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## Jason Davenport (Jul 23, 2009)

IMO there is nothing wrong with Kent's. I shoot Kent ounce and a eight bb with a Pure Gold Mod choke and fold geese up with it. I love kent's Cheap hit hard, and pattern well.


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## Mike W. (Apr 22, 2008)

I use Black Cloud and like it. When I look at ammo as a % of my total hunting cost, it's actually a rounding error, so the price isn't the issue.


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## jgdavis123 (Jan 5, 2009)

The thing about Black Cloud is the wad, not the pellets. The flight controlled wad is the real deal. It greatly helps maintaining a constant pattern. It would be nice if they would put it in regular steel shot, but then you couldnt charge $25-30/box. While it is pricey, i would recommend it simply because you wont have to shoot multiple times to kill due to poor patterning. 

Btw: I would NOT recommend buying their choke. I have had multiple gun smiths tell me point blank the choke is garbage. You are just buying their name. 

Regards,

Jon


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## Fowlfeller1100 (Mar 30, 2009)

My gun (and I) love Kents but my gun loves federals (non black cloud) even more, black cloud is basiclly replacing the shelving that normal Federal steel used to occupy, so its hard to find that at all. Im not sure if their price gouging around here or something but 17-18 $ seems to be the going rate for 3" Kents, just a few years ago it was like 11 or 12 bucks. It wouldn't be too much more for Black Cloud at 25$ a box... I'm also very fussy; I prefer 1 1/4 ounce to 1 1/8 ounce of shot. I remeber reading that the speed of a faster shell is only a bit faster that that of a "slower" (1425-1450 fps) once there is much range involved.


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## brent mccoy (Dec 23, 2008)

I have had really good luck with it. Along with the Carolson choke tube made specifically for the the Black Cloud ammo it is a great combination. But every gun is different. The same model of gun may not shoot the same ammo.
Just my two cents worth.


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## Fowlfeller1100 (Mar 30, 2009)

Its too bad they dont sell single shells so patterning would be cheaper, I know you could privately wheel and deal (or shoot cripples) but 25$ is a lot for something that might pattern terribly. Something Im doing to save $$ is use old cheap #4 shells in (2 3/4) from when that was all my gun could handle. For me normal Fed #2 give a super tight pattern (like most of the shot falls into an area smaller than a broadside cripple at 20-30 yrds). While Kent #2 gives a somewhat more open pattern.


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## Fowlfeller1100 (Mar 30, 2009)

Has anybody found that the funny shaped pellets give a deadlier wound that normal?


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## Gary Wayne Abbott I (Dec 21, 2003)

Fowlfeller1100 said:


> Has anybody found that the funny shaped pellets give a deadlier wound that normal?


Yes! They can make some nasty holes. In fact it has been said as my experience has bore out that you do not want to shoot birds inside of 40 yards with Black Cloud if you plan on eating the bird later. 

I shoot the little 1 1/16 ounce Kent loads for general hunting ducks and geese. I have had great luck shooting smaller shot 2's, 3's and 4's out of a Briley full choke tube. On days when I go with a large group say 4 or more guys I shoot Black Cloud because I am going to either shooting the birds in the back of the flocks or clean up on cripples. So for me Kents when shooting inside 40 yards and the Black Cloud for long range 40 yards plus. IMHO Black Cloud is worth the money if your shooting long range.

good hunting,


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## JJaxon (Nov 1, 2009)

I have switched away from black cloud to Kent and like the results, especially in 3" 2's and BB. Range doesn't seem to be affected, and price does matter. If Kent gets big headed and starts raising the price again I'll experiment with others. Cheaper loads don't mean a huge sacrifice to me but consistancy is very important.


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## Golddogs (Feb 3, 2004)

Fowlfeller1100 said:


> Anybody tried this stuff??? I whacked a goose the other day at about 50 yrds but it took two hits with Kent BB, pentration was good but I think my pattern was shaky. So I've been thinking... Is this stuff great or just an overprived placebo?


www.uniqueshotshells.com

Try this goose load and you will never shoot Blackcloud again or any other goose load. It is the real deal.


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## CMcNeill (Jul 8, 2006)

The flight control wad is a very integral part of having the shot pattern properly. Do not use a ported extended choke with this load. The wad is designed to stay with the shot longer and any choke that is designed to help seperate the wad from the shot will prevent a consistent patern. PureGold is making a Tempest choke, designed for the BlackCloud, that is an extended choke that is solid. Patterns great.


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## Greg Seddon (Jan 7, 2005)

I had really good luck trying Hevi-Shot "Heavy Metal" this year on ducks. I used 12 gauge 3", 1/14 oz shot, #3 shot.


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## Fowlfeller1100 (Mar 30, 2009)

The heavy shot is definitely potent stuff... When I was using a 20 ga (3") I used Hevi for a while and I remember tumbling a bird at like 60-70 yards that was hit but still flying


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## GulfCoast (Sep 24, 2007)

I had real issues with multiple blooper load of Black Cloud when they first came out, and have not used then since that time. It is a real pill to get a lodged FS wad out of your barrel when standing in knee deep water.


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## Kyle Dennis (Dec 8, 2008)

I bought a box of 3in BBs when it first came out, and will never buy it again. Right off the shelf 8 of the 25 shells were buldged out around the crimp. They wouldnt even go inside the barrel of my SBE. Started using Hevi-Metal this year and have had pretty good luck with it. Hevi-Metal BBBs with a Briley IM choke and you are good out to about 60 yards. But, I have a few buddies that swear by Black Cloud.


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## Brad Overstreet (Feb 20, 2008)

horrible out of my sbe. had my partner buy some for Sunday and could not believe he paid 25 for them (shoots a browning gold hunter). Have not found anyone who likes them personally.


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2010)

We shoot Black cloud 3 inch magnum # 4 shot love it


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## birdog (Nov 20, 2007)

There is a great article in this months Wildfowl Magazine that details the effects of different "wad stop" chokes. They found that the wad stop chokes were actually "crimping" the wad and holding the pellets together for a dramatically shorter shot string. They tested Patternmaster, Dead Ringer and a couple others. 

If I remember correctly, the Patternmaster worked the best with Black Cloud.......Shot string of 3 feet in lieu of 14 feet at 40 yds.


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## Micah Duffy (Jan 21, 2010)

Fowlfeller1100 said:


> Has anybody found that the funny shaped pellets give a deadlier wound that normal?


Those flight stopper pellets are the real deal. They are great for one shot birds. Only bad thing is if they are closer than 20 yards you can forget about mounting them cuz you will have some crazy wounds. Im hitting ducks further out as well with them. Could be all hype but im sold on them. I shoot the 21.50 per box to 22.00 per box. Looking forward to trying out some BBBs on the snows here soon.


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## Matt Gasaway (May 22, 2009)

Im a broke college student so its a little costly but I break down once in while and grab a box...Nice loads but I wouldn't say that much better than Kents where you would notice that big of a difference..IMO


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## menmon (Feb 10, 2008)

I prefer the Heavy Metal too. I can't say that I like the Black Cloud..but I probablly have never given them a real chance.

I have never understood why someone spends $1600 on a shotgun, $10,000 on a Ranger, $000,s on a lease and who knows what on a dog, and then buys the cheapest shells they can find.


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## M&K's Retrievers (May 31, 2009)

***** said:


> I prefer the Heavy Metal too. I can't say that I like the Black Cloud..but I probablly have never given them a real chance.
> 
> I have never understood why someone spends $1600 on a shotgun, $10,000 on a Ranger, $000,s on a lease and who knows what on a dog, and then buys the cheapest shells they can find.


Cause their friggin' broke


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## Mossy835 (Feb 6, 2010)

Blackcloud good loads. Put the whack on birds, but are pricey.


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## ripline (Jan 12, 2009)

I like them. Got a case cheap last year. Knocks them dead.


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## Nic_Edlund (Feb 16, 2010)

I patterned black cloud and the wad hit the board from 40 yards. It holds a nice pattern and you can see the difference in the shot from the regular and the ones that have the ring around them. They say don't shoot out of a regular patternmaster choke tube or anything that is ported. It all comes down to what your gun likes and what you shoot well, try it and find out.


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## bushawg (Mar 27, 2009)

I did not like it.


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## kdeckels (Sep 12, 2009)

Patternmaster has a choke already out for the Black Cloud


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## Jim Danis (Aug 15, 2008)

I've shot it out of my SBEII and don't like the patterns. The recoil is also more than the other brands I've shot. I'm shooting either Kent Fasteel or the new Heavy Metal. All of the Kent I've shot patterns very well out of my gun. The Heavy Metal also patterns very well. So for everyday over dekes shooting I'm using Kent. Anything possibly longer or for geese I'm shooting the Heavy Metal.


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## ksummerlin (Mar 26, 2009)

Has any one else been having problems with Blackcloud shells jamming in their gun? I have a SBEII that had never jammed before switching to Blackcloud. I had 9 or ten jams this past season shooting 3 1/2" BBB at Canadas. It seems the brass gets caught as it is coming out of the gun. Gets really aggravating when birds are decoying and you have a single shot!


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## laker (Sep 12, 2008)

Fowlfeller1100 said:


> Has anybody found that the funny shaped pellets give a deadlier wound that normal?


My taxidermist says he can tell when a duck is shot with Black Cloud every time. He says it tears them up so bad he has a very hard time getting good mounts out of them. 

" I hate that Black Cloud stuff, it makes my job harder." :razz:


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## cotts135 (Aug 5, 2008)

This fall bought a Remington 1100 auto. Was wondering if anybody out there has found a shell and load that goes well with this gun and the standard full choke that comes with the gun.


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## Rick Hall (Jan 21, 2003)

I've seen a lot of Black Cloud shot from my commercial blinds with radically mixed reviews from, "Best ever!" to "Anybody want this crap?"

Not being mad at plain steel, I've passed what's given to me along to folks who swear by, instead of at, it, and have no personal take on the stuff.


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## lily and me (Feb 16, 2010)

I have used about a case and think it is pretty good.
I found that the 3 inch number 3 performed best out of my SBE


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## freefall319 (Jan 31, 2010)

The 5 of us in my group switched from Kent's to Hevi-Metal last season and I cannot say enough about that round. We burned up 8 cases of 3 1/2" 2's between the 5 of us and we had more 1 hit kill's than the last two years combined. It is flat deadly. We found them on sale at rogerssportinggoods.com for $200 a case with shipping ($20 a box) not bad at all. I'd highly recomend them over anything other than Hevi-Shot.


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## Fisherman (Apr 7, 2010)

heavey metal all the way.
black cloud realley dirty


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