Shooting Steel Through Fixed Full Choke?

[82ndAbnRVN]

Any experience or opinions? I'm finding contradictory opinions online. Browning isn't helpful, either. Would rather not have my Citori fitted for removable chokes.

[BowhunterNJ]

I remember reading about this when researching hevishot through tight chokes. I don't know the real answer other than the smaller the diameter of your barrel and choke the more likely you will minimally suffer from poor patterning due to pellet collisions but also potential damage from less malleable shot like steel. It's probably a matter of the likelihood the steel shot aligning in a way that it cannot be deflected back or forward relative to adjacent shot in order to get through the choke but instead is aligned perfectly side to side and the more forgiving medium is the walls of the choke causing it to bulge or even crack. That's my quasi scientific guess and it's probably a loose one at that. Have you ever seen anyone report bulging or splitting damage? Most gun and choke manufacturers probable err on the side of caution to advise not using certain chokes with harder shot to avoid potential damage or injury even if it is highly unlikely.

 

 

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[MGHunter66]

No don't do it, fixed full choke with steel is a no no

[mazzgolf]

Here's how I look at it. Now, I'm not an expert, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night...

 

Steel does not deform (unlike lead) - if the steel shot doesn't deform, either your barrel has to or the shot gets lodged in the barrel - both are not healthy for your gun and/or you. So unless the diameter of the full choke is wide enough to let all the shot pass through (without having to deform), it is advisable not to do it.

 

I suppose if the full choke is wide enough, it still could cause a poor pattern because the shot will bounce of each other rather than just deform.

 

I dunno - I could be all wrong - but... everything I've read is unless the choke manufacturer says on the choke it is made for steel, I don't do it.

[BowhunterNJ]

Here's how I look at it. Now, I'm not an expert, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night...

 

Steel does not deform (unlike lead) - if the steel shot doesn't deform, either your barrel has to or the shot gets lodged in the barrel - both are not healthy for your gun and/or you. So unless the diameter of the full choke is wide enough to let all the shot pass through (without having to deform), it is advisable not to do it.

 

I suppose if the full choke is wide enough, it still could cause a poor pattern because the shot will bounce of each other rather than just deform.

 

I dunno - I could be all wrong - but... everything I've read is unless the choke manufacturer says on the choke it is made for steel, I don't do it.

 

Right, similar to what I was thinking...BUT...we're essentially saying a FULL choke can result in steel pellets getting "stacked" without enough clearance.  Why can't that happen in a wider choke?  Is it merely the odds of steel being stacked side by side enough to make it happen, and the likelihood of it actually happening?  Or is it somehow just not possible in a wider than FULL choke?

 

To the last point, steel safe chokes may just be made to withstand collisions and are more durable (won't fracture, split, etc)

 

Worth adding, I've never shot steel so I haven't really dug into it much.  Hopefully someone here experienced in the steel world can educate us

[mazzgolf]

Maybe it has something to do with the size of shot and the pressure build up? I think the problems are compounded when using larger shot sizes (like buckshot). Does the pressure increase with larger size shot? Larger shot make it harder to pass through full choke without deflection?

 

When you think about it, pressure is the important thing here - you can point a barrel to the ground and drop 000 buckshot down the barrel, and nothing happens - gravity doesn't put any pressure. But put a gas explosion behind it ... so I wonder if it has something to do with the size of the shot and the amount of powder that increases the pressure that a restricted full choke can't handle when steel is trying to pass through it.

 

We aren't answering the OP's question, i know We're basically making it worse by asking more questions  

[MGHunter66]

Alot depends on the actual constriction of the choke. A wad generally is about .723 wide, the full choke generally .695 wide. The steel pushing through the tight constriction will generally cause the pellets to push through the protective wad petals and come in contact with the barrel. It may scratch or score the muzzle, it may not. That depends on the hardness of the barrel steel itself. if you want to use an older fixed choke gun best bet is to have the choke opened up. Steel shot wads have come a long way simce the introduction of steel. Far better and much more protective. My favorite duck gun is a model b sxs, i opened the chokes to imp cyl and light modified. No harm has happened after hundreds of rounds. Steel shoots much differant than lead being it doesn't compress. Imp cyl choke will give modified patterns, modified choke will give full patterns, full choke will often give blown patterns that look patchy or like a donut. Hope this helps

[82ndAbnRVN]

Excellent discussion ... and very informative. Looks like I'll either be shooting Kent TM or borrowing a shotgun for ducks. Really don't want to mess with my Citori.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Kent-Tungsten-Matrix-Shotshells-Per-Box/706234.uts

[Kype]

great topic. what about shooting steel out of a turkey choke? i own a stoeger m3500 that i use for waterfowl but the firearm came with a turkey choke that i would like to use for predator hunting at night.

[MGHunter66]

Excellent discussion ... and very informative. Looks like I'll either be shooting Kent TM or borrowing a shotgun for ducks. Really don't want to mess with my Citori.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Kent-Tungsten-Matrix-Shotshells-Per-Box/706234.uts

I agree, pick up a cheap pump gun or something. Don't risk it with the Citori. To nice of a gun

[MGHunter66]

great topic. what about shooting steel out of a turkey choke? i own a stoeger m3500 that i use for waterfowl but the firearm came with a turkey choke that i would like to use for predator hunting at night.

If you would be using it for predator hunting why would you be concerned about steel? Aren't you using lead for predator?