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feralmerril
Absent Comrade
Kinda thought I read somewhere lead comes from the ground to start with.
Shooting steel shot in older shotguns
- Thread starter feralmerril
- Start date
It's not uncommon to find Sporting Clays facilitys that now require steel shot only on their courses.
With their layouts built to include natural surroundings including water, pressure from environmental groups and the Gov't side of it has pushed many to put up the 'Steel Shot Only' signs.
Some older, long time trap and skeet ranges have been shut down in the recent years over the lead shot issue.
In most of these cases not only the need to switch to steel to 'protect the environment' but the demand for clean-up of the land and especially the water in the shot landing zones has made it financially impossible for those clubs to continue in business.
Some areas have already made 'steel only' mandated for upland game hunting.
No cheap, clean substitute is yet on the market for lead shot. A billionare status awaits for the one comes up w/one.
Untill then, reletively expensive steel in older shotguns can do some damage.
Good advice to actually measure the bore and choke to find the choke constriction. Do not rely on a simple plug gauge or the dime trick. You could loose the end of your bbl or bulge or split it very easily.
Heavily scored/scratched bbl walls aren't as common as they were when steel shot first came on the market.
The special heavy duty plastic wads now used help prevent that. But the older chamber dimensions, short chambers and particularly the abrupt forcing cone shapes can do an older gun no good w/ steel.
Add in the high (SAAMI limit) working pressure of steel loads to make sure they work in the semi autos w/the plastic stocks,,they aren't something I'd push into the chambers of my Westley Richards.
With their layouts built to include natural surroundings including water, pressure from environmental groups and the Gov't side of it has pushed many to put up the 'Steel Shot Only' signs.
Some older, long time trap and skeet ranges have been shut down in the recent years over the lead shot issue.
In most of these cases not only the need to switch to steel to 'protect the environment' but the demand for clean-up of the land and especially the water in the shot landing zones has made it financially impossible for those clubs to continue in business.
Some areas have already made 'steel only' mandated for upland game hunting.
No cheap, clean substitute is yet on the market for lead shot. A billionare status awaits for the one comes up w/one.
Untill then, reletively expensive steel in older shotguns can do some damage.
Good advice to actually measure the bore and choke to find the choke constriction. Do not rely on a simple plug gauge or the dime trick. You could loose the end of your bbl or bulge or split it very easily.
Heavily scored/scratched bbl walls aren't as common as they were when steel shot first came on the market.
The special heavy duty plastic wads now used help prevent that. But the older chamber dimensions, short chambers and particularly the abrupt forcing cone shapes can do an older gun no good w/ steel.
Add in the high (SAAMI limit) working pressure of steel loads to make sure they work in the semi autos w/the plastic stocks,,they aren't something I'd push into the chambers of my Westley Richards.
straightshooter1
US Veteran
Some trap clubs require steel shot. The Skyway, here, does so. Many of the shooters have shot thousands and thousands of rounds through their guns with no harm.
Very few shoot them through full chokes (and it's not recommended). Most shoot modified, a few Improved Modified and do well with it.
The way to go, with steel in cases where one intends to shoot a lot of rounds is to get a gun with choke tubes. Stick a more open choke in, like modified, and there's no problem.
All that being said, I don't shoot steel. My Perazzis all have fixed chokes, some with barrel work by Wilkinson (the Wayne Novak or Bill Laughridge of shotgun work) and I only have one with choke tubes, a BT-99.
Plus I don't think steel shot breaks targets as well as lead. Yes, I have shot steel for trap at the Skyway, but with an 1100 Trap with choke tubes.
Reloading with steel shot is not really any different than reloading lead but one uses a different, heavier wad.
Bob
Very few shoot them through full chokes (and it's not recommended). Most shoot modified, a few Improved Modified and do well with it.
The way to go, with steel in cases where one intends to shoot a lot of rounds is to get a gun with choke tubes. Stick a more open choke in, like modified, and there's no problem.
All that being said, I don't shoot steel. My Perazzis all have fixed chokes, some with barrel work by Wilkinson (the Wayne Novak or Bill Laughridge of shotgun work) and I only have one with choke tubes, a BT-99.
Plus I don't think steel shot breaks targets as well as lead. Yes, I have shot steel for trap at the Skyway, but with an 1100 Trap with choke tubes.
Reloading with steel shot is not really any different than reloading lead but one uses a different, heavier wad.
Bob
fiasconva
US Veteran
feralmerril, there are several companies out there that make low pressure shells for the older, vintage shotguns. Polywad and RST Shells are a couple of them. Both of them have websites you can check out: Polywad.com and rstshells.com
cussedemgun
Member
Steel shot in older guns
Many older guns were popular enough so that extra barrels are still avalible.
If it is possible to pick up an extra barrel for an older gun you wish to hunt with, have it trimmed to 24"/26" length & have it modified for screw in chokes.
WAH-LAH! you now have the best of both worlds (Grampa's old gun with modern ammo) & it's time to go enjoy!
Jim
Many older guns were popular enough so that extra barrels are still avalible.
If it is possible to pick up an extra barrel for an older gun you wish to hunt with, have it trimmed to 24"/26" length & have it modified for screw in chokes.
WAH-LAH! you now have the best of both worlds (Grampa's old gun with modern ammo) & it's time to go enjoy!
Jim
One of the reasons I did not pursue collecting single barrel trap guns is that I do not want to risk getting stuck with them if they become obsolete.
I kept two:
I kept two:
Last edited:
Sid V.
Member
Another issue with steel shot in older guns is the length of the forcing cone ahead of the chamber.It must be 2 to 3 times longer than lead shot guns.steel shot just doesn't compress easily and will cause very high pressures if fired in a short forcing cone gun. Sid V #1388
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