doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Opinions on steel shot please

As it stands today all I have to use steel for in my home state is waterfowl. However, I spend quite a bit of time in marshes and I imagine the powers that be will eventually mandate the use of steel on snipe, and probably sooner rather than later. I am wondering about the use of steel in a Classic Doubles 201 and 101 made in the latter 80's. Are these guns that can take a fair amount of steel shot, perhaps as much as one thousand rounds per season? Does anyone else use these guns or have opinions about how well they will hold up to steel? Both are 20 gauge guns. The 201 has fixed IC/Mod chokes and the 101 has tubes. Both are chambered for 3" cartridges. Thank in advance.

Skip

Should think you would be good to go?

Might want to invest in extended/steel safe chokes for the tubed gun....flush mount would be fine, extended would be best though.

Also, might want to check the actual constriction on "MOD" barrel before letting loose with the hard stuff though, unless the barrel is very thick at the beginning of the choke section I don't know that I would take a chance with more than about .015" constriction.

Folks shoot some older full choke 12 and 10ga guns with steel and see no damage....not sure how well that would translate to a smaller bore when you consider the seemingly increased risk of shot bridging?

That all being said.....you prolly would just use target loads of #7 on snipe anyway, correct?

If that is the case I would not have any concerns.

Best,
Mark

Boths guns were made with steel shot in mind.

I guess #7 steel would be about right. With lead I range from 1/2 oz of #9 to 7/8 oz of #8 depending on gauge.



Thank you. I guess I should hold them until the day comes that I have to use it.

Skip

I've been shooting light (1 1/12 oz)steel reloads in Nitro Specials since 1985 and have had no bore problems. I have had some stock cracks and rib loosenings, but likely would have had them regardless what loads were used, as these guns are old oil-soaked klunkers. Just make sure you use good shotcups and stay away from small size shot. Smallest I use is #3 because all I hunt is waterfowl and a few grouse and pheasants.

don't shoot T size steel through a 101 trap 1st year with fixed full chokes,it ain't purdey. I believe it was about 1990 and steel was not required or at least used around Haines Alaska. The shop recived a couple of T size flats of steel for free from a vendor and of course no one would buy it so it was given away thinking it would be cheap to use in a get the bear out of the back yard gun.A couple of weeks later a friend came in and showed us that the cheap sheels were not all that cheap to him as his 101 trap was ruined.In truth that montycarlo stock on his gun hurt like hell and no one could shoot it good anyway.

You do not HAVE to use steel. There are other non-lead shot options which are safe in good guns. All shoot better than steel, but are more costly. Classic Doubles shells are available from Cabelas for instance.