I shoot 2 1/2" low-pressure loads in my Damascus Parkers most of the time but I will not hesitate to shoot anything BUT magnum and steel without the slightest concern. My major interest in shooting low-pressure loads is not because of the Damascus barrels but in the probability of subjecting the rest of the gun to any more stress than it deserves after more than a hundred years of hard service, e.g., hinge area, wood at the head of the stock and around the top and bottom tangs, etc.