PeterHenry Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 Does anyone have any practical experience with the above? Is it necessary to only use steel cartridges of the same length as the guns chambers? Or is it only necessary if using hp steel? Or is it nonsense? My Browning special waterfowl (that predates 2 1/2" steel cartridges) says for use with 2 3/4", 3" and 3 1/2" - NOT 2 1/2" - so I presume extreme differences in chambers lengths have been known to be an issue before? Or would that be more of an issue re pressure, as opposed to one causing damage to the end of the chambers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 On the wildfowling front I have used 3” hp steel in a 3.5” chamber without ill effect. I have also not heard of any of my pals who use these or shorter cartridges seeing any damage around the chamber. Practically, if the wad does it’s job and protects the barrels from the shot column I find it difficult to see why damage should arise. in Canada when shooting the snow geese the benellis fire thousands of 3” cases each season without damage but I look forward to hearing the experience of others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrowning2 Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 Watch from 20:15 Hull say match the cartridge length to the chamber length. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk0cYtomeZ0&t=1287s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudger687 Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 As best I understand it, chamber mis-matching means that the wad will be unsupported for half an inch (if firing a 3 inch cart in a 3.5 inch chamber), and so will attempt to expand to fill the void. In doing so, the petals will move further apart and could create sufficient space in the slit portion for a pellet to scrub the bore. This would suggest that smaller shot has greater potential to score the chambers, given that it's easier for smaller shot to slip in between the petals and make contact with the bore. Larger sizes, counterintuitively, would be less able to slip between the petals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 4 hours ago, rbrowning2 said: Watch from 20:15 Hull say match the cartridge length to the chamber length. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk0cYtomeZ0&t=1287s I have a great deal of respect for anything that the Bontoft family say about cartridges. I think it is sound advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edenman Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 Disaster! Going to have to buy more guns with the correct chamber to suit the cartridges 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjimlad Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 There have been a number of interesting and practical articles in Sporting Gun about steel shot and chamber matching is one conclusion I have drawn from reading them. Richard Atkins is the author. Having a 3" chamber in my 525 which is chiefly used for clays, 3.5" in my auto, and 70mm in my game guns may make this a bit of a PITA! https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/author/richardatkins/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamch Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 8 hours ago, enfieldspares said: I have a great deal of respect for anything that the Bontoft family say about cartridges. I think it is sound advice. Of course it could just be a sales ploy to get us to buy longer and more costly cartridges! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 12 minutes ago, grahamch said: Of course it could just be a sales ploy to get us to buy longer and more costly cartridges! 🤣 ROTFL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterHenry Posted October 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2023 Thanks for all the replies - shooting and work got in the way of me replying earlier, sorry.... I am going to keep an eye on the chambers in my gun and see what happens - as its not really practical to use 3 1/2" cartridges for everything... Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.06c156395828a33a2bc2f53a11df8b81.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.