What's the heaviest load I can put through my gun?

[Denboy]

It's 2 3/4 chamber

On the barrel it says it's been tested 3 1/2 tons per square inch

It's has the bnp under a crown so it's nitro proof

And sp under a crown so it's dates before 1925 and its undergone special proofing

 

It's a old sbs for rough shooting but I want to shoot the odd fox

[winnie&bezza]

Surely you can use bbs but I'm not totally sure about all the tonnes per inch stuff! Just use no 2 or 3s as they will put them down well enough. I've shot them with 6s (when I wasn't expecting a fox) and they went down like a sack of spuds.

[JohnfromUK]

I believe if its 2 3/4 in, 3 1/2 tons - this is 'standard' not 'magnum' proof. Therefore the maximum would be 1 1/4 oz ....... but at that time 1 1/8 oz was probably the 'normal'.

 

The key (as with all live quarry) is always to shoot within the effective range (and of course 'on' target)

[MAB1954]

I used a Eley load of 1 3/16oz in BB years ago, think they where called 'Maximum' but not sure. These days have a modern sxs and home load 1 1/4oz for fox. If you homeload you will find data for a suitable load, the other option would be see if you can find any Eley Maximum. If you home load and want data pm me.

 

Good luck.

[wymberley]

Please check this answer with your local RFD/gunsmith.

The crown and SP were still in use in the 1980s. The pressure in tons is a service pressure and not a proof pressure. Emphasise check, but from memory (but I'm shedding brain cells by the million daily) what you have is the old 2 3/4" magnum rated for 11/2oz loads.

[Gunman]

That was 4 Tons per sq. Actually you can put what ever you like through it ,the choice is yours but the gun was proofed for 1&1/4 oz. and that is the maximum that would be recommended . There were some old loads like the High Max and Alpha Max that may have had a heavier shot load but these are now defunct .

[rjimmer]

I think the "Tons per square inch" means it was proofed after 1954.

[wymberley]

That was 4 Tons per sq. Actually you can put what ever you like through it ,the choice is yours but the gun was proofed for 1&1/4 oz. and that is the maximum that would be recommended . There were some old loads like the High Max and Alpha Max that may have had a heavier shot load but these are now defunct .

Oops, I was under the impression that 4 tons/sq" was for 3" chambers. What was the SWP for the old Eley 23/4" 11/2oz magnums we used to use?

 

Edit: Any help: Compliments of the Imperial War Museum.

 

1) printed on top of box 2) printed on applied sticker on top of box 3) printed on flaps of box (metric data first on one end, Imperial first on the other) 4) printed on tape used to seal the box 5) printed on side 1 6) printed on side 2 7) printed on base 8) printed on left inner flap 9) printed on right inner flap 10) headstamp 11) printed on cartridge tube

1) ELEY EBL logo // MAGNUM 23/4" // WATERPROOF CARTRIDGES // HIGH VELOCITY // long range extra heavy load // 25 2) Small Arms ammunition // WARNING // keep out of reach // of children // ATTENTION // gardes hors de la portee // des enfants 3) ELEY gauge 12 // MAGNUM 23/4" chamber 23/4" 70mm // WATERPROOF shot load 11/2 oz 42.5 g // CARTRIDGES // high velocity rolled turnover // Made in England shot size 4) 5 (repeated) 5) Shot size equivalents by English, American, French/Spanish, Belgian/Italian systems and in millimeters 6) illustration of three cartridges 7) ELEY // non-corrosive // waterproof // cartridges WARNING // 1. Guns bearing English proof marks. // Magnum 23/4" cartridges should only be used in guns // with 23/4" or longer chambers, proof marked for a shot load // of at least 11/2 oz and/or marked for a service pressure // of at least 31/4 tons per square inch. // 2. Guns bearing European proof marks. // Magnum 23/4" (70 mm) cartridges should only be used in // guns with 70mm or longer chambers, and proved to a proof pressure of at least 900 kg per sq. cm. // The cartridges are loaded with smokeless powder and // should only be used in guns which have been nitro-proved. // Eley Ammunition Division // Imperial Metal Industries (Kynoch) Limited // Birmingham B6 7BA, England // IMI logo 8) BE TIDY (repeated in four languages) 9) RTO // before using these // cartridges // read the warning on the back panel // in the event of // complaint // please return // through your retailer // this carton and any cartridges remaining // 70mm/23/4" 10) ELEY // 12 ELEY // 12 11) EBL logo // MAGNUM // 23/4" // made in England // 23/4"-70mm // magnum load magnum load 12) 5 (repeated)

Edited March 22, 2015 by wymberley

[Gunman]

4 tons per sq. in. was for 3" standard which was the same as 2&3/4" magnum so these could be used in the gun .3 in Mag was 4&1/2tons if I remember right.

[wymberley]

4 tons per sq. in. was for 3" standard which was the same as 2&3/4" magnum so these could be used in the gun .3 in Mag was 4&1/2tons if I remember right.

For my money, the whole proof situation has got out of hand and needs clarifying. I know not who is right, but the 4 tons figure for a 3" magnum service pressure is so detailed in the BASC 100% Proof article by Bill Harriman. In this he acknowledges much of the technical information was supplied by the Proof Master of the Birmingham Proof House. Again, I know not if the particular Table in question is included in that information. Suffice to say, I believe that a superior proofed (3&1/2 Ton service pressure) 2&3/4" chambered gun is safe to use with, say, Hull Ultramax and Gamebore Buffalo cartridges both being 1&1/2oz loads for 2&3/4" chambered guns. The problem is, and which harks back to my first sentence, is that in neither of these manufacturers' advertisements details any required pressures - service or proof - and consequently under CIP regulations as I understand it they are safe in any 2&3/4" chambered gun.

[FatFreddysCat]

I have a Tolley 12g, 3" chambers, 3 1/2 ton proof. Up until the lead shot ban I used Eley 2 3/4" magnums 1 1/2oz load.

[Underdog]

Wymbers has it.

1&1/4oz of 4#,3# is plenty for foxy. Kinder on the old gun too.

 

U.