Save on B&P’s premium shells this year. [Zac K.]

We haven’t seen an influx of new gauges that matches the rifle world’s flock of new calibers that have debuted in the past few years. We’ve got long-range calibers, short-range calibers (aka “straight-wall” cartridges), we’ve even got new rimfire calibers for rifles, but that isn’t the case in the shotgun world. Instead, we have seen development of the actual ammunition itself, especially with new duplex loads.

We’ve seen a lot of new shotguns in the past decade, but no new chamberings. The R&D has gone into the shells themselves. [Zac K.]

Duplex loads combine pellets of different sizes for increased performance. The idea is, smaller pellets make a denser pattern at closer ranges, while bigger pellets have more hitting power at distance. As B&P’s PR says:

“Built around B&P's innovative Dual Steel payload technology, Dual Steel combines two carefully selected steel shot sizes in a single load to deliver dense, effective patterns while maintaining the energy needed for clean, ethical harvests across a wide range of hunting situations. Paired with B&P's Green Core wad technology, the duplex payload is engineered to provide excellent pattern density on close-working birds while retaining the downrange performance required for longer shots. The result is a versatile waterfowl load that delivers consistent performance while incorporating B&P's biodegradable Green Core wad technology.”

So: Dual Steel loads cover those close-in shots, hit harder on long shots, and the wads don’t pollute the environment forever because they degrade. A lot of those are features that hunters want.

In a situation like this, where you need close-in coverage but long-range punishing power, a duplex load makes sense. [Zac K.]

This is a simple rebate: If you buy at least two boxes of B&P Dual Steel waterfowl loads from now until the end of the year, you get a $5 rebate per box, with a max rebate of $100 per person or household.