Welcome to B&P Shotgun Shell News, where you will find recent updates on Baschieri & Pellagri products and other helpful information.

Archive for the 'New Products' Category

Blog Home

NEW B&P “PROFESSIONAL STEEL” COMPETITION SHELLS

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

By John W. Rymark

Head of Quality Affairs

 

We are rapidly approaching the Fourth of July weekend, so we wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday weekend. They say with the cost of gas sky high that we’ve cut down on our driving. That might be so, but the crazies are still out there. Stay alert to what the other drivers might do, because they probably will.

 

We’ve gotten some press, but you might not have heard. Baschieri & Pellagri (B&P) of Italy has perfected the steel shot equivalent of lead shot shells for competition shooting. That’s a bold statement, but these are bold steel shot shells. The new F2 Legend and F2 Mach Professional Steel competition shells were a long time in research and development. Italy wanted to make them “The’ steel shot competition shell.

 

As a B&P customer, you know that all B&P shells are grouped into “families” of shells such as Competition 2000, Legend, Sporting Clay, Mach, Sporting Clay, etc. Shells are grouped into a shell family by their use, construction and performance characteristics. Our other steel shot shells are grouped separately by load such as Steel 24, 28, 32, and 35. Well, not these new steel shot competition shells. In contrast, these new steel shot shells have been given places of honor in the F2 Legend and F2 Mach families of competition shells.

 

Blind studies have proven that top competitors could not detect a difference between B&P’s F2 Legend and F2 Mach Professional Steel shells and the equivalent lead shot competition shells. How did B&P do it? B& P combined a revolutionary compact wad design that prevents the steel from touching the barrel or choke. Next, they specially hardened and polished the steel for optimum flight characteristics. Finally, they balanced exactly the right steel shot velocity, shot size, shot count and powder charge to precisely duplicate the performance of 7 ½ lead shot, at 40 yards, traveling at 1230 and 1300 feet per second, respectively.

 

There are four good reasons to start shooting the F2 Legend and F2 Mach Professional Steel competition shells. First, some clubs already have lead restrictions. Watching California and clubs here in Illinois, someone who doesn’t want you to shoot at all will eventually start grousing about the lead. If it isn’t lead and the California Condor, it will be geese, ducks, or Aunt Minnie’s poodle. Second, the cost of lead is going to continue its upward climb. At some point, steel shot competitive shells will allow you to pay a bit less and shoot a bit more. Third, while we can continue to do it, our case price includes shipping to the lower forty-eight. Lastly, these are really beautifully patterning shells. You are cordially invited to order them on this website or by calling Kaltron Outdoors at 630.350.1116, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. CST.

 

Good luck and good shooting.

Posted in New Products |

New Products 2006

Monday, August 21st, 2006

By Don GolembieskiB&P Technical Director
 

Baschieri & Pellagri of Northern Italy has been a family owned and operated business for generations. Like the famed Ferrari automobile artisans, B&P has raised the manufacture of their shotgun shells to the highest level of quality and pride in craftsmanship. As you would expect, neither of these companies would ever sacrifice quality for quantity.

For instance on quality, B&P’s shot is definitely a cut above the rest. It’s the pinnacle of shot quality, with its uniform diameters and roundness that produce superior pattern qualities across the entire line. They also tailor antimony for hunting and different targets, use a special Moly like coating in their Diamond Line, as well as have some nickel plated loads. B&P’s Gulandi wads are world renowned by shooters and reloaders. They match each unique wad to the load to produce the best patterning, uniformity and shot density. There’s quite a variety of wads too, ranging from low temperature ice resistant wads to photodegradable, to dispersant or spreader loads as they are referred to here in the US, to their incredibly accurate slug wad. By the way, these slug loads are the most accurate I have ever fired.

I know you’ve heard it all before, but until you have tried the Gordon System you won’t believe it. It’s a three piece hull design with a shock absorber incorporated into the base. Think about shock absorbers did for the ride in your car.  It reduces recoil, and as a side benefit it cushions the resulting thrust of the shot on ignition. This aids in better shot uniformity, fewer little dents in the shot, which produces more uniform patterns. So there you have the complete Shot Shell System that B&P is famous for.

Now, even the largest shell manufacturer is reluctant to add another shell to their product line. This is even a bigger decision for a smaller volume, high quality, specialty manufacturer like B&P. It’s a big decision, because manufacturers don’t feel that they are adding as many new customers as redistributing the purchases of their existing customers. In theory, purchasing spreads out more across the line by offering more choices which drives up the production cost of each shell.

After considerable discussion, we’re pleased to be adding some really nice shells to the B&P American line. The new 28 gauge shells have already arrived. The rest of the new shells will come in mid-September.

The 28 gauge has been a making a modest comeback in the States. Unfortunately, world-wide usage isn’t as good. Consequently, this Spring B&P decided to shut down 28 gauge production indefinitely. Our 28 gauge shooters were panic stricken. So, our President came to the rescue by buying a full container load of 28 gauge shells to enable a production run. The 28s are back in the same 7.5 and 8 shot, but their velocity has been kicked up from 1230 fps to 1300 fps. There’ll be plenty of clays and upland birds a droppin to these 28 gauge beauties.

Our current F2 Legend in 20 gauge, with a velocity of 1210 fps, will remain available in both 7/8 oz and 1 oz loads. However, we’ll be adding a F2 Legend, 20 gauge, only in 7/8 oz, and only in 7.5 shot, that will do 1280 fps. This shell is intended for the Sporting Clays venues as well as a light recoil hunting load.

Our MB Long Range, 12 gauge, at 1330 fps, is famous for bringing down rooster pheasants that seemed almost out of range. Outfitters swear by these shells. They are a Nickel Plated load. Utilizing our very high quality shot as a base, then plated. We feel this nickel aerodynamics enhancer provides better energy transfer at distance. Camps can be split on use for flyer loads but here’s your chance to prove your point with the new 7.5 shot size. Look for our MB Long Range, 12 gauge, 1 ¼ oz, at 1330, with nickel plating, and the rest of the MB Long Range Line in 4,5, and 6 shot sizes.

The Sporting Clays 12 gauge shell at 1260 fps was only offered in 7.5 and 8.5 shot. Why? I don’t’ know. I think it was just an oversight. Soon, the Sporting Clays in 1 oz and 1 1/8 oz will also be offered in 8 shot. No mystery here, it’s about time. 

Finally, the MB Dispersante (dispersal shell or spreader loads here in the USA), 12 gauge, 1 1/8 oz, 6, 7, 8, at 1330 fps had been in the line, but it was terminated just as it began to have a following. Dispersal shells have been around for many years, but they remain little known to most shooters. These shells rely on either a paper or plastic disc placed at the top of the shot column. You’ve got it, the wind resistance forces the disc back and in flight and elliptically disperses the shot pattern. For real quick shots at grouse, quail or pheasants in heavy cover, dispersal shells will pay off. On the range, they’ll take some of the guess work out of those pesky rabbit targets.

Adios, and good shooting.

Posted in New Products |

B&P Shotgun Shells | Contact Us