Testing Kent's Fasteel+ & Fasteel 2.0

My first field experience with Kent’s Fasteel 2.0 came on a blustery December morning. Flakes of white danced in the beam of my headlamp, and a stiff north wind bit my face and ears.

I was confident the honkers would come low and slow, fighting the wind all the way to the field. They would be hungry for food, and I was certain my Fasteel 2.0 3-inch BB 1-1/4-ounce payload shotshells would perform.

I’d given 10 of the shotshells a dance the week prior on the range. Producing muzzle speeds up to 1,500 fps, Fasteel 2.0 shotshells feature a reliable CX2000 Primer and a nickel head designed to resist corrosion. I tested the pattern of the Precision Plated Steel at 30-, 40-, and 50-yards using Browning’s Maxus II.

My discovery: Using Browning’s extended Invector-Plus full choke tube, the pattern density of the BB-sized shot was ideal for crumbling big honkers. The pattern wasn’t too tight, but it wasn’t so loose that energy loss would reduce its killing power. With the modified choke, the pattern covered a broader area, which would be ideal for large puddle ducks, lesser Canada geese, and snow geese. Regarding the Giant subspecies of Canada geese, I sought a tight, controlled, and energy-filled pattern achieved through the combination of the extended Invector-Plus full choke tube, premium wad, and Precision Plated Steel.

The first flock was on the deck. The sky’s ceiling pushed the big geese down, and they were tired of fighting the wind. The sub-zero temperatures took their toll on the birds; they craved grain. The geese didn’t even circle. My first three shots with Kent’s Fasteel 2.0 resulted in two dead geese. The first shot was estimated at 23 yards based on where the goose fell and a rangefinder reading. The second goose, which was feet-up in the decoys, measured 37 yards away.

That was the story of the day. Kent’s Fasteel 2.0 proved effective on big geese between 20 and 40 yards. Autopsy results showed solid deep wound channels, especially on the closer birds. Concerning its kill-’em-dead power, three of my five geese hit the ground dead. Both were shot in the front half of the body and had at least one pellet in the head/neck area. The other two birds—both taken between 33 and 40 yards—needed finishing touches. I did retrieve three BB pellets from the wounded geese. Two were located just under the skin in front of the breast, and one was situated just under the breast.

Kent adds Fasteel+

In 2023, Kent added a new member to the Fasteel Family—Fasteel+. Kent’s goal with Fasteel+ wasn’t to replace its predecessor, but to provide serious waterfowlers with a load that incorporates layered shot technology to increase pattern uniformity. With two different shot sizes and the larger shot layered over the smaller shot, the smaller shot can draft behind the larger shot and hit with more energy than a smaller shot size would by itself. This design means tighter patterns and improved downrange lethality.

I haven’t yet put Kent’s Fasteel+ to the test in the fields or on the water; however, WILDFOWL staffers have, and report outstanding results. It hits just like the research suggests it will.

Spoiler alert: Kent’s Fasteel+ patterns trump OG Fasteel 2.0. While my goose hunts are still further out on the calendar, duck season is here. For this reason, I spent a half-day testing Kent’s Fasteel+ 3-inch shotshells with a 1-1/4-ounce payload of 2x4.

Kent Fasteel+ hulls look identical to its Fasteel 2.0. You still get the corrosion-resistant nickel head, quality CX2000 primer, and premium wad. The difference is the speed is reduced from 1,500 fps to 1,450 fps, which is a part of Kent’s Pattern+ Ballistics. Kent notes Fasteel+ shotshells are loaded to exact velocities with premium components and layered shot to maximize pattern density and energy.

After shooting two boxes of Fasteel+ 2x4, I have total confidence that the load will be devastating on large puddle ducks between 20 and 40 yards with a modified choke and from 35 to 55 yards with a full choke.

When it comes to geese and large puddle ducks, I’m a full choke fan. Shooting a full choke causes me to shoulder, point, and continue to swing on a single bird. I know my shot pattern leaves little room for error, so I hone in on every shot. If you discover that you’re missing and wounding more birds than usual, thread a full choke into the barrel of your waterfowl shotgun and see what type of pattern it creates at different distances.

I’m sold on Kent’s Fasteel+. My full choke patterns were tight, widening slowly between 35 and 55 yards. I didn’t go from a basketball-sized pattern at 35 yards to a beachball pattern at 55 yards. My patterns opened slowly, meaning shot density was still heavy. The combination of the layered 2X4 produced a POI slightly above my point of aim, and patterns showed a dense and even distribution of pellets over the target.

Using the modified choke, pattern density was too spread beyond 40 yards to be effective on large puddle ducks. However, out to 40 yards, Fasteel+ 2x4 patterns were excellent.

Between 20 and 35 yards, which is an ideal range for shooting greenheads and other puddle ducks, the 2x4 patterns were ultra dense.  The #2 and #4-sized holes were found to be prevalent, slightly above my POI, spreading out evenly in a circular shape. This is precisely what you want.

Final Thoughts

Kent makes great shotshells. Whether you go with the Fasteel 2.0, Fasteel+, or run a mixture of both, you’ll have no trouble putting limits of ducks and geese on the ground. This is some of the finest steel shot that I have tested. The patterns are remarkable, and if Fasteel+ even slightly outperforms its predecessor, which I believe it will, I’ll be one happy waterfowler this season.

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