Larry,
If it was really cold, I might just load up a 1 1/4 oz #5 load in that Webley. It shouldn't be a big problem, as performance goes down on all loads around zero, and the thing weighs 6 lbs, 10 ozs. Most of my 12s are lighter than that.
One or two a year, in cold weather, wouldn't hurt it. Been doing it for years with my Silver Snipe, a lighter gun.
I'd rather hunt with the 700 than a NID. While it's worth more, it isn't really an expensive gun.
But, it is much nicer than any NID.
Best,
Ted
Ted, $2K plus is "expensive" to a lot more people than $700 is. And I do agree that 700's are "nicer" than NID's . . . as they should be, at 3x the price.
Whether a few Super-X loads would "hurt" . . . Well, a 2 3/4" chambered Model 700 is going to carry a 3 1/4 ton proof. That's service pressure. Converted to our psi measurement: 9,682 psi. That's about 2,000 psi shy of the 12ga service pressure standard in this country. Might not hurt . . . or might. And would certainly hurt your shoulder more than the same round fired out of a gun that was designed to handle Super-X loads, and weighs about a pound more. Stronger and heavier, Ted, because it was specifically built for heavier loads.
So, do you take "nicer" in terms of appearance, nicer handling characteristics for an upland gun . . . or do you take stronger and cheaper? You pay your money and you take your chances, as they say.
