No...
It would be slower.... here's why:
Doing bit shifts on numeric data is faster than having to convert to a string. First space big enough for the string has to be created, then the number copied to that new location, changing the datatype along the way. Then you have to grab that last character, convert back to a number, and then do the bit shift.
Why not just cut that all out and do the bit shift in the first place (which is how mod works). IF you really want to do nuts, do the bit-shift yourself and check the result. (actualy, it might be a form of bit masking now that I think about it.).
-tg