00 Buck--is it lead or steel?

Smoothbore

Smoothbore

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I have an older Wingmaster with a barrel cut down to 20" cylinder bore.
It takes 2.75 shells.

I know this barrel is not proofed for steel shot. So I have been shooting
Remington "Gun Club" lead target loads and lead slugs.

Now I want to try 00 Buckshot. But I am unclear, is buckshot lead or steel?
How about the other loads of shells--like #4 etc?

Advice would be appreciated!
Thanks.
 
Thanks guys.

So copper-platted, tungsten and hevi-shot would be safe to fire in an older barrel too?

I just want to be safe and reading the descriptions of the ammo they don't
seem to say they are lead--that's why I'm asking.
 
Tungsten and all those fancy metals are all lead replacements. They will be fine in older barrels.

The issue is that steel doesn't compress like these softer metals, and older fixed choke barrels will probably yeild before the steel pellets do. Ie: bulged barrel.
 
Guys, I am no expert, in fact quite the opposite, but have just been investigating the Federal tungsten heavyweight turkey loads with a "lead only" extra full choke. Federal say they are OK with that combination because the #5 shot are small enough that the 200 or so little beads will compress, as a group if you like. Also, the wad is a special, heavy design to protect the bore. Individual, larger shot will not compress so well as a group, and not at all individually, and it is harder than steel.

Why not just stick with lead? You can get #4 or buckshot or whatever anywhere in lead. Those others are for specialty applications like turkeys and waterfowl.
 
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Why not just stick with lead? You can get #4 or buckshot or whatever anywhere in lead. Those others are for specialty applications like turkeys and waterfowl.
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Yes, that's my plan. Now that I know this, I don't need to get a new barrel just to shoot buckshot.

I appreciate all the help.
 
Yes the 30" full choke Wingmaster barrel was cut by the gunsmith to 20".
Hmm, so older barrels are ok for steel shot as long as it does not pass through
a choke?
 
Ritchie said:
Smoothbore, you said the barrel was cut so now you only have a cylinder bore?

Steel will be fine through that.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I said titanium, meant tungsten.
I wasnt referring to a choke on Smoothbore's gun, but more the notion that these "specialty alloys" are all softer than steel (not necessarily so) and therefore good for "old barrels".

But I still thought, why go to the reduced density / mass of steel or the expense of fancy alloys that are mostly trying to imitate lead with non-toxic replacements, if you dont need to?
 
Smoothbore said:
Yes the 30" full choke Wingmaster barrel was cut by the gunsmith to 20".
Hmm, so older barrels are ok for steel shot as long as it does not pass through
a choke?
Click to expand...

As long as the barrel is sound, yes. It's the steel shot going through a choke that's the problem, it forms an uncompressable plug of steel. Lead shot deforms a little and slides through.

"choke safe" steel shotshells have thick wad walls that give through the choke. With cylinder choke, you don't have that problem.
 
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