Side by side and 3 inch steel patterns

[flippermaj]

Sorry to disappoint if you thought you would get to see some nice patterns posted up!

Does anyone have any patterns to post up of 3 inch steel goose loads shot through old side by sides, eg AYA's etc.

I am interested to see where the range runs out for geese, either peoples patterns or actual experience on the foreshore.

Cheers

Flipper

[motty]

Hmmm...

A 3" steel load could look the same no matter what gun it is fired through.

[flippermaj]

Hi Mitty,  agreed a 3 inch steel load could look the same  no matter what gun it is fired through but I would have thought 3 inch of steel through a modern auto may have produced a better pattern than through an old side by side that was never built or choked for steel?

has anyone done some pattern testing with 3 inch steel goose loads out of any gun to see where they run out of range?

cheers

flipper

[bishop]

I can assure  anyone here,from my own experience,that in my s/s using 3" rounds patterns immeasurably better than 3.5" loads.Noticed the difference within the first 2 shots fired at flighting geese and later on patterning.I am using a yilditz btw not an older gun but  the rationale is the same.12 bores and huge payloads are not as good as people will like to think.The 3" round is more than capable .consider the pellet count compared to lead.3.5 loads in steel if you do the math its an absurd load to put thru a 12 i reckon.

Edited November 7, 2017 by bishop

[motty]

6 hours ago, flippermaj said:

Hi Mitty,  agreed a 3 inch steel load could look the same  no matter what gun it is fired through but I would have thought 3 inch of steel through a modern auto may have produced a better pattern than through an old side by side that was never built or choked for steel?

has anyone done some pattern testing with 3 inch steel goose loads out of any gun to see where they run out of range?

cheers

flipper

 

I hear what you're saying, but I reckon there are plenty of older side by sides being used with steel that are choked full and full.

I haven't seen any patterns, but 50 yards should be easily achievable with a 3" steel load.

[motty]

3 minutes ago, bishop said:

I can assure  anyone here,from my own experience,that in my s/s using 3" rounds patterns immeasurably better than 3.5" loads.Noticed the difference within the first 2 shots fired at flighting geese and later on patterning.I am using a yilditz btw not an older gun but  the rationale is the same.12 bores and huge payloads are not as good as people will like to think.The 3" round is more than capable .consider the pellet count compared to lead.3.5 loads in steel if you do the math its an absurd load to put thru a 12 i reckon.

Absurd? How so? A 3 1/2" steel load of BB doesn't contain that many pellets.

[Whitebridges]

I've recently put some 3" and 3 1/2" Gamebore Mammouth No1 steel in to some wallpaper sheets at 40 yards and would say the 3 1/2 cartridge produced the better pattern.

Gun was a Beretta Xtreme with 1/4 choke

[bishop]

Perhaps wrong wording.I was used to alphamax BB as a youngster .More than ample in my Baikal hammer back in the 80's..Maybe 60 pellets in there with lovely patterns.I  have found again and again that gamebore 3.5 BB just dont work for me.The #1 i agree are good enough.That is until i started experimenting with their 3" and then homeloads again in 3".I still cannot get a thick enough rto though with the handtools i use.Was fine with lead but i wanted a rto twice as deep for steel .Btw if anyone has a resizer for  a lee loadall let me know.I have misplaced the old hand made steel cylinder that we used for decades so i cannot resize 12 bores this season as yet.

[6.5x55SE]

Just my personal opinion of a lot of years chasing/shooting geese all over the British Isles.

A 3" Chamber 28" barrel 12ga will out perform 3.5" 12ga even a 10ga.

Even ( I admit lead days ) Kenzie subscribed to this and he shot a Goose or two.

Back to steel shot all though my Gun is 3.5 chamber i very very rarely shoot 3.5 cartridges AS I've found the only gain is less money in your pocket a bad head along with a sore shoulder for no gain.

I believe last season i bought my Favourite gun of old AYA sxb 28" barrel 3" chamber with 1/4 an 1/2 choke I've shot various factory steel home load 32grm 36grm steel shot along with 42grm PWS-Hevi-Shot and HW13 if i do my bit it kills Teal to Canada geese just a far and well as when i used lead 

I'm not a fan of shooting paper so rely on shooting live Quarry so in my opinion as I've shot snipe and Teal regularly with 32grm Steel 2"s/3's and Foreshore Pink's with 36grm Steel B's/2's and 3's i think it patterns okay 

[tonker]

 sorry post deleted wrong thread

Edited November 7, 2017 by tonker

[lancer425]

It is highly probable a old AYa magnum 12 could produce good patterns with steel shot, keeping speeds down as with typical shop bought normal magnum steel will in theory help with patterns yet with all patterning from any gun the prof of the pudding is in the eating, you need to pattern the gun with whatever magnum load you want to use this way you will know.

If you are looking for assurance on using typical older lead day magnum guns with Steel loads , some can be exeptional I have a couple of older autos X full 32 inch Browning magnum and franchi autos all with  fixed full chokes and yet give no problems and pattern up to BB great, i have not tried BBB ot T or F as i do not use such sizes in 12bores so no idea how big shot fares in such guns.

.

[Whitebridges]

5 hours ago, 6.5x55SE said:

Just my personal opinion of a lot of years chasing/shooting geese all over the British Isles.

A 3" Chamber 28" barrel 12ga will out perform 3.5" 12ga even a 10ga.

Even ( I admit lead days ) Kenzie subscribed to this and he shot a Goose or two.

Back to steel shot all though my Gun is 3.5 chamber i very very rarely shoot 3.5 cartridges AS I've found the only gain is less money in your pocket a bad head along with a sore shoulder for no gain.

I believe last season i bought my Favourite gun of old AYA sxb 28" barrel 3" chamber with 1/4 an 1/2 choke I've shot various factory steel home load 32grm 36grm steel shot along with 42grm PWS-Hevi-Shot and HW13 if i do my bit it kills Teal to Canada geese just a far and well as when i used lead 

I'm not a fan of shooting paper so rely on shooting live Quarry so in my opinion as I've shot snipe and Teal regularly with 32grm Steel 2"s/3's and Foreshore Pink's with 36grm Steel B's/2's and 3's i think it patterns okay 

Really helpful post thank you. This prompted me to take a rummage in my shed. I found a few 20 bore remmington steel in 20 bore and these.

I clonked a few duck with them but can you recommend for geese at sensible range?

      

 

[guy baxendale]

Surprised Penelope hasn't posted as he shoots an AYA magnum S/S.....not sure if he has ever patterned it though...

[Big Mat]

There is a Zabala 3" local to me with 1/2 and 3/4 chokes up for £75, i think it'd make a good duck and goose gun with 3" steel loads, 36 grams of 1s would be a nice load through it! 

[Gerry78]

 I  recently bought a AYA NO 3 Magnum and have been using it for wildfowling ive put gamebore 3 inch carts through it at mallard teal and the odd wigeon and the results have been very good i didnt have the time to pattern it the chokes are 1/4 1/2 been more than happy with the gun even thou im not a fan of steel lol Have a New Browning A5 3 half inch chamber ive used 3 1/2 inch carts  on two fowling trips i dont think theres much benefit of using the 3 1/2 carts

[AberFowl]

2 hours ago, Whitebridges said:

Really helpful post thank you. This prompted me to take a rummage in my shed. I found a few 20 bore remmington steel in 20 bore and these.

I clonked a few duck with them but can you recommend for geese at sensible range?

      

 

I have used many if them aswel as the 40g 3s for geese.

Very good cartridge imo.

Will consistently kill further than the average man can consistently hit the target at.

[m greeny]

1 hour ago, Big Mat said:

There is a Zabala 3" local to me with 1/2 and 3/4 chokes up for £75, i think it'd make a good duck and goose gun with 3" steel loads, 36 grams of 1s would be a nice load through it! 

Buy it

[6.5x55SE]

4 hours ago, Whitebridges said:

Really helpful post thank you. This prompted me to take a rummage in my shed. I found a few 20 bore remmington steel in 20 bore and these.

I clonked a few duck with them but can you recommend for geese at sensible range?

      

 

Thank you 

100% those Hevi-Shot kill geese with authority.

When they first came out it was Buy one get one Free limited to one box . But after a while you could buy what you wanted my Father some how convinced a Gun shop to sell him 10 boxes with the buy one free deal 

[islandgun]

I took apart a few boxes of express hevi shot a several years ago  as I didnt have 3" chambers, I still have the shot and would like to re-load it, BASC say that sintered shot should be loaded as lead, it crushes easily and weighs slightly more than lead, anyone got an opinion/suggestion ? 

Edited November 7, 2017 by islandgun
correction

[Penelope]

18 hours ago, guy baxendale said:

Surprised Penelope hasn't posted as he shoots an AYA magnum S/S.....not sure if he has ever patterned it though...

Been up to the Wash and Ouse Washes since Monday, so only just seen this thread.

A Birmingham Midland Gun Company 3" Magnum and never patterned it. Something I keep meaning to do but never get round to it. I have thought about using white polythene sheeting from a builder's merchants.

Someone has loaded me a handful of 36g copper coated steel B's in 3" flavour.

[figgy]

19 hours ago, Big Mat said:

There is a Zabala 3" local to me with 1/2 and 3/4 chokes up for £75, i think it'd make a good duck and goose gun with 3" steel loads, 36 grams of 1s would be a nice load through it! 

I’ve paid more for a wildfowling choke, so at that price it’s worth throwing whatever you want through it.  There strong guns anyway. 

[Gerry78]

I think patterning a gun can be useful but you have to remember your shooting at a static target not something thats flying and moving in the air plus take into account weather wind etc Im sure some of the Boys on PW could give you a better answer than me If you find a gun and cartridge combo you like stick with it

[bishop]

Refreshing  to see many agree with me that 3.5 is kinda not really worth the extra cash if buying loaded  nor the extra recoil.Put the bead where its meant to be and the 3" rounds  do the job  more than adequately at the correct ranges prescribed for steel shot ,or any other shot for that matter.

[Marsh Monkey]

Shot a good range wigeon this morning with a aya number 3 magnum and eley lightning steel 36g 3. Gun is choked 1/4 and 1/2. Just don't like seeing the gun covered in mud but prefer using it to an auto. Have also got a william ford 1200 bar 3". It is tightly choke and have not put steel through it yet, was thinking about gamebore super steel 32 size 4's. Anyone shot them through older tight choke guns?

[Gerry78]

Same gun i have aya magnum great guns