The Steel Shot Shotgun

[Old farrier]

2 hours ago, Penelope said:

Nice bit of wood on the magnum, OF.

Thank you 😊 

i like nice wood on my guns 

[Penelope]

15 hours ago, Old farrier said:

Thank you 😊 

i like nice wood on my guns 

Likewise. Makes a gun IMO.

[bunny_blaster]

I’ve been using steel exclusively for pigeons for the last 8/9 years. Cartridges ranging from 21gr-32gr and shot sizes 3-9’s. I use on average 15-20,000 cartridges a year, I’m yet to see any damage in my barrels. My latest pigeon gun being an old Miroku 800 trap gun choked at full and full, rough as a dogs ****, I’m about 3000 steel cartridges in with it and as of yet no adverse effects

[Old farrier]

33 minutes ago, bunny_blaster said:

I’ve been using steel exclusively for pigeons for the last 8/9 years. Cartridges ranging from 21gr-32gr and shot sizes 3-9’s. I use on average 15-20,000 cartridges a year, I’m yet to see any damage in my barrels. My latest pigeon gun being an old Miroku 800 trap gun choked at full and full, rough as a dogs ****, I’m about 3000 steel cartridges in with it and as of yet no adverse effects

Could you be kind enough to tell us what your main cartridge is please 

als have you tried any of the bio wad / degradable products 

many thanks 

of 

[Scully]

46 minutes ago, bunny_blaster said:

I’ve been using steel exclusively for pigeons for the last 8/9 years. Cartridges ranging from 21gr-32gr and shot sizes 3-9’s. I use on average 15-20,000 cartridges a year, I’m yet to see any damage in my barrels. My latest pigeon gun being an old Miroku 800 trap gun choked at full and full, rough as a dogs ****, I’m about 3000 steel cartridges in with it and as of yet no adverse effects

Brilliant! That’s just what folk need to hear.
I’ve used a lot of steel ( nowhere near as many as you ) in old guns, and folk I talk to simply just don’t seem to believe me when I tell them it is perfectly safe and ok to use in their old Winchesters, Brownings, Mirokus and Berettas. 
One of the many annoying aspects revolving around the steel shot farce,  is the way some in the trade have capitalised on the scaremongering regarding HP steel shot proofing and devalued old none steel proofed guns. 

[old'un]

41 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

Could you be kind enough to tell us what your main cartridge is please 

als have you tried any of the bio wad / degradable products 

many thanks 

of 

if I am correct, on one of his posts he mentions using 28g 7.5s steel (iron) pigeon shooting.

Not sure if they were bio wad?

[bunny_blaster]

55 minutes ago, Scully said:

Brilliant! That’s just what folk need to hear.
I’ve used a lot of steel ( nowhere near as many as you ) in old guns, and folk I talk to simply just don’t seem to believe me when I tell them it is perfectly safe and ok to use in their old Winchesters, Brownings, Mirokus and Berettas. 
One of the many annoying aspects revolving around the steel shot farce,  is the way some in the trade have capitalised on the scaremongering regarding HP steel shot proofing and devalued old none steel proofed guns. 

I don’t own a gun that is HP steel proofed. My 2 main guns are my Beretta 391 and my DT10 along with this trap gun I’ve started using

[Scully]

1 minute ago, bunny_blaster said:

I don’t own a gun that is HP steel proofed. My 2 main guns are my Beretta 391 and my DT10 along with this trap gun I’ve started using

I don’t either, and nothing newer than the 1980’s. 

[bunny_blaster]

1 hour ago, Old farrier said:

Could you be kind enough to tell us what your main cartridge is please 

als have you tried any of the bio wad / degradable products 

many thanks 

of 

My main cartridge use to be a 24gr 6 from RC but I can no longer get hold of them. I started off years ago using 32gr 3/4/5’s but I soon realised you don’t need these big punchy loads to kill pigeon’s. My go to cartridge now is the Lylvale 28gr 5s or Fiocchi 28gr 7s

As for Bio wad cartridges, I used to shoot the Jocker 21gr 7s with the paper wad. These were mustard over the decoys but again they stopped making them. I’m lucky that 99% of the farmers I shoot for couldnt care less about plastic wads as long as I’m killing pigeons. I do pick them up as when I see them whilst picking up though. For the few that don’t like it I use the Bioammo 24/28gr 7s. These are very good although quite punchy for a 28gr load.

I’ll also mention that you don’t need big shot sizes when using steel. The amount of things I read from “experts” claiming you need to go up a shot size or two when using steel is a load of ****. Pattern is what kills and there’s a lot more shot in a steel load than there is in the equivalent lead load. I understand going bigger if shooting tall ducks or geese but for pigeons there really is no need.