Teal – Complete Waterfowl Ballistic Data
This page provides a scientific ballistic analysis of teal based on pellet penetration, pellet density, and lethality probability.
All data is derived from exterior ballistics modelling and species-specific anatomical constraints.
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Important note on interpretation
Penetration values, expected hits per bird, and identified limiting factors are derived from a probabilistic ballistic model.
Before interpreting these tables, readers are encouraged to review how the data is constructed and what defines ethical range limits.
Species Overview
Teal are among the smallest commonly hunted waterfowl species in North America.
Average adult body mass is approximately 0.75 lbs, with shallow vital anatomy and limited feather resistance.
Despite their small size, teal present a demanding ballistic profile due to their small vital target surface, making pellet density the dominant factor defining ethical lethality.
Anatomy and Lethal Zones
Effective lethal zones include:
- head and cervical spine
- neck
- heart–lung complex
- wing joints and shoulder girdle
Due to shallow anatomy, penetration requirements are modest.
However, hits outside these zones frequently result in wounded birds rather than immediate lethality.
Target Surface and Penetration Requirements
The effective frontal vital target surface of a teal is approximately 19.5 square inches.
Based on anatomical depth and tissue resistance, the minimum penetration required to reliably reach vital organs is approximately 1.02 inches.
Statistical modelling indicates that an average of 5 pellet impacts per bird are required to achieve a lethality probability close to 95%, assuming adequate penetration.
Shot Materials Considered
This analysis considers the following non-toxic shot materials:
- Steel (density 7.8 g/cm³)
- Bismuth (density ≈ 9.5 g/cm³)
- HEVI-Shot tungsten alloy (density ≈ 12 g/cm³)
- Tungsten Super Shot – TSS 18 (density 18 g/cm³)
Each material is evaluated using identical lethality criteria to allow direct comparison.
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Steel Shot
Steel shot performance on teal is overwhelmingly pattern-density limited.
Most commonly used pellet sizes retain sufficient penetration well beyond ethical range.
The following tables analyze commonly available U.S. steel waterfowl loads in caliber 12, using a full choke pattern and identical lethality criteria for direct comparison.
12 ga 2¾” – 1 oz – 1450 fps
| Pellet size | Max ethical range (yd) | Penetration (in) | Expected hits | Limiting factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #4 | 41.6 | 1.43 | 5.13 | Pattern density |
| #5 | 49.2 | 1.10 | 5.08 | Pattern density |
| #6 | 41.6 | 1.04 | 8.47 | Penetration |
| #7 | 30.6 | 1.04 | 12.55 | Penetration |
| #8 | 21.9 | 1.02 | 17.21 | Penetration |
Conclusion — 12 ga 2¾” – 1 oz @ 1450 fps
Steel #5 provides the longest ethical range by maintaining sufficient penetration while meeting the minimum hit requirement.
Larger pellets (#4) are pattern-limited, while smaller pellets (#6 and below) become penetration-limited despite higher hit counts.
Ethical range is defined by the intersection of penetration and pattern density, not by pellet energy alone.
12 ga 2¾” – 1-1/16 oz – 1550 fps
Conclusion — 12 ga 2¾” – 1-1/16 oz @ 1550 fps
Steel #5 reaches the longest ethical range by preserving enough penetration while meeting the minimum hit threshold.
4 is pattern-limited, while #6 and smaller become penetration-limited despite higher hit counts.
12 ga 3″ – 1¼ oz @ 1450 fps
Conclusion — 12 ga 3″ – 1¼ oz @ 1450 fps
Steel #5 achieves the longest ethical range by reaching the penetration threshold while still meeting the minimum hit requirement.
Larger pellets (#3–#4) are pattern-limited, while smaller pellets (#6 and below) become penetration-limited despite higher hit counts.
12 ga 3½” – 1⅜ oz @ 1550 fps
Conclusion — 12 ga 3½” – 1⅜ oz @ 1550 fps
Steel #5 reaches the longest ethical range by meeting the hit requirement while operating at the penetration threshold.
Larger pellets (#2–#4) are pattern-limited, while smaller pellets (#6 and below) become penetration-limited despite much higher hit counts.
12 ga 3½” – 1½ oz @ 1500 fps
Conclusion — 12 ga 3½” – 1½ oz @ 1500 fps
With the increased payload, larger pellets become viable: steel #4 reaches 54.7 yards by meeting the minimum hit requirement while maintaining comfortable penetration.
Steel #5 matches the same maximum range but becomes penetration-limited, while #6 and smaller remain penetration-limited despite much higher hit counts.
Steel Load Comparison — Key takeaway (Teal)
Across all standard 12-gauge steel loads, teal remain primarily pattern-limited, with ethical range defined by the minimum hit requirement more than by raw penetration.
Most configurations converge toward steel #5 as the longest-range option, operating at the penetration threshold while still meeting hit probability criteria.
However, heavier payloads increase pellet density enough for larger shot to become viable: in the 3½” 1½ oz load, steel #4 reaches the same maximum ethical range by narrowly meeting the minimum hit threshold.Overall, higher velocity and larger shells deliver diminishing returns on teal compared to pellet size selection and pattern density.
Bismuth Shot
Bismuth offers increased penetration margin but does not significantly extend ethical range on teal.
Bismuth 12 ga 2¾” – 1⅛ oz @ 1350 fps
Conclusion — Bismuth 12 ga 2¾” – 1⅛ oz @ 1350 fps
Bismuth allows the use of smaller pellet sizes while maintaining sufficient penetration on teal.
Pellet sizes #6 and #7 achieve the longest ethical range, with #6 being pattern-limited and #7 becoming penetration-limited at the same distance.
Larger pellets fail due to insufficient hit density, while smaller pellets become penetration-limited despite very high impact counts.
Key observation — Bismuth on Teal
Bismuth primarily improves consistency and margin rather than maximum distance.
Ethical range remains governed by pattern density.
Bismuth 12 ga 2¾” – 1¼ oz @ 1300 fps
Conclusion — Bismuth 12 ga 2¾” – 1¼ oz @ 1300 fps
Increasing payload improves pattern density, allowing bismuth #6 to reach the longest ethical range.
As with lighter loads, ethical limits are defined by the intersection of pattern density and penetration, with #7 becoming penetration-limited at slightly shorter distances.
Larger pellets remain pattern-limited, while very small pellets fail due to insufficient penetration.
Steel vs Bismuth — Teal
When pellet size is properly selected, steel and bismuth reach similar ethical limits on teal.
Bismuth #6 offers greater margin and consistency, while steel can deliver comparable range with less tolerance to choke and pattern variation.
HEVI-Shot
HEVI-Shot provides substantial penetration reserve, allowing very small pellet sizes to remain viable.
HEVI-Shot 12 ga 2¾” – 1¼ oz @ 1350 fps
Conclusion — HEVI-Shot 12 ga 2¾” – 1¼ oz @ 1350 fps
HEVI-Shot significantly extends ethical range on teal by allowing much smaller pellet sizes to remain penetration-capable.
Pellet sizes #7 and #8 achieve the longest ethical range, with #7 being pattern-limited and #8 becoming penetration-limited at similar distances.
As with other materials, ethical limits are still defined by the balance between penetration and hit probability, not by penetration alone.
HEVI-Shot 12 ga 3″ – 1⅜ oz @ 1350 fps
Conclusion — HEVI-Shot 12 ga 3″ – 1¼ oz @ 1350 fps
HEVI-Shot allows much smaller pellet sizes to remain penetration-capable on teal, extending ethical range beyond steel and bismuth.
Pellet sizes #7 and #8 reach the longest ethical distances, with limits defined by the transition from pattern density to penetration.
HEVI-Shot 12ga 3½” – 1½ oz @ 1350 fps
Conclusion — HEVI-Shot 12 ga 3½” – 1½ oz @ 1350 fps
The highest HEVI-Shot payload allows the use of a larger pellet size while preserving sufficient penetration.
This results in a modest but measurable increase in maximum ethical range, driven by improved pattern density rather than penetration alone.
HEVI-Shot — Teal
HEVI-Shot buys distance.
It also buys responsibility.
At long range, execution matters more than ballistics.
TSS (18 g/cm³)
TSS dramatically exceeds penetration requirements for teal.
TSS – 12ga 3″ – 1½ oz @ 1300 fps
Conclusion — TSS (18 g/cm³) 12 ga 3″ – 1½ oz @ 1300 fps
TSS dramatically extends ethical range on teal by allowing extremely small pellet sizes to remain penetration-capable.
Pellet size #9 reaches the longest ethical distance, while #10 becomes penetration-limited despite very high hit counts.
At these ranges, ballistic capability exceeds practical field execution.
TSS – 12 ga 3½” — 1⅝ oz @ 1250 fps
Conclusion — TSS (18 g/cm³) 12 ga 3½” – 1⅝ oz @ 1250 fps
The heavier TSS load allows very small pellet sizes to remain effective at extreme distances.
Pellet size #9 reaches the longest ethical range before becoming penetration-limited, while #8 remains pattern-limited at slightly shorter distances.
At this level of performance, ballistic capability clearly exceeds practical field repeatability.
Ethical Shooting Considerations
Teal are small, fast-moving birds with a limited vital target surface.
As distances increase, the margin for error shrinks rapidly, even when ballistic capability remains sufficient on paper.
At longer ranges, missed or wounded birds are more often the result of estimation errors, lead misjudgment, or shooter precision than of inadequate penetration.
Ethical teal shooting therefore relies less on maximizing ballistic reach than on disciplined distance selection and consistent execution.
Final Conclusion — Teal Ballistics Overview
Ballistic modelling shows that teal are a fundamentally pattern-limited species.
Across all materials analyzed, penetration requirements are easily met, while ethical range is defined by the ability to place enough pellets on a small vital area.
Higher-density materials can extend ethical range in measurable ways, but these gains come with increased cost and reduced tolerance to shooter error.
Ultimately, effective teal hunting depends more on pattern quality, distance discipline, and shooter skill than on raw ballistic performance.
Teal — Final takeaway
Ballistics can extend range.
Only the shooter can make it ethical.
Teal — Final takeaway (12 gauge)
These conclusions apply to 12-gauge loads.
In smaller gauges, high-density shot becomes essential — and with lighter payloads, materials like TSS can be economically reasonable.