steelshot and choke tubes question. plz help

happykal

happykal

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Location
Balmertown, Ontario
I own an 870 supermag express, came with an remington HD over decoy choke measured .006, I bought an REMchokeIC .010 and a Rem choke mod .02

I patterned the Over decoy and didn't like it, the IC was an improvement, the modified even better, but I've seen people use IM and Full choke. But I was told that any choke designed for lead will shoot steel, but it is a step up.

IC lead = Mod steel
Mod lead = IM steel
IM lead = Full steel
Full lead = bugs bunny barrel explosion

Is this fact or fiction:bsFlag:??

Like I said i've seen people with full chokes designed for waterfowl. Whether they used steel or tungsten shot I don't know. I don't have much experience with steel shot. I've worked

I also have a Marocchi o/u I'm bringing with 5 different chokes all designed for lead. Murphy is a bastard and I don't want him to take me out of the hunt.

But if anyone could help me that'd be great because I'd like to get a IM choke for the 870 preferably talored to steel.

My o/u is nice, but the 870 has always been my provider.
 
You should be looking for nice even patterns at long range. I Shoot a light modified because it gives me a nice even pattern at long range ( 40 yards or so ). Too many people get caught up with the tightest pattern possible when that isn't really what you want. Go back over your results and see which choke gives you a nice even pattern, I will bet it isn't the IM or Full(steel) either.

I have seen geese killed at obsene distances with steel shot and a modified choke repetitively because that particular gun and load through nice even easy to hit with patterns.
 
Never mind what anybody else says. You have to pattern your brand of shells in your gun with your chokes, to see what they do. No two are alike.
 
Like said above pattern your gun with steel and the shot size you're using,and some full chokes can do steel and some can't,you have to check with the manufacturer,I've patterned my guns an 11-87 and my BPS and modified worked the best over decoys (40-50yrds)with 3 in. #2's
 
Decide what you want the pattern to look like and at what range. Decide what ammo you would like. Shoot some patterns for testing purposes.

Use extended choke tubes for the tighter choke constrictions. Let them take the pounding instead of your barrel.

Use a more open choke with the larger shot sizes to maintain the same pattern diameter as smaller pellets.

Get the bore of your shotgun measured so that you know what baseline you are working from. Measure your chokes exit diameter, don't rely on the manufacturers designation such as "Full, Mod, IC".

~~~~~~~~

When the wad containing shot reaches the choke, the constriction becomes an obstacle and slows the pellets down that are in front. The pellets at the rear are still pushing hard and some of the energy pushes pellets sideways. The sideways pushing results in "ringed" or bulged barrels at the rear of the choke section.

To help prevent this, modern shotguns have heavier walled barrels and the wads are heavier duty.
 
I have a .006 over decoys rem choke for my express (3") Very open and it means over decoys. I bought a HD Remington xtra full choke rated for turkey and predator. This choke was designed for remington HD ammo. It really tightened up my gun and at 50 yards plus with BB steel it is a killer. The choke is rated for HARD hi performance ammo and is very thick in the walls. It also costs about 2 1/2 times what other rem chokes cost. I got it from the old SIR now ------ store in Winnipeg.(np plug, not a contributing dealer)

Darryl
 
sigh I figured I'd get the "Each gun and choke respond differently to different ammo. Go pattern your gun." answers. I understand that thanks.

But the question remains can steel go through my IM choke on my marocchi o/u? It doesn't say lead only. I've been told steel going through a full will destroy the barrel, but what about the improved modified. is this true or just a crock of sht? thanks for the advice.

I'm going to get a Rem HD full pass shooting for the 870 and pattern that.
 
happykal said:
But the question remains can steel go through my IM choke on my marocchi o/u? It doesn't say lead only.
Click to expand...

In post #1 you said the chokes were designed for lead. If the chokes are not designated for steel, don't use steel.
 
My buddy gets his best patterns shooting 3 1/2" #2 through the full choke of his mossberg, manufacturer says they are steel safe. Whereas manufacturer says to use nothing smaller than modified for my beretta.
 
Lodi said:
In post #1 you said the chokes were designed for lead. If the chokes are not designated for steel, don't use steel.
Click to expand...

True I did say that. But that's going from some one else's opinion. Marocchi is Italian make as far as I know. The chokes do not specify anything on them. nor does it say anything in the owner's manual. The person who sold it to me last year said specifically "do not use the full choke with steel." So I guess it was me who jumped the gun on the assumption. my bad.
 
cantgetright said:
My buddy gets his best patterns shooting 3 1/2" #2 through the full choke of his mossberg, manufacturer says they are steel safe. Whereas manufacturer says to use nothing smaller than modified for my beretta.
Click to expand...

I may have to go by that. Beretta is Italian and so is marocchi. It may not be gospel, but it's not worth taking a chance destroying the barrel. I'll be using 3" #2's. I like the #2.
 
happykal said:
I may have to go by that. Beretta is Italian and so is marocchi. It may not be gospel, but it's not worth taking a chance destroying the barrel. I'll be using 3" #2's. I like the #2.
Click to expand...
There are a couple of things here that have not been explained, the first one being that a full choke from one manufacturer is not necessarily going to be the same constriction as a full choke from anther.
i had two Berreta chokes for a 686 , one said "Full steel safe", the other said" full, for lead only" .
Both chokes were full designation but different constrictions, and that is the difference.
On your Italian gun also, if you look on the action you will want to see a fluor di lis stamping, that will let you know that the gun was proof tested for steel loads in Cordone when its testing was done.

Most chokes of full designation are too tight for steel.
Some will do okay with the smaller steel shot sizes, but not thee bigger ones.
Also, it may not happen immediately, but the damage often is cumulative over time.

You best bet would be to buy a Rem Choke or after market choke designed for steel IMO.
Cat
 
happykal said:
But the question remains can steel go through my IM choke on my marocchi o/u? It doesn't say lead only. I've been told steel going through a full will destroy the barrel, but what about the improved modified. is this true or just a crock of sht? thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...

If the O/U means that much to you, Do Not Shoot Steel with it.

Having said that I owned an 80's Citori that was full over mod. or the other way around...anyways I had the shop open the full to mod. and shot it for a couple of years with no ill effects.

I read all the warnings found on the Browning web site about shooting steel through guns manufactured before steel shot was the norm.

The shot shell wad will protect your barrel and it will protect your chokes.This is one of the things they are designed to do, the second is to hold the shot pattern when the wad/shot leaves the barrel.

Dont believe me, check out the promotions/propaganda/marketing information available on any ammo manufacturers web site even U tube will have slow motion action footage of the shot leaving the barrel.

The kiss principle comes into play right after you choose the ammo for the game bird you are after.

Take my opinions and comments for what they are...
Get out there and call the ducks/geese in within acceptable range and knock them out of the sky!
Recover, reload and repeat.

Tight Patterns,
Rob
 
Marocchi has been around for a long time, and you don't list a model number or age of your shotgun. Thread pattern of the chokes tubes will give some info also.

Some of the current O/U's use the Browning Invector Plus thread pattern and suitable choke tubes are available that will handle steel shot. Look at the profile of the barrels where the chokes fit, are the barrels "bulged" to accommodate the choke tubes? If so, you can probably use steel with the appropriate tubes. Compare the thickness of the tubes with the ones from the 870, are they similar...or quite a bit thinner? If thicker, again probably fine with steel shot tubes.
 
If you look at the choke mfgr's websites, they make two sets of chokes, one for lead, one for steel. They are different constrictions. A more open lead choke may work better than the next tighter one in steel, it may not. Wher you can run into trouble is in the descriptions they use. a full for steel is more open than a full for lead, and so on down the list. Larger steel shot usually won't pattern well at all in a tighter choke, some chokes were not designed for use with some of the newer rounds such as Black Cloud and Hypersonics and Kent's. Ie; Patternmaster wad stripping chokes are not warranted with rounds over 1550fps, there are special chokes out there for Black Cloud and Hevishot. There have been some reports of problems with ported chokes and some wads.
And then there are people who use the "wrong" combos and have no troubles ( and some who have had and don't know it), and people who do.
Do a little research, make the best decision you can from the mfgr's websites vs what you want to use for ammo. Bad things can happen with any ammo, any choke and any gun, at any time. All you can do is some research to cut the odds.
 
IMHO if a shotgun manufacturer tells you not to shoot steel shot through their product, what else is there to know? They are privy to the bulged barrels, split barrels and chokes all sent back to them by folks who shot steel in violation of their guidelines (no doubt with a nastygram attached by shooters who can't/won't follow instructions).
 
The Marrochi is an SM83. I brought it just in case Sht happened. But only half the leg of the trip. I left it at buddy's because I was told that his grandfather had extra. And you know what Sht did happen I lost my bead. lol. Find it works better when you look at the bird and not the bead. "Use your eyes and your hands will follow." I stopped at the place formaly known as SIR in Winnipeg and bought a Remington HD EXT. FULL pass shooting choke, but to my surprise it only measured .009 where my IC is .01. I opted for the full because it's extention and it was designed with steel shot in mind.

During the trip we had supper with buddy's grandfather and a couple of his American friends. Both have been coming to his farm land for years. One had experience with shooting steel through chokes that were designed for lead (I only say designed for lead because they have no specifications) He said, like my local gunsmith, A modified lead choke is the equivalent of a full steel. They also said if it says lead only it means LEAD ONLY.

The HD pass shooting worked well enough. We had a good laugh when my poor dog tried to retrieve a downed Greater Canada. She got maybe 2 feet. Then just sat there with a sulky puppy eyed face. The goose weighed as much as she did. She was great on the river for ducks, the field for lesser canadas, and snowies. She may not have been able to retrieve the big guys, but she kept them from running any further.

I tried a few different loads, but I got to say Kent 3 1/2 BB's work well.
 
The only way you are going to get it sorted out is to put up some sort of target and go back 40-50yrds, and try it, no two guns are the same, but make sure you decide on your brand and size of shot, because if you change that so will your pattern, my 870 is set up with a full choke and blackcloud #3's. . . its all what YOUR! happy with
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom