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Mike,
I've never bought any low pressure loads other than the Winchesters, and those only once. I just decided to reload instead. I already had the equipment, so it wasn't an investment issue, just a time issue.

Regarding what you should shoot in your English guns, I think you should check the proofs and evaluate the gun condition, then make a decision on the appropriate pressure to shoot from them.

So what abour shooting Ultralites in 2 1/2" chambers? Featherlites? I have some of both but I do not use them in my guns with 2 1/2" chambers.
I accidentally fired a 12 ga Federal Gold Medal paper International 24 gr load in my Wm Evans and I had difficulty in opening the gun, lots of high pressure signs on the brass casehead and the hull tapered significantly where it opened in the leade. Recoil was sharp too.

Forgot to say both these English guns are 2 3/4" chambers, one a 1929 Purdey and the other a 1924 Henry Atkin.

Mike B,
If that's the load I think it is, it would be a very high pressure load in a modern chamber skeet gun (International Skeet load?).

Others will disagree with me, but I shoot 2 3/4" paper hull loads (my low pressure reloads) in my 2 1/2" chambered guns. I tested my reloads in an instrumented gun and the pressures were 6500 psi. The paper hulls are good for a few reloads before the mouth gets frayed. A plastic hull should last a bit longer. I use the 2 3/4" hulls out of convenience. It' just less work to not trim them and reset my loading machine and adjust components for load height. Pressure is pressure regardless of hull length.

Mike P,
Once you find out what proof your gun is and what pressure is appropriate for your gun, you may want to consider the Federal Gold Medal Paper Extra-Lite T172 load. It is 2 3/4", 1 1/8 oz @ 1100 fps. I spoke with Federal about pressure and was told "around 9000 psi".


T172 is available only in 8 and 7 1/2 shot

There's also a T175 load that is 1 oz @ 1180 fps, but I have no information on pressure. It may be similar to the T172 and if you can send some to get pressure tested and it works out, you'll have another source of good ammo.

I just bought a box of Federal subsonic loads to try in my Belgian 1880's 2.5" damascus hammer gun. At 980fps +/-, pressure is likely in the 6k psi range, which is fine for my purposes. I also have a box of AA ultralights to try, so it will be interesting to see if there's any substantive difference. I've shot Rio subsonics a lot too, and they are great, especially at $5.69/box.

It was a Federal International skeet load indeed, lots of pressure but my point is, had that Evans chamber been 2 3/4 instead of 2 1/2 there would not have been any pressure signs. I accidentally fired it and I will not do that again!
I cut down Federal paper hulls to 2 2/4" and use a light load of Green Dot. People keep telling me to use 2 3/4" hulls in my 2 1/2 chambered guns and I simply will not do it.

Mike B,
I understand.

My situation is different. I have only American guns. It is possible that the forcing cone of an early American gun is longer than the early English guns. That and the fact that I worked my load up using an instrumented gun with the same configuration chamber as my American sxs guns, is why I know my combination is well within pressure limits.

Maybe Win. makes them, but I never have seen Win. ultra lites. I have Win extra lites and the low noise/recoil.