Low carbon or high carbon cut wire shot?

What the size tests found

A study of carbon steel cut wire shot measured how fast the shot wore out, how many hits a surface needed to reach full coverage, and how rough that surface became.

At the same carbon level, the larger shot needed more impacts to cover the surface. A bigger piece hits harder, but it leaves a wider gap between hits, so full coverage takes longer. Early wear was slower on the large shot. Once wear became severe, the large shot broke down faster, and overall the larger size was used up sooner.

Roughness did not simply rise because the shot was bigger. The same study found a size that gave the smoothest surface for a given polishing job. Bigger is not automatically a rougher finish.

What the carbon tests found

At the same size, higher carbon made the shot harder. That harder shot reached full coverage in fewer impacts, and it left a rougher surface.

The same hardness wore the shot out faster. Annealing the shot, which softens it, slowed that wear. Lower carbon lasts longer in the machine. Higher carbon covers faster and marks the surface more.

Which one to quote

High carbon from Rytz Industries is 0.9 mm to 2 mm. Use it when you want the harder shot: faster coverage and a stronger mark on the surface. It will be used up sooner.

Low carbon is 2 mm to 2.8 mm. It is the cheaper alternative, and it is the larger size. Use it when a heavier blow matters more than a fine, hard shot, and when you want the shot to last longer. Plan on more impacts before the surface is fully covered.

Both are packed in 25 kg bags. Quote the carbon, the diameter, and the weight.