Steel Shot in full choke barrels

[erebus]

Hello. first time going duck hunting and i have a ammo issue
can someone giv me some insight on using steel shot, i'd like to use my 1972 Wingmaster which has a full choke barrel but i've been told it will cause the barrel to bulge and could be dangerous. i really dont want to have to purchase a new barrel

 

[Grouse Man]

You'll want to do what you can do to minimize the damage the steel shot will do. Use 2-3/4" shells, of average velocity (not 1,700 fps), and keep the size of the shot to the smallest size which will do the job. In your case, probably #4 or #3.

Your worst choice would be BB and bigger, from 3" ultraspeed shells, whatever they call those Remington loads.

 

[Jay]

What about using alternative non-toxic shot that would be easier on your shotgun? I would hesitate to use a nice vintage Wingmaster with steel shot...

Cheers
Jay

 

[tjhaile]

According to Remington, your 870 is safe to use with #1 or smaller steel shot. Opening the choke to modified or less constriction will allow it to be used with any size of steel shot and will likely result in improved patterns.

 

[mvarley84]

According to Remington, your 870 is safe to use with #1 or smaller steel shot. Opening the choke to modified or less constriction will allow it to be used with any size of steel shot and will likely result in improved patterns.

This

It shouldn't cost much to get the barrel reamed out. But until you do, anything smaller than #2 steel is fine. I used an old 58 Sportsman when I started duck hunting...full choke with winchester xpert 2 3/4 #4's. Patterned really nice, and only $15 a box.

 

[erebus]

According to Remington, your 870 is safe to use with #1 or smaller steel shot. Opening the choke to modified or less constriction will allow it to be used with any size of steel shot and will likely result in improved patterns.

that would be great except my wingmaster doesn't have adjustable choke, just a full choke barrel

 

[david doyle]

Get the choke reamed to modified and the forcing cone opened up. Best 100 bucks you can spend. Just did mine this year and the pattern board and dead ducks tell me I should have done it 15 years ago. OR for a couple hundred you can get a rem choke 870 barrel. IMHO the reaming to a permenant waterfowl gun is a better deal though cause what are you gonna do with a full choke?

 

[tjhaile]

that would be great except my wingmaster doesn't have adjustable choke, just a full choke barrel

By opening the choke, I mean reaming it out to a larger diameter.

 

[mvarley84]

that would be great except my wingmaster doesn't have adjustable choke, just a full choke barrel

You need to take it to a gun smith and have him/her blend the choke out a bit to make it a modified diameter. It isn't expensive at all ($40-$60), and IMO give you better waterfowl patterns than the full choke.

 

[quackquack]

Agreed, either have a gunsmith swage it to modified, or find some bismuth shot (about as soft as lead but non-toxic).

 

[david doyle]

bismuth shot

at 3 bucks or more a shot sure would'nt take long to pay for a forcing cone and choke reaming.

 

[quackquack]

Very true. Even relaoding will not be cheap unless you are sitting on a bismuth mine.

 

[the spank]

I can only offer the same advice, spend the price of a couple boxes of shells and have the choke opened up a bit. Something nobody ever seems to consider, what if you did shoot it as is and did have an issue? Is it worth possibly injuring somebody hunting with you. I have personally witnessed a barrel that blew out from running a load of #2steel through a fixed full choke. Fortunately the barrel never came apart but man it was stretched, not just bulged , behind the choke.......downright scary and the fellow it happened to was pretty humble after as we had all warned him!!

 

[david doyle]

what if you did shoot it as is and did have an issue?

Similiar experience to yours except it blistered, split and puked a pile of crap back in my face, split was maybe 1/16th wide and 1.5 long but somehow alot of stuff made it out if there. In my defense I was younger and stupider and steel was a 'new thing' that barrel was also in the serial range of a remington recall.

 

[erebus]

will look at having it widened, going to try and find a box of bismuth or tungsten shot for this year

 

[david doyle]

Just get it reamed it is a quick job. Last time I looked at Bismuth it was 35.95 for a box of 10 shells (your gonna use the first 2 on the pattern board that leaves you 8.....)

 

[Maxkeg]

Don't use steel shots on a full choke, that's a no, no. Steel shots are good up to IM choke since with steel shots your choke becomes a step tighter. So IM would be full choke. Another thing is that the old barrels do not support steel shots, you'll ruin your gun.

 

[hnachaj]

Remington settled a class action suit about their barrels a dozen years ago. It was NOT even about barrels built in the 70s but later in 80s when steel shot was the norm in the US. Their barrels in the early years including yours cannot withstand the pressure of steel shot. Contrary to lead pellets that will diform when in a constriction such a forcing cone or choke, steel pellets don't! I have seen many of a barrel distorted after the forcing cone or bulged at the choke!Get a forcing cone job and open the barrel to mod, at the most! This wil save your barrel!

 

[guntech]

Hello. first time going duck hunting and i have a ammo issue
can someone giv me some insight on using steel shot, i'd like to use my 1972 Wingmaster which has a full choke barrel but i've been told it will cause the barrel to bulge and could be dangerous. i really dont want to have to purchase a new barrel

It seems I have been posting this every few weeks for the past few years...

SHOTGUN BARREL ALTERATIONS FOR STEEL SHOT

Forcing Cone Alteration:

Factory shotgun barrels usually have a fairly short and abrupt forcing cone. The forcing cone is the tapered area just ahead of the chamber where the shell is contained. Altering the forcing cone, so it is one and one half or two inches in length, reduces recoil and improves the pattern density. Trap shooters and skeet shooters have been doing this for many years. It is a good benefit to the steel shot user as well.

Choke Alteration:
Choke designation from the tightest to the most open are:
Extra Full, Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Skeet II, Improved Cylinder, Skeet I, and Cylinder Bore.

Steel shot does not require the constriction that lead shot needs, to produce good patterns. In fact too much constriction, causes poor, erratic patterns, and in some cases, permanently damages the barrel. I have seen barrels bulged at the choke, I have seen barrels where the choke split right open, from using steel shot.

For steel shot, with thin barrels, chokes should be altered to at least Skeet II. Often, over & under, and side-by-side shotguns, are best altered to Skeet I and Skeet II chokes. Heavier barrels can be left at Modified choke but may see an improvement in the pattern if opened slightly.

 

[the spank]

It seems I have been posting this every few weeks for the past few years...

SHOTGUN BARREL ALTERATIONS FOR STEEL SHOT

Forcing Cone Alteration:

Factory shotgun barrels usually have a fairly short and abrupt forcing cone. The forcing cone is the tapered area just ahead of the chamber where the shell is contained. Altering the forcing cone, so it is one and one half or two inches in length, reduces recoil and improves the pattern density. Trap shooters and skeet shooters have been doing this for many years. It is a good benefit to the steel shot user as well.

Choke Alteration:
Choke designation from the tightest to the most open are:
Extra Full, Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Skeet II, Improved Cylinder, Skeet I, and Cylinder Bore.

Steel shot does not require the constriction that lead shot needs, to produce good patterns. In fact too much constriction, causes poor, erratic patterns, and in some cases, permanently damages the barrel. I have seen barrels bulged at the choke, I have seen barrels where the choke split right open, from using steel shot.

For steel shot, with thin barrels, chokes should be altered to at least Skeet II. Often, over & under, and side-by-side shotguns, are best altered to Skeet I and Skeet II chokes. Heavier barrels can be left at Modified choke but may see an improvement in the pattern if opened slightly.

I shoot my Model 101 circa 1987 with the Skt choke in the bottom barrel and IC in the top barrel for my second shot. The gun patterns superbly with 1 1/4 oz #2 Federal Ultra Shok 3" loads. I have no issues whatsoever crushing geese out to 40 yards with that choke/load combination. Before I ventured forth with that gun and steel shot I contacted Winchester for to see if it was ok to use steel in the gun. They asked for the serial #, then gave me the go ahead with the following instructions that I should not shoot any steel shot larger than # 2 through any choke tighter than Imp Mod. Any larger shot should be fired through no tighter constriction than IC. I have been shooting steel through it now since we were mandated to do so and have stuck to their guidelines and to date have never had an issue and I fire a couple flats per season through it.