Schern Posted September 3, 2010 Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 I've got the opportunity to go Goose shooting tomorrow morning and wondered whether I can use my own gun or if I'll need to borrow one. It's a 1985 682 Sporter and in the manual it says the following: The use of steel shot cartridges is not recommended in either over and under and side-by-side shotguns with fixed chokes. Beretta “SP” (Steel Proof) Mobilchoke and Optimachoke tubes are designed for use with factory steel shot cartridges loaded to standard specification. The best results with Beretta “SP” choke tubes are obtained using open chokes (C0000/CL, 0000/IC, 000/M). Use of full choke constriction (0/F, 00/IM) with steel shot does not increase pattern density and will distort normal pattern density associated with lead shot (i.e. “blow pattern”). See paragraph: (Beretta Mobilchoke and Optimachoke tubes). Mobilchoke and Optimachoke screw-in choke tubes are made of high-grade steel for corrosion resistance and durability. They are designed to withstand the rigors of non-toxic steel shot. This is the manual I've been able to find on the Beretta website, I don't have the original. I've checked over the gun and can't find a fleur de lis anywhere on it but these paragraphs suggest I should be ok assuming the chokes I've got are steel proof ones. They're Beretta but I don't know if anything has changed between 1985 when the gun was made and newer guns. Does anyone know for definite? I can provide pictures of proof marks etc. Sorry if this has been covered regularly before but I did a quick search and couldn't find anything definitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted September 3, 2010 Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 I had a similar quandry last season when I was invited to take part in a duck flight on our syndicate shoot. I have a 1984 687 Silver Pigeon. It has no Fleur de Lys stamp and GMK told me I could use lower velocity steel shot with the provision for choking as per your advice. I also visited my local gunshop and the dealer in there, with 25 years experience as a Browning salesman, repeated the same advice and told me buying and inserting steel-shot proof chokes would be pointless as the rest of the barrel is not. He denied himself a sale of chokes in giving me that advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune82 Posted September 3, 2010 Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 (edited) I used to use steel through a 1980's Winchester 101 multi choke. My gunsmith told me not to use shot larger than no.4 and all was well for hundreds of rounds of RC 32 gram steel. Goose shooting will require larger than no.4 shot so I would be tempted to get some ITM or Bismuth loads. After all your not going to be firing huge numbers. I now have a sxs which I do not put steel through, I just bend over every August and buy a few boxes of bismuth, it does hurt though! Edited September 3, 2010 by fortune82 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schern Posted September 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 Thanks for the info. Just about to venture out to my local gunshop with the gun so they can offer their advice. I'll report back on what they say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeker Posted September 3, 2010 Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 There a pdf on the BASC site on the rules for steel ... covers many of the bits raised above .. soory do not have the link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schern Posted September 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 (edited) Well the opinion of my local gunshop was that it would probably be ok but it would be a bit of a risk. So I'm not going to take the chance and borrow a gun. On the plus side of all this I've now found out that my gun is proofed for Magnum loads as it has **PSF on it! Edited September 3, 2010 by Schern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HW682 Posted September 3, 2010 Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 I used to use steel through a 1980's Winchester 101 multi choke. My gunsmith told me not to use shot larger than no.4 and all was well for hundreds of rounds of RC 32 gram steel. This matches the advice of Gamebore here ... gamebore Supersteel I now have a sxs which I do not put steel through, I just bend over every August and buy a few boxes of bismuth, it does hurt though! For one or two trips a season a more expensive non-toxic is probably the way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schern Posted September 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 I've been seeing prices of around £25 a box for Bismuth? Is that right?!!? Talk about having to bend over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune82 Posted September 3, 2010 Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 I've been seeing prices of around £25 a box for Bismuth? Is that right?!!? Talk about having to bend over! Thats the going rate! I fired 15 on a duck drive last season! Made me think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schern Posted September 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2010 You'd want to make them count wouldn't you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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