Old guns with non toxic shot

[TimH]

My question is regarding non toxic shot in old guns. I enjoy duck hunting with my grandfather's Browning Auto 5 - I'm out for the dog work, the setting, the chance to get out and think about my family. The old gun is a big part of that. I usually take a couple of shots and come back with one or two ducks. I can honestly say I don't want a new gun and I can't justify a new barrel with the rest of lifes commitments.
What damage am I doing by shooting steel? It is hard to get anything else where I live. What are the best options?

[dudley]

Federal makes a non toxic shot that rates a 15 on the hardness test apparently that pretty soft and hevi shot makes one that rates about a 11 (check it out on guns and ammo i think) and they are same apprently.

[nj gsp]

I guess that depends what choke it has. I'm assuming it's a fixed choke, not a screw in. I was told by a gunsmith not to shoot steel in a fixed choke gun with anything tighter than IC. You can "ring" the barrel, i.e. put a bulge in it a few inches down from the muzzle even with a modified choke, and it's highly likely with a fixed full choke, unless the gun is designed to shoot steel shot (like my Mossberg 835 UltiMag) which seems to mean a long forcing cone, back bored barrels, and heavy barrel walls near the muzzle.

He said it doesn't make the gun unsafe, but anything that stresses the steel in the barrel is best avoided.

Instead of steel, I'd suggest using Bismuth shot. It's expensive, but bismuth is soft, performs like lead, and from what I understand is safe to shoot in any modern gun, even with fixed chokes.

[BigShooter]

By all means take the gun in to a gunsmith and find out what the choke is. Most of the older Auto-5s were full choke. It's cheaper to get a gunsmith's opinion about using the gun for steel and having the choke opened up than it is to shoot very much non-steel, non-toxic shot like Bismuth. Most often a gunsmith will check the choke for free.

[HuntinSconny]

I know this is an old thread but i had a similar situation. I wanted to use my grandpa's remington model M-10 when I went phesant hunting. From the serial # it was built in the '20s. We hunt on waterfowl production areas and need to shoot nontoxic so I emailed Remington and their reply was modern shot was still safe to shoot in the gun. The next question was would the steel harm the barrel, but for the few shots I would use it for we decided not to worry about it. The gun isn't leaving the family so it is an heirloom thing and I am just happy to carry it one day a year. Kind of like my dads 30.30 during rifle season.

[jarbo03]

I use my A-5 Sweet 16 duck hunting, fun to shoot. I had the choke opened to a LM and shoot nothing bigger than 4 shot, the bigger the shot the more likely a problem is to occur. If you reload I also use mylar wraps in the shotcup and load no more than 7/8 oz of shot.

[Ryman Gun Dog]

Tim H,
If your older guns were not engineered for shooting steel or any other very hard shot, do not use it in your older gun, no matter how the gun is choked.
Many of the older guns will wear badly if steel or hard shot of any kind is used, degrading the barrels. I never use steel shot in my L.C. Smith double guns
they were never engineered and tested to shoot this kind of ammo, many other older weapons were engineered in the same way. You very well may have to
purchase a newer shotgun for hunting ducks, the Ruger 12 Guage O/U Strainless Steel model is a great duck gun. Here again they have instituted federal laws so you are unable to hunt Ducks with your older shotgun, so if you exclusively hunt Ducks it renders your shotgun usless except for home security.
RGD/Dave

[nikegundog]

I don't run any steel through older shotguns that have been handed down to me, however have no problem running it through any of my post-1970's shotguns regardless of their choke.

[JKP]

I love old doubles and own more than my wife needs to know about!!! I know that non-tox is expensive, but how many shells do you actually put through a gun per season when hunting? If you put more than 5-6 boxes WHEN hunting through a gun, then you either have a freezer that is over flowing or you need to get thee to the clays course. Shoot the old guns...use non-tox...spend the few bucks...enjoy a classic....buy one less 12 pack/month and you'll cover the difference.