Clean kills, at long range requires retained energy, hits to vital areas which requires penetration and dense enough pattern to get those hits in numbers to be effective. Yes, there are real golden BBs. Counting on fluke hits never works for me. When I need long range options I go to larger size shot. A 9 shot at 50 yards has very little retained energy but a 6 true 7 does. Pushing small size shot to hyper velocity will not give them retained energy enough at long ranges. They shed velocity and energy to quickly. I’d rather start with larger shot at normal velocity that pattern well in my gun.
Unless you pattern loads at long range you don’t know what potential they have. You can find retained energy tables for different sizes shot. But nothing beats real pattern work.
My favorite dove load is half ounce of true sevens at moderate speed. In my Model 42 full choke it delivers great patterns. My kids have nicknamed my gun “wing-breaker” because under 25 yards it seems like I break wings on birds which are centered. Birds killed
Instantly and one or both wings broken. Funny thing is the breast does not get shot to pieces.
