Advice on Using Bismuth or Coated Steel Shot in Older Shotguns

bbksbh

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Hey everyone, I need some advice. I’ve got an older 12 gauge shotgun with a 2-3/4 inch chamber, and I’m not sure if it’s safe to use steel shot in it. I’m looking for the right kind of shot for waterfowl hunting, but I’m having trouble finding any bismuth shot shells nearby.

Is it safe to use steel shot coated in bismuth (like Hevi-Shot) in older shotguns? Or would it be okay to replace the lead shot with bismuth? I’ve seen some recommendations saying to reload with a similar weight of bismuth or a bit more in volume since bismuth is less dense than lead and you might need a larger shot size.

If anyone has experience with handloading or any suggestions, I’d really appreciate your help. Thanks!
 
Just how old is the gun and what is it choked?
Heavy Metal and other non toxic shot is supposed to be fine according to some, but I stick to straight Bismuth , Nice Shot and ITX in my vintage guns .
Cat
It is an Italian-made Beretta semi-automatic with a cutts compensator and a spreader tube.
images

This is the closest picture I could find on the internet
 
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If you're worried about it just find an extra barrel. The original a300/301/302/303 barrels are all interchangeable as well as a browning barrel which I can't think of right now. I run steel thru fixed mod chokes on my older beretta. Patterns quite nicely
 
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