Black Cloud Ammo

2689 Views 23 Replies 13 Participants Last post by fishduck, Apr 14, 2008

uttrkyhntr

Discussion Starter · Sep 20, 2007

Has anyone out there used the new Federal Black Cloud ammunition? I have bought a few boxes and will be trying out soon. I will be sure to let everyone know how well it shoots once I have the opportunity.

1 - 20 of 24 Posts

deadicated1

· #2 · Mar 18, 2008

hey man i know im a little late, but i just joined and read your post. I was skeptical at first, but i gave in adn bought a box cuz it looked cool. It totally proved itself this season!! My two friends and i killed over 550 ducks, and usually shot about one box of black to two boxes of other steel. Many talk negative about this product, but i love it and have obviously put it to the test. definitely recommend it

Huge29

· #3 · Mar 18, 2008

I would not believe it had I not seen it with my own eyes... _(O)_ the stuff is incredible, my buddy knocked one down that I thought he was crazy for even trying, 3-1/2" 4 shot, I hit a double for the first time ever with my first shot...well worth the extra 2-3 bucks IMHO.

Riverrat77

· #4 · Mar 18, 2008

Run a search... guys used it last year and it was blowing the hell out of ducks that were close.... if you're landing them in your dekes and want to eat the birds, I wouldn't use it based on what I heard last year... save it for geese or swans that can take the punishment... otherwise its overkill. 8)

dkhntrdstn

· #5 · Mar 18, 2008

I shoot a couple shells of it last year and was not in press with it at all. All the people I have talked to that shoot it was not happy with it and are not going to spend the money on it again.

hairy1

· #6 · Mar 18, 2008

It might kill better but it didn't pattern any better than my Kent's.

So to me it is not worth almost double the price.

I don't have a problem with cripples...But I don't shoot until I see the landing gear.

Mojo1

· #7 · Mar 18, 2008

a safety warning for Black cloud users

My buddy was going to purchase a Patternmaster choke tube from the Patternmaster booth at the ISO hunting show until the Patternmaster rep told us NOT to shoot Black Clouds thru the Patternmaster. The Rep said the heavy shot cup blew up/came apart againist the wad retrading ring inside the Patternmaster tube and could create a blockage hazard on following shots.

woollybugger

· #8 · Mar 18, 2008

I've been killing ducks well enough dead with my little 1oz. ultra fast reloads. I don't need the extra expense. I decoy my birds <30 yards. One ounce of steel #3 has 165 pellets. At 1600 fps (the new recipe this year), they really take it hard! I only shoot 3" when I want a larger payload for the larger shot sizes (#1, BB). I shoot #4, #3, and #1 steel reloads in 2 3/4" shells and feel no need for the $3 per shell stuff. I can reload a box of steel shells for < $6 a box. I usually reload a couple of cases at a time and that gets me through a season. Last season I only shot about 14 boxes of shells. ($6 x 14 boxes = $84) Hevi shot at $35 BOX (PER 10) / $84 = 24 SHOTS!!! 350 SHOTS VS. 24 SHOTS. SAME EXPENSE!?!?!? Black cloud at $21 per box is 84 cents a shell. I would have only 100 shells at $21 per box of black could, compared to the 350 of my reloads.

Use good decoys, use good binoculars, scout, plan, get'em in close and enjoy the hunt all the more. Fast steel kills reliably enough for me. I still have all of my teeth and don't need the "hamburger helper" effect of blowing my birds to shreds. :wink:

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JMF

· #9 · Mar 19, 2008

Hey Huge, you're right that was an incredible shot. I should have had you buy me dinner on that one.

I had a good experience overall with the black cloud, but if you really nail a bird it was hamburger. I think it is worth a try to see if you like it.

Huge29

· #10 · Mar 19, 2008

JMF said:
Hey Huge, you're right that was an incredible shot. I should have had you buy me dinner on that one.

I had a good experience overall with the black cloud, but if you really nail a bird it was hamburger. I think it is worth a try to see if you like it.

WTF? Who let the gay guy in? :evil: Creative screen name! Is that why it took you so long to join, couldn't figure out the perfect name for a year or two? Oh, I have your dinner right here...(from William)

JMF

· #11 · Mar 20, 2008

WTF? Who let the gay guy in? Creative screen name! Is that why it took you so long to join, couldn't figure out the perfect name for a year or two? Oh, I have your dinner right here...(from William)

Hey loser, they let you in and you're about as queer as a 3 dollar bill. How is your trip with Steve going? Word has it that he likes to sleep with nothing but a wet sheet..........Williams words, not mine. :twisted:

Donttreadonme

· #12 · Mar 21, 2008

I shot through a couple boxes of it last season and don't think it is worth the extra $$. I shot #2's and the Flight Stopper pellets (the ones with the ring on them) made some huge holes in the birds. Bigger than I want to have. The effective killing range is no more than standars steel because it is only steel shot with a ring. The Flight Control wad does hold the pattern together longer for a tighter pattern but again the same thing can be acomplished by simply shooting a different choke with standard steel.

IMO it isn't worth the money. I do believe that some people shoot it better because they think it is better. So if you believe it kills ducks/geese better and don't mind paying the extra $$ go for it. Shooting is hugely a mental game and if Black Cloud gives you added confidence then shoot it.

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deadicated1

· #13 · Mar 21, 2008

one other good thing about shooting black is the speed and shot wieght compared to nearly everything else. I do a lot of late season diver hunting, and i usually shoot 3 1/2's. they shoot 1500fps with a 1 1/2 oz. load, which is the best combination i have seen. I am also a big beleiver of "if you like it and think you shoot better with it, then by all means, stick with it" but those are facts and numbers, not just opinions

hamernhonkers

· #14 · Mar 22, 2008

one other good thing about shooting black is the speed and shot wieght compared to nearly everything else.

You are talking about payload when you say shot weight right?

deadicated1

· #15 · Mar 22, 2008

ya, sorry i dont know all the correct teminology. But if you multiply the speed and the weight of the shot does it equal ft/lbs of energy like it does with a rifle? i figured out all the different weights and speeds one day and this load beats all the real heavy, slow ones, and the real light, fast ones. am i right about multiplying them together or is there more to it than that?

Huge29

· #16 · Mar 23, 2008

woollybugger said:
I've been killing ducks well enough dead with my little 1oz. ultra fast reloads. I don't need the extra expense. I decoy my birds <30 yards. One ounce of steel #3 has 165 pellets. At 1600 fps (the new recipe this year), they really take it hard! I only shoot 3" when I want a larger payload for the larger shot sizes (#1, BB). I shoot #4, #3, and #1 steel reloads in 2 3/4" shells and feel no need for the $3 per shell stuff. I can reload a box of steel shells for < $6 a box. I usually reload a couple of cases at a time and that gets me through a season. Last season I only shot about 14 boxes of shells. ($6 x 14 boxes = $84) Hevi shot at $35 BOX (PER 10) / $84 = 24 SHOTS!!! 350 SHOTS VS. 24 SHOTS. SAME EXPENSE!?!?!? Black cloud at $21 per box is 84 cents a shell. I would have only 100 shells at $21 per box of black could, compared to the 350 of my reloads.

If you believe that they simply do not work or that they are no different from any other that is one issue, I personally, strongly disagree with that, but to say that I save $30/season, that simply does not make sense to me IMHO. You obviously hunt more than the average waterfowler, but I still don't think that it makes sense. We each pay $20k+ for a truck, thousands in your dog for purchase, training, vet, food, etc., hundreds in gas, $1,200 for shotgun, $500 for dekes, $100 for calls, $100 for licenses/tags, $200 for clothing, $150 for waders....at what point does saving $50 matter when it is such a miniscule figure as a percentage of all expenses for hunting? I personally only go through 2-3 boxes, which would be about $24 for the season, I think the success rate is significantly better with the blackies, and to increase my success rate by a significant factor and make the difference of numerous succesful days vs crappy days-I will pay the $24 willingly. I think it is a product that increases my chances quite a bit, I am a firm believer...

Again, if you believe they are the same as any other, disregard this, but I do not know how anyone could really believe that when looking at the anatomy of them , cool idea, but the proof was in the pudding in using them.

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woollybugger

· #17 · Mar 26, 2008

woollybugger said:
If you believe that they simply do not work or that they are no different from any other that is one issue, I personally, strongly disagree with that, but to say that I save $30/season, that simply does not make sense to me IMHO. You obviously hunt more than the average waterfowler, but I still don't think that it makes sense. We each pay $20k+ for a truck, thousands in your dog for purchase, training, vet, food, etc., hundreds in gas, $1,200 for shotgun, $500 for dekes, $100 for calls, $100 for licenses/tags, $200 for clothing, $150 for waders....at what point does saving $50 matter when it is such a miniscule figure as a percentage of all expenses for hunting? I personally only go through 2-3 boxes, which would be about $24 for the season, I think the success rate is significantly better with the blackies, and to increase my success rate by a significant factor and make the difference of numerous succesful days vs crappy days-I will pay the $24 willingly. I think it is a product that increases my chances quite a bit, I am a firm believer... Again, if you believe they are the same as any other, disregard this, but I do not know how anyone could really believe that when looking at the anatomy of them , cool idea, but the proof was in the pudding in using them.

woollybugger said:

I've been killing ducks well enough dead with my little 1oz. ultra fast reloads. I don't need the extra expense. I decoy my birds <30 yards. One ounce of steel #3 has 165 pellets. At 1600 fps (the new recipe this year), they really take it hard! I only shoot 3" when I want a larger payload for the larger shot sizes (#1, BB). I shoot #4, #3, and #1 steel reloads in 2 3/4" shells and feel no need for the $3 per shell stuff. I can reload a box of steel shells for < $6 a box. I usually reload a couple of cases at a time and that gets me through a season. Last season I only shot about 14 boxes of shells. ($6 x 14 boxes = $84) Hevi shot at $35 BOX (PER 10) / $84 = 24 SHOTS!!! 350 SHOTS VS. 24 SHOTS. SAME EXPENSE!?!?!? Black cloud at $21 per box is 84 cents a shell. I would have only 100 shells at $21 per box of black could, compared to the 350 of my reloads.

Click to expand...

If you believe that they simply do not work or that they are no different from any other that is one issue, I personally, strongly disagree with that, but to say that I save $30/season, that simply does not make sense to me IMHO. You obviously hunt more than the average waterfowler, but I still don't think that it makes sense. We each pay $20k+ for a truck, thousands in your dog for purchase, training, vet, food, etc., hundreds in gas, $1,200 for shotgun, $500 for dekes, $100 for calls, $100 for licenses/tags, $200 for clothing, $150 for waders....at what point does saving $50 matter when it is such a miniscule figure as a percentage of all expenses for hunting? I personally only go through 2-3 boxes, which would be about $24 for the season, I think the success rate is significantly better with the blackies, and to increase my success rate by a significant factor and make the difference of numerous succesful days vs crappy days-I will pay the $24 willingly. I think it is a product that increases my chances quite a bit, I am a firm believer... Again, if you believe they are the same as any other, disregard this, but I do not know how anyone could really believe that when looking at the anatomy of them , cool idea, but the proof was in the pudding in using them.

Whatever cranks your tractor!

Use what you like. I save a LOT more than $50 a season by reloading. I shoot some 3" shells as well (factory loaded) and think that the Black clouds don't hold a candle to the 3" Kent Faststeel. You can clobber anything that flies with a 3" mag Kent in BB or #1 steel. On days when the only shooting is on the 40-45 yard fringe, Kent gets it done! Decoying ducks into 20 yards hovering, and then shooting them with 1 1/2 oz. of #2 black cloud or hevishot is WASTEFUL!!! I like to eat my ducks. Do you mean that you would rather only take 24 shots per season, vs. , 350 shots? 24 shots makes for a pretty good day in the field, but it's only one day. The only way I can see taking 24 shots in a season is if you a die hard goose hunter (3 boxes of hevi, and you're good for the year). That does make sense to me. But, for ducks, at <30 yards I'll keep on folding 'em with my steel reloads.

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Huge29

· #18 · Mar 26, 2008

I don't follow your math, clearly we each do have our own choices, maybe I misunderstood your previous post; I took it that you thought that it was a waste to pay the extra few dollars. Clearly, we each load based on what we expect our shot to be, I personally load life a 4-2-BB type of thing, or if I expect them all in the dekes, maybe all 4's all depends on what action I see/expect. I also understand that reloading brings a whole new dimension to the enjoyment of hunting, a dimension that my time will not currently allow; appears to provide a great deal of satisfaction; good on ya. We will simply have to agree to disagree, we each are clearly happy with our own plan, I do not mean any disrespect. My point was simply what is $30/year, in my case, in a sport where we spend thousands, what is another drop in the cup if the hunter believes the odds are improved? :wink:

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deadicated1

· #19 · Mar 26, 2008

i agree and have seen that anyone can kill ducks inside of thirty yards over decoys, but-- have you ever tried shooting divers on big water, which are tough enough to bring down, let alone kill em dead, cuz if you dont, they are swimming with a 30 or 40 yard head start on your dog. even the best dogs cant always catch up to all the cripples. i used to shoot kent 3 1/2 1 9/16 oz #1 or bb on late season goldeneyes and watch my pattern all around em, and sometimes not even knock a bird down, or knock it but not kill it. black has been the most effective on killing birds, at farther distances, of all the loads and brands etc. that i have used

Duurty1

· #20 · Mar 26, 2008

how much is that stuff a box???

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