Shells for my Wingmaster

G

gahris

New member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Location
Ottawa
I have a 1960's Wingmaster chambered for 2 3/4". The barrel is a 30" full choke.

What shells are safe and unsafe with then gun?

Is buckshot ok? Steel? What about slugs?
 
Winchested said:
Any shell but steel loads. If you want to shoot steel get a smith to hone the choke out to modified.
Click to expand...

Modified is Good , but Improved Modified is a bit better.
Modified will give you similar choke performance to a Full choke pattern when shooting steel shot for Waterfowl game birds. This is my opinion and experience and others will disagree.
I'm only speaking of using it for steel shot and Waterfowling, so for more detailed information a good gunsmith will offer more options to your quest,
Rob
 
If mine for what you are going to pay to have the choke opened I would add another 50 or 60 dollars and pick up a good express barrel off the EE that is threaded for choke tubes.
 
Brought the barrel to a gunsmith and this is what he said:

Barrel is to thin to hand bore to Improved or Modified. He recommended we cut the last 1.5" off the barrel for the same effect.
 
buy an after market barrel with interchangeable chokes.

opening the choke is a stop gap method, some steel shot sizes need IC to get true FC patterns, and you can't predict it one way or another short of patterning your shotgun.

Take the option that gives you the most options,(interchangable chokes)

Better yet toss a couple more bucks at the game and go buy an 870 Express for just a couple bucks more than an after market barrel runs, and keep the 30" tube gun for trap or something.'
 
I only paid $200 for the gun, I didn't want to spend a bunch on it changing things up. I just wanted the ability to shoot some Buckshot and Slugs at targets tbh
 
the old wingmasters are good quality guns. they are well worth the two hundred you paid .enjoy it the way it is and if at a later date you find a barrel threaded for chokes you will have a versatile quality gun .
 
Well - You can get a used barrel for 100 - 130$, plus choke. You can sell your old barrel for 50-60$. Or you can sell the whole kit for what you paid idf and when you decide..
 
gahris said:
Brought the barrel to a gunsmith and this is what he said:

Barrel is to thin to hand bore to Improved or Modified. He recommended we cut the last 1.5" off the barrel for the same effect.
Click to expand...

Choose another gunsmith, cause that makes no sense whatsoever.

Opening the fixed choke from Full to Mod or any other more open choke entails removal of metal in the choke area only of the bore. This is in no way unsafe.
Nominal bore diameter on a 12 ga. is .729, if a Full choke in the 12 bore is .040 restriction, then the choke area is .689 or wall thickness is .020 thicker than nominal bore dia.

If Mod choke equates to .030 constriction from nominal, one needs only to ream .010 from the choke and does not affect wall thickness of the barrel anywhere but the choke in the manner choke has been effected in shotguns from the dawn of choke boring.

Sure you can give er' with the hacksaw, but then you have a bubba'd barrel with no choke at all(cylinder), devalued the gun and made the gun only usefull for 20 yards with such an open pattern.
Ask any actually competent smith that works on shotguns.
 
I just got an offer from a local CGN member. He has a Wingmaster barrel that has been cut down to 18.5" and had the site reattached. He said the bluing is good and wants $80.

Assuming the barrel is good, is $80 a good price?


On another note - Can buckshot and slugs be safely shot through the FC 30" barrel? Some say yes, some say no!
 
gahris said:
I just got an offer from a local CGN member. He has a Wingmaster barrel that has been cut down to 18.5" and had the site reattached. He said the bluing is good and wants $80.

Assuming the barrel is good, is $80 a good price?


On another note - Can buckshot and slugs be safely shot through the FC 30" barrel? Some say yes, some say no!
Click to expand...

$80 for a cut barrel is a decent price, but 18.5" wont be good for any hunting. If you just want to blast away go for it tho, I have an 18" and a 12.5" barrel for mine. They are both fun.

you can shoot buckshot and RIFLED slugs through the full, but accuracy might not be ideal through a full
 
luke s said:
you can shoot buckshot and RIFLED slugs through the full, but accuracy might not be ideal through a full
Click to expand...

To be honest, don't judge - I just want to blast an old computer tower, water jugs, etc with a slug or two. Maybe disintegrate some junk, etc.

I don't really plan on any serious hunting with my Wingmaster. If anything, it would maybe be some partridge, turkey
 
gahris said:
To be honest, don't judge - I just want to blast an old computer tower, water jugs, etc with a slug or two. Maybe disintegrate some junk, etc.

I don't really plan on any serious hunting with my Wingmaster. If anything, it would maybe be some partridge, turkey
Click to expand...

you are good to go then! no need for any extra barrels. I got my 1st wingmaster a year ago for $170, never selling that thing
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom