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Types
Steel shot may be manufactured in two ways. The first way involves using a mold with round impressions, while pouring molten steel into the top. Once the steel cools, the shot is removed. The mold leaves a piece of extruded metal on the top of the shot, which is removed during the finishing process. Using molds to manufacture steel shot has largely given way to a newer method, known as cut wire steel shot.

Process
Cut wire steel shot has a longer life than cast shot, as there is no contamination from an iron mold. In this process, a spool of steel wire is fed into a machine, which cuts the metal to a precise length. After the piece of wire is cut, a second machine smashes it into a round shape, a process known as cold heading. With cold heading, a ring of excess metal, known as a flashing, is left around the middle of the shot.