Federal Ultra Steel Waterfowl Loads Review

By Brian McCombie
October 17, 2024

— Read Time - 5 min

By Brian McCombie
October 17, 2024

Read Time - 5 min

Ducks & Geese Beware—Federal Has Redefined The Steel Shotshell Game

Click to listen to the audio version of this article.

If you’re old enough to remember Uncle Sam’s 1991 ban on lead shot for waterfowl hunting, you also recall the pointed reaction of many hunters to the steel shot alternatives that replaced lead—steel shells suck!

Steel shotshells didn’t pattern worth a damn compared to lead, which was complaint #1, with lots of misses, especially at a distance. Even when steel pellets hit, too often the results were crippled waterfowl wobbling away.

Federal Ultra Steel Options

You won’t hear these complaints from hunters using Ultra Steel from Federal Premium. Available in 12- and 20-gauge 3-inch options, these shells produce tight patterns and superior lethality at waterfowling distances. The loads are engineered with Federal’s FLITECONTROL wads, zinc-plated steel shot, and just the right blend of top-quality powders and primers.

Ultra Steel is available in five different 12-gauge options, and three of those are double stack loads featuring two sizes of pellets for maximum effectiveness at ranges both close in and farther out. There are three 20-gauge Ultra Steel loads, and two are double stacks.

Recently, I used Ultra Steel 12-gauge shells in two double stack loads and was impressed with the patterns produced and the consistent performance from shell to shell.

Federal Ultra Steel’s Innovative Design

Scientifically speaking, there’s no way around it: At comparable sizes, lead pellets are heavier than steel, which is why, at equal sizes, lead pellets hit harder than steel. But in the 30-plus years since the lead shot ban went into effect, Federal has redesigned the steel shotshell to its “ultra” effectiveness.

A prime element in the success of the Ultra Steel loads is the FLITECONTROL wads holding the shot inside the shell.

“The wad’s redesigned, rear-deploying brake fins and side-mounted vents stimulate the payload for separation from the wad at precisely the right moment for the densest, most consistent patterns possible,” explained Dan Compton, Federal’s shotshell product line director.

That redesign included reinforcement of the wad’s flexible rear fins with sturdy supportive gussets to help flex the fins and keep them open. In this way, payloads separate exactly when they’re supposed to regardless of the gas pressure behind them to help the pellets form very dense patterns.

Improved primer technology and better, clean-burning propellants allowed Federal to fine-tune the Ultra Steel 12-gauge loads to a consistent muzzle velocity of 1,450 feet per second (fps), and 1,400 fps for the Ultra 20-gauge shells. Federal found these respective velocities were the “sweet spot” when balancing pellet energy versus pattern efficiency.

Federal utilizes zinc-plated pellets to ward off corrosion, and the plating also aids in improving the lubricity of the pellets. Given steel’s lighter density versus lead, the steel pellets used in these loads are two sizes larger than their lead forerunners.

Testing Ultra Steel With The CZ-1012 G2 Shotgun

To test the Ultra Steel, I used a CZ-1012 G2 waterfowl shotgun from CZ-USA, a gasless inertia semi-auto in 12 gauge. The inertia system is designed with a spring within the bolt that stores energy during the shotgun’s recoil, spending this energy a split second later to rotate and unlock the twin lugs from the barrel extension and eject the spent shell. As it is gasless, the G2 inertia system easily runs a wide variety of shells, from light-recoiling target loads up to hot 3-inch magnums.

My G2 featured a Mossy Oak Bottomland Camo finish on the synthetic stock and metal receiver, a white front bead, oversized controls for gloved hands, a 28-inch ribbed barrel, and a 4+1 ammo capacity (with 2¾-inch shells). The G2 was comfortable on my shoulder, featured a very nice trigger, and pointed easily and well. It’s a great gun in the field or on those cold waterfowl mornings in the layout blinds.

Patterning Tests

The CZ came with five different extended chokes. For my shooting, I relied on the Full Choke.

I received two Ultra Steel loads, both double stacks—one with 1¼ ounces of BB and #2 shot; the other with 1¼ ounces of #2 and #4 shot. Patterning tests were performed at 40 yards from a rest. I then measured pattern performance by total pellet count within the 30-inch circles I drew around my central aiming point on the paper—a wide strip of blue painter’s tape.

federal ultra steel double stack loads — **Ultra Steel is available in single shot loads and double stack options for flexibility in the field.**

Effective shotshell patterning is considered to be anything north of 75% of the pellets hitting within that circle. More is better, of course, and my Federal Ultra Steel patterns outperformed 75% considerably.

The BB and #2 Shot loads held 123 pellets. For my five 40-yard patterns, this load averaged 84% within the circle.

The #2 and #4 shot options held 198 pellets. My average of five patterns was 83% of hits within the circle. I also shot this particular load at 30 yards three times. Patterns here were an outstanding 88% of the pellets within the circles.

I was quickly reminded of the term “dead duck.”

Waterfowl Beware!

I’ll be afield with the Ultra Steel loads this season in hopes of bagging ducks and geese for the freezer. And I won’t be able to rely on any of those 1991 excuses. Federal Premium’s fine work on these shells means all misses will be on me!

Shop All Federal Ultra Steel Loads Here

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Steel Layered Waterfowl Loads Now Available

HEVI-Shot has added new product options to its HEVI-Steel Waterfowl lineup. The four new layered steel pellet loads, in 12- or 20-gauge, feature two different-sized precision steel pellets layered in the same shell, dependable ignition, and a unique HEVI-Shot wad to produce tight and reliable patterns.

“We make layered loads to maximize pattern density and increase down-range energy,” said Scott Turner, HEVI-Shot Shotshell Product Line Manager. “By layering two different shot sizes, we can tailor steel pellet shotshells to deliver a good balance of power—with the inclusion of the larger shot size—and pattern performance—with the smaller shot size—at a specific price point.”

Features of HEVI-Shot’s HEVI-Steel layered shotshells include:

Precision steel pellets
Clean-burning propellant
Best-in-class wad
Dependable ignition
High velocity yields more downrange energy for waterfowl hunting
Two layered shot sizes in BB and 2, or 2 and 4 for 12-gauge and 2 and 4, or 3 and 5 for 20-gauge

Shop HEVI-Shot HEVI-Steel Loads Here