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Forums10
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Most Online1,131 Jan 21st, 2024
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,456 Likes: 86
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,456 Likes: 86 |
Years back I patterned several brands of steel shot through my factory Bennelli chokes and several aftermarket extended chokes designed for steel shot....I came to one conclusion all steel shot patterns like crap and offers terrible killing power.
The three brands of factory loaded bismuth shells I patterned shot almost as good as lead and appeared to have as good a killing power as lead shot on squirrels and ducks.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,696 Likes: 99
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,696 Likes: 99 |
When steel first became the law for duck hunting I was afraid to use it in some of my guns because of the choke. That, plus I couldn't hit anything with it.
I had a Stevens 311 police model with 22" barrels and no choke. I tried that gun with steel and began having great luck with it. Close shots and long shots both.
So, I would have to say that steel can be managed with choke restriction...Geo
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 216
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 216 |
When goose hunting with steel I have learned to have a handful of steel 6's or 7's in an easy to reach spot. I use them to clean up cripples and it's much easier to get a pellet or more in the critical spots with so many more pellets available. I use my tighter choke for that.
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,613 Likes: 355
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,613 Likes: 355 |
A number of years ago, concerned that some day we might need to shoot nontox at relatively small and fragile birds at close range, I patterned both steel and lead target loads at 15 yards (not overly close for grouse and woodcock, especially early in the season) through a 20 and a 12 with open barrels both choked IC (.005 in the 20ga; .007 in the 12ga). 1 oz loads of Win Expert steel 7's vs Rem Gun Club 8's in the 12. Results were slightly more spread with the lead load, but not by all that much. Using Kent Fasteel 7's and STS lead 8's in the 20ga (both 7/8 oz) I found that I got more spread from the steel load, which really surprised me--but convinced me that I would not be disadvantaged by overly tight steel loads if I had to shoot nontox at woods birds.
I don't intend to shoot steel (or other nontox loads) unless I'm required to do so. For pheasants, unless there are more restrictions on lead in the next few years, I probably have what for me amounts to a lifetime supply of Kent Tungsten Matrix 5's and 6's. 2 1/2" 12ga. I'd likely repeat my short range/open choke test with guns I now own and through which I'd shoot steel just to verify what I observed previously with steel and lead target loads, should--for example--the feds put in place a requirement to use nontox on woodcock. (Which, since they're migratory, the feds have the authority to impose.)
Don't lose that private ground because lots of the public is requiring nontox even if not ducking.
_________ BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan)
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,961 Likes: 9
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,961 Likes: 9 |
The only choke tubes I have seen shoot good patterns at 40 yards with coarse steel shot are Briley Extended I MOD chokes. We tried C, S, IC, LM, and Mod and the result was cat sized holes in the pattern. The reason for the test wasBrowning would not warrenty the barrels with T's. The choke in Briley's extended chokes is outside the barrel.
bill
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 262 Likes: 23
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 262 Likes: 23 |
In response to Bill Schodlatz, I have been called on to repair two guns with screw in chokes that bulged due to coarse (T) steel shot.In each case the damage was @ 2-3" back from muzzle in the choke cone section where the choke is at its thinnest. It's not an easy fix and not always successful.Suggest you examine your Briley tubes to make sure they put the cone outside the barrel profile.
Last edited by Hugh Lomas; 11/24/20 08:12 AM.
Hugh Lomas, H.G.Lomas Gunmakers Inc. 920 876 3745
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 262 Likes: 23
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 262 Likes: 23 |
In response to Little Creek's original post I did do research in to the effects of choke restriction vs shot dispersal @ 15 yrs ago. I received from Italy a number of 10ga O/U's, in the white, with fixed chokes F&F of .042" restriction. Utilizing 3&1/2"Remington shells in #2 steel shot I proceeded to pattern at 40yds from Muzzle. Initial results gave a pattern of 68%,it was noted that the pattern was somewhat patchy. I then proceeded to open the lower barrel in .003" increments noting the gradual increase in density. End result was that opening,balancing and final polishing to a restriction of .018" gave an 84% pattern. The intermediate results were progressive and clearly indicated a steady trend. With regard to "balancing" I usually cut chokes on Mr Greener's principal of equal length cone and parallel section, this however was based on lead shot with e density of 11.xx. For steel shot with a density of 7.3 I increased the ratio to make the parallel section @ 50% longer ie 1:1.5 Summary. Both 10 & 12ga guns choked as above .018" & .008" will throw patterns of Xfull and Mod performance. I did a number of guns like this and the owners (myself included)have been well satisfied
Hugh Lomas, H.G.Lomas Gunmakers Inc. 920 876 3745
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,613 Likes: 355
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,613 Likes: 355 |
Hugh, my inside-the-barrel chokes from Briley came with the expressed instructions to never use any steel larger than 4s in steel. And only the IC and M chokes are labeled for steel - they are a slightly different color than the other tubes. Obviously made from a different alloy. I've followed those two rules and and never had a problem.
_________ BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan)
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,369 Likes: 98
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,369 Likes: 98 |
Right. There's one public area (upland habitat) I hunt in Iowa, not far from private ground to which I have access, that requires nontox. I got lucky and took a limit there season before last. 1 oz Bismuth 6's.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,456 Likes: 86
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,456 Likes: 86 |
Stan Hevi shot proved that roundness doesn't matter years ago...
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