Ted:
A cheap steel-shot fowler can be made by simply sawing the chokes off an old heavy duck gun.
Years ago I acquired a Greener 'Empire' 12-bore shotgun very cheaply at auction, because it had been fired with an obstructed muzzle and the damaged 2 inches had been removed by hacksaw! I used this gun as a 'loaner' with steel shot to introduce new-comers or casual shooters, and it patterns surprisingly well with US #1 (= UK BB). The geese we shoot are lighter in weight than yours, but are wiry and tough to compensate. Nevertheless, anything centred within about 35 yds is on its way down!
I use home-loaded Bismuth in a Cashmore sidelock as a general rule, but ran out of time this year so I finished the season with steel in the old Greener. I've gotta admit, many of my prejudices against steel shot have been re-assessed, especially for late season shooting when the birds are flighting well within range.
If it's lack of a suitable double-gun that's keeping you out of the swamps, give this a try. You will be amazed at the nice even patterns achievable with the larger steel-shot sizes from straight cylinder-bore!
PS: My Greener likes 'Fiocchi of America' US#1 steel the best, but also patterns well with Italian RC UK#1 steel. It has fired many hundreds of steel cartridges to date, with no visible evidence of scoring in the bore whatsoever.
