HEVI-Shot's Hevi-Metal Xtreme has been a favorite among those that need to pack extra punch on tough birds like sea ducks, late season geese or divers. (Photo courtesy of HEVI-Shot.)
August 04, 2025
By WILDFOWL Staff
For 25 years, HEVI-Shot has been pumping out millions of shotshells at the Sweet Home, Oregon factory. During those decades, they have become an industry leader in shotshells synonymous with high-performance, non-lead projectiles.
Today, HEVI-Shot is stronger than ever as it continues to roll out new products. The brand has over one hundred specific loads organized into eighteen product families.
Tungsten blended with steel has been a favorite among waterfowlers who are looking for a more economical way to shoot tungsten, without paying the full price, and HEVI-Shot provides some wonderful tungsten/steel loads that are a nightmare for ducks and geese. (Photo courtesy of HEVI-Shot.) Because of all the distinct options HEVI-Shot offers, its list of choices can be challenging to decipher, especially regarding the differences in each product. However, three main design differences set each load apart. Here is a detailed explanation:
TYPES OF PELLETS The first key to understanding any given HEVI-Shot load is knowing the type of pellet material(s) used.
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HEVI-Shot only loads non-toxic pellet materials such as steel, bismuth, or tungsten . Of these three shot materials, steel has the lightest density of 7.8 g/cc. Bismuth is next at 9.6 g/cc, and HEVI-Shot tungsten is the heaviest at 12 g/cc. HEVI-Shot also loads a complete line of turkey-hunting ammo using ultra-dense TSS pellets with a density of 18 g/cc.
Regarding lethality, it is the same order: steel, bismuth, then tungsten. This is because a denser (heavier) material will carry its velocity and penetration energy longer. It will hit harder (faster) and extend its lethality (in foot-pounds) to greater distances.
On the other hand, steel is the least expensive, followed by bismuth and tungsten. So, offering various pellet types gives hunters choices in price points.
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STRAIGHT OR LAYERED The second design element for any given HEVI-Shot load is whether it is loaded with straight or layered payloads. Straight means the entire load is uniform in size. Layered means multiple shot types in one shell. For HEVI-Shot, that means a layer of steel pellets and a layer of bismuth or tungsten pellets loaded in the same shell.
A depiction of what a tungsten/steel blended shell looks like. (Photo courtesy of HEVI-Shot.) This layered, dual-shot-type design improves a shotshell’s performance and allows the brand to offer various price points to hunters.
HEVI-Shot’s Waterfowl product category offers excellent examples of this design element. The HEVI-Steel product family features a lengthy list of loads at many sizes and speeds, and the payloads consist of all-steel pellets. HEVI-Bismuth Waterfowl is loaded with all bismuth, and HEVI-XII is loaded with all tungsten pellets.
However, HEVI-Metal Longer Range and HEVI-Hammer feature layered bismuth/steel payloads, which perform better than all-steel but are less expensive than all-bismuth. HEVI-Metal Longer Range features 30 percent of the total payload weight being bismuth pellets layered on top of the remaining 70 percent being steel shot. HEVI-Hammer is layered with 15 percent bismuth over 85 percent steel.
HEVI-Metal Extreme and the new HEVI-Hitter feature layered tungsten/steel payloads. These perform better than bismuth/steel or all-bismuth loads, yet are less expensive than all-tungsten loads. HEVI-Metal Xtreme features 30 percent of the total payload weight being 12-g/cc tungsten pellets layered on top of the remaining 70 percent being steel shot. HEVI-Hitter is available with 20 percent bismuth over 80 percent steel.
IN-SHELL SHOT SIZES The third design element for any given HEVI-Shot load is the shot size or sizes in the shell. This can also be straight or layered (mixed). Straight means all the same size, such as No. 2, 4, or BB. Mixed means two different shot sizes, such as 2s & 4s or 1s & BBs, in the same shell.
Generally, larger shot sizes pack a harder hit and travel further, but a smaller shot size will fit more pellets inside the hull, so a mix of different shot sizes in the same shell of the same pellet type, such as all-steel, offers a bit of both benefits. This is why HEVI-Steel layered loads are popular; they contain layers of all-steel shot in two different sizes.
Density also relates to shot size. A one-centimeter cube of steel weighs much less than a one-centimeter cube of bismuth or tungsten. Because bismuth is 22 percent denser than steel, hunters can choose loads that are one size smaller than steel, yet still have the same or better lethality. Using tungsten that's 53.8 percent denser than steel, hunters can choose three sizes smaller.
This means layered loads with dual pellet types, such as bismuth/steel or tungsten/steel, can benefit from greater pellet counts or greater power, depending on the loaded shot sizes.
For HEVI-Metal Longer Range, the bismuth pellets are one size smaller than the steel pellets, so there are more pellets in the payload. But in HEVI-Hammer, both pellet types are the same size, and the bismuth delivers a harder hit.
For HEVI-Metal Xtreme, its tungsten pellets are three sizes smaller than its steel pellets, so there are a lot more pellets in the payload. On the other hand, most of the HEVI-Hitter lineup (with a few exceptions) have pellet types that are the same size. Because of the density difference in the pellets, the large tungsten pellets pack a much more powerful hit.
OPTIONS BY DESIGN HEVI-Shot is no slouch when it comes to offering hunters a choice of what to shoot. All these options stem from combinations of three main design elements: the types of pellets, the types of payloads, and the size (or sizes) of the shot in the load. Those three elements naturally result in many options regarding performance and price.
By offering so many options, hunters benefit by being able to choose what works best for them, which just might be what makes HEVI-Shot such a fan favorite.
The New HEVI-Hitter vs. HEVI-Metal Extreme While HEVI-Metal Xtreme has been wildly successful, it's new brother, HEVI-Hitter is meant to blend tungsten and steel in uniform patterns with devastating results! (Photo courtesy of HEVi-Shot.) Although both loads feature tungsten-over-steel payloads, a few key differences set the HEVI-Metal Extreme and the all-new HEVI-Hitter apart.
HEVI-Metal Extreme features a payload of 30 percent 12 g/cc tungsten and 70 percent precision steel, and its shots are of two varied sizes. This means that the No. 4 Tungsten with No. 1 Steel load contains two pellet types in two different shot sizes, which have similar down-range ballistics, like shooting a straight No. 1 all-steel load but with more pellet count. This results in a load with the advantage of a greater pellet count. It features the FLIGHTCONTROL FLEX wad for consistent long-range patterns.
HEVI-Hitter, which is set at a lower price point, features a payload of 20 percent 12 g/cc tungsten and 80 percent precision steel. In general, it features two different types of shot of the same size. The No. 4 tungsten and No. 4 steel loads have different down-range ballistics, resulting in a load with the advantage of more powerful hits on target, like shooting a No. 1 & 4 all-steel load but with more pellet count. It features the HEVI-Shot wad, which helps deliver large patterns at close to moderate ranges.
Both are great options; it is up to the hunter to decide whether they prefer more pellets in the pattern at longer ranges or more power on contact closer up.
