Let me put this more bluntly.

Assume I have one shotgun. It's old. It's in good shape, but it's 100 years old.

Walking along one day i come to a fork in the road.

On the right fork is a greasy guy with slicked-back hair and a truckload of ammo that reads:
calculated recoil=almost zilch
Chamber pressure=SAAMI Max
This guy tells me that if I take his fork in the road, I can have his truckload of ammo to shoot my gun to my hearts content.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY GUN IF i TAKE THIS ROAD AND SHOOT MY GUN TO MY HEARTS CONTENT??

On the left fork, is another guy--dressed in somewhat unfashionably old clothes and smoking a pipe--with a wagonload of ammo that reads:
calculated recoil=hope you have a heavy gun with a thick recoil pad
chamber pressure="It's a miracle, but nice consistent ignition in any weather, 500psi (yes, five HUNDRED psi)"
The guy tells me that if I take the left fork I can take the entire wagonload of ammo to shoot my gun to my hearts content.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY GUN IF I TAKE THIS ROAD AND SHOOT MY GUN TO MY HEARTS CONTENT??

Assume my stock wood is just fine and the recoil is a non-issue ot the shooter, I'm only concerned about the gun or any issues caused by the gun. Which road is better for my gun? Which road will cause my gun to "shoot loose" faster assuming it's well-maintained in all other respects? Why? What are the best books or references that might help one learn about this in order to make my own decisions?

Last edited by David Furman; 08/06/09 06:18 PM.