Are 2 3/4 inch steel shells any good?

TheCoachZed

TheCoachZed

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Should I even bother upgrading to a 3" chamber shotgun for next year's goose and duck season? I only use lead for crows, so I have no idea if the 2 3/4 steel shells are any good.

My shotgun is only chambered for 2 3/4 but it has an adjustable choke so I can shoot steel, even though it's an older gun.

Are any brands better than others?
 
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Three inch chambers just give you more options on load charge weight.

2-3\4 shells are fine for closer work.
You'll kill more at close range with any sized steel anyways.

Steels not a long range load no matter the size(length) of chamber.:)
 
My wife has shot a lot of geese with her Model 12 and 2 3/4" BB's.Over decoys they do the job just fine.She uses #3's for ducks. Mur
 
Here is what I do with 2-3/4" Fasteel #1s out of modified choke: all from 2008
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I like the federal black cloud, had great sucess with them last year. Probably even a good federal or another manufacturer would work. Opened up a cheap steel load and you can easily see the difference.
 
Heck, I use 2/34" shells in my 20 gauge for geese and often outshoot my partners - it's about how they pattern in you gun and how well you shoot , more than how long the shell is!
Cat
 
The diff. between 2.75 and 3.0 in steel shot wouldn't be worth buying a new gun I would think, but watch your adjustable choke. Depending what it is, steel shot could rip it off your barrel (I've heard).
I have an old shotgun with a polychoke and I wouldn't fire steel out of it.
Have fun.
 
I used 2 3/4 inch most of last year as I let dad use my semi and I used an older pump with modified choke. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of remington fast steel #4. I shot many limits with them last year.
 
Kent brand ammo in 2 3/4 inch fasteel is a great product, comes in a variety of shot sizes and has the same velocity as the 3 inch load. 3's and 4's for ducks, 1's and bb for geese. FS
 
My shotgun is only chambered for 2 3/4 but it has an adjustable choke so I can shoot steel, even though it's an older gun.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily true!
I had an older Stevens pump gun with a clone of a poly-choke. These are NOT suitable for steel at all. I believe most of the older finger/collet style chokes, like older poly-chokes are not suitable for steel, steel with hammer these and potentiall split them of potentialy blow them off - how risk averse are you?

As a rule of thumb any choked gun made before the advent of steel should be treated as unsuitable for steel.

If you cut the choke off that gun and use a cylinder bore then you will be OK with steel, but with the attendent pattern limitations. Luckily steel typically patterns tighter than lead so cyclinder bore is certainly usable for closer shots.
 
i have never seen a polly choke blown of a gun from steel shot yet if it is opened up to mod or improved it should work fine there should not be anything to catch the shot when it is pasing thru the choke DUTCH
 
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