Choke for steel shot

[SteveH]

The manual for my Lanber sporting says not to use more than 1/2 choke with steel shot. However, according to the Gamebore website "Steel Competition loads are safe to use in all 2 3/4 inch chambered guns, regardless of choke, as the shot is is completely enclosed in a plastic wad and never come into contact with the barrel" (www.gamebore.com/page.php?id1=2&id2=1). Does anyone have experience of using steel shot with more than 1/2 choke?

[utectok]

never tried it but I belive it can be done however the pattern gets worse not better. I was told steel patterns tighter as there is no pellet deformation and anyway steel is to light to need full chokes as the range full covers 60 yrds plus steel has lost to much speed anyway! Not personal experience but what I read. I think as the steel is in a plastic cup the tight chokes compres the pellets and the pattern expands in a fairly randomly once out the barrels.

[SteveH]

never tried it but I belive it can be done however the pattern gets worse not better. I was told steel patterns tighter as there is no pellet deformation and anyway steel is to light to need full chokes as the range full covers 60 yrds plus steel has lost to much speed anyway! Not personal experience but what I read. I think as the steel is in a plastic cup the tight chokes compres the pellets and the pattern expands in a fairly randomly once out the barrels.

 

Thanks - some interesting points. May as well stick to 1/2 choke!

[Guest topshot_2k]

you dont need much choke with steel, i have never used more than 1/4 for both wildfowling and clays

[Fuji Shooter]

I ended up with a few thousand of those carts by mistake.

 

I have shot them at the rabbit targets on the clay range using full choke with no problem.

 

The lad uses them in his Miroku at 1/2 & 3/4 too

[Chard]

I did a lot of reading up on this too. The only reason why I was interested is that I have a Mossberg pump that just has a fully choked barrel. I had also read that full choke gives a worse pattern usuing steel but I was totally confused over the safety aspect of it. Conflicting advice everywhere . Gamebore and Mossberg both seem to be saying steel is fine with full choke for small shot sizes, but many others say maximum half choke. The Mossberg info I was reading was confusing, because it related to the use of changeable Mossberg chokes, not a fixed full choke barrel. It was quite clear that their changeable chokes are fine with steel shot, right up to full choke. I've used it on the clays with steel shot, but I think it's quite bad that you can't get a definitive answer on the subject

 

If the gun had a changeable choke system, I certainly wouldn't bother using full choke with steel, due to the distortion of the pattern, but with it being a fixed full choke barrel, I wanted to find out if steel was safe

Edited May 5, 2009 by Chard

[BlaserF3]

This http://www.chuckhawks.com/steel_shot.htm says it all.

[Highlander]

Personally I wouldn't use steel cartridges EVER! I also doubt that the majority of people with a view about chokes have ever patterned their gun/cartridges to see just what the results are so don't listen to them as every gun/cartridge combo will pattern differently. Test your own until you find the best combo. Just don't do it with steel.

[mikee]

i always shoot steel shot through a tighter than 1/2 choke in my Browning Gold hunter 3.5" 12b, i use a terror choke which is slightly tighter than the nominal .050" restriction for full choke and never had any problems with pellets up to BBB, I always use RSI SAM1 wads which fully enclose the shot column, as long as minimum 3 x shot diameter = tightest part of barrel/choke Ø you'll be fine, steel comp loads are loaded to the same spec as normal comp shells so there should be no pressure issues as long as your gun is in ok nick

 

mikee

[BlaserF3]

Here's an article on chokes and steel shot http://www.fieldandclays.com/expert_chokes.htm

 

Personally I think steel shot should be banned, it's more ammunition for the anti's to do away with lead

 

Steel shot will run out of energy at long range well before lead,the only good thing is the pattern will be better due to shot not being deformed because steel cannot be compressed.

 

This is why if your gun is not proofed for steel shot damage will occur.

Edited May 5, 2009 by BlaserF3

[Guest topshot_2k]

Personally I wouldn't use steel cartridges EVER! I also doubt that the majority of people with a view about chokes have ever patterned their gun/cartridges to see just what the results are so don't listen to them as every gun/cartridge combo will pattern differently. Test your own until you find the best combo. Just don't do it with steel.

 

whats wrong with steel shot? plastic wad stops barrel wear. Mate has shot 1000's of magnum steel loads through his winchester and the barrels are mint.

[Guest topshot_2k]

Here's an article on chokes and steel shot http://www.fieldandclays.com/expert_chokes.htm

 

Personally I think steel shot should be banned, it's more ammunition for the anti's to do away with lead

 

Steel shot will run out of energy at long range well before lead,the only good thing is the pattern will be better due to shot not being deformed because steel cannot be compressed.

 

This is why if your gun is not proofed for steel shot damage will occur.

 

1. It wont be banned as steel cannot be used in wooded areas etc due to tree damage and ricochets

2. This is why you use a shot size bigger or even 2 shot sizes bigger. (at 50m Steel shot #3 has very similar energy to lead shot #4)

[Chard]

whats wrong with steel shot? plastic wad stops barrel wear. Mate has shot 1000's of magnum steel loads through his winchester and the barrels are mint.

 

That's the bit that puzzles me. The shot is enclosed in a plastic wad until it leaves the barrel

 

It's a cost thing with me. I find steel cartridges excellent on close range clays (useless on long range ones) and filthy cheap. I am very suspicious of the arguments against, such as barrel wear, because of the wad.

The other thing that makes me suspicious, is all the contradiction. For every argument on one side, there is another side that gives completely the opposite opinion.

 

I have been convinced by the ballistic arguments, about steel losing all its velocity once it reaches a certain distance, but the safety angles leave me unconvinced.

 

It just makes me think there are a few hidden agendas caught up in all this somewhere

[flippermaj]

There isn't half some rubbish on this thread!

 

Steel 70mm carts can be used in ordinary guns, no need for steel proof marks. Read the text on the cartridge box and it will tell you all. I use Gamebore Steel 32grm No4 (US size No3) through a full choke AYA side by side and yes it patterns very tight but 42 forshore duck this season didn't fly on! Mixture of Teal, Widgeon and Mallard at ranges upto 35/40yds.

 

CIP guidlines recommend Steel shot of greater ( i think) than No 3 should not be put through a full choke barrel as there is a theoretical risk of bridging at the choke which could cause choke\barrel damage.

 

3" Steel carts do need to be fired through a Steel proofed gun although there are some who choose to shoot these through 1200Kg ordinary proofed guns at their own risk. CIP regs allow 3" carts to be maunfactured at a higher velocity and pressure than the 70mm stuff.

 

Steel cartridge shot cups enclose the shot protecting it from the barrel walls so there is minimal risk of contact and scoring.

 

I have alos used Eley First steel 24grm clay carts and they were very good, very low on recoil as well.

 

Many folk dismiss steel without actually working out what shot size\payload etc to use and then patterning it. Take a trawl through any Yank or UK wildfowling forum and you will see steel works very effectively and with some of the carts eg Gameboore 3" 36grm loads as well as steel.

 

 

Cheers

 

Flipper