Had a blast last opening day shooting my 20Ga BSS at ducks. I had some older bismuth I bought on a close out. Thinking about shooting it again this year. I hear both sides on steel shot in these guns. I am sure target size steel would be fine, I know others who have done it for years in 12ga. What is the consensus here?

I also have an Ithaca/skb 20 ga. It is the years when they were imported by Ithaca, black Crome outside, chrome plate inside. Any thoughts on this one?

Ultimately I have to move out of CA even if I want to shoot doves with these guns. Many more guns too....guess I should just move...but my duck club is in Los Banos CA...one of the things that may make me stay when I retire

Looking for honest answers from doers, not just talkers.

Jerry

I used an Ithaca/SKB Mod.100 in 12 ga. M/F for a number of years shooting seaducks. Shot at least 1000 rounds of # 2's. No perceptible damage to the gun.
Favorite shell for that gun was Remington 2 3/4" Nitro Mag.

I guess at this point I should say that I would not recommend shooting any steel through those M/F chokes.

Dennis

I have used a 12 ga, BSS for a lot of years with steel 3s and 4s for ducks. It is my go to duck gun, actually. It is a 30 incher, which originally had M and F chokes. Since it did not have a barrel selector, and I wanted to shoot it in S x S sporting clays competition, I had the left barrel opened to the exact same constriction and the right, which was .018".

I have shot a lot of steel through it with no barrel or choke damage whatsoever.



SRH

Hi, when my oldest son was younger, I gifted him my 20ga BSS and he used it for everything. I did however have choke tubes that were okay for steel installed by Carlson. With the tubes I never worried about any damage to the bbls. Just something to think about.

Stan, that's a great picture of you!!!!

Good Luck!

Greg

Well . . . those guns came out of Japan. The steel shot recommendation on Parker Reproductions, also made in Japan, was that you shouldn't shoot steel through a full choke barrel. I think Stan's choice is a reasonable one: Mod (or more open) should be fine. Those guns are neither real old nor real delicate. And I don't think we've heard any horror stories about ring bulges (or worse) as a result of shooting steel through modern Japanese doubles--although staying away from the steel shot/full choke combo seems a reasonable caution.

That kinda lets you out don't it Mr. Clown

jOe - current post total 11855
Larry - current post total 9991

Looks like jOe is winning the battle of “talkers”.

Another thread hijacked with nothing to contribute but personal attacks. Wow!

My practice is to shoot Bismuth in my doubles with a full choke and steel only in the ones with modified or more open chokes. Browning does not recommend steel in any of their Belgian guns. I agree with Larry on the Japanese guns...Geo

I should have added that I do not shoot steel in any of my damascus guns. In addition I only shoot steel in post WW-2 age guns. That is probably conservative but that's what I do for what its worth.

I know a fellow in the US who has been coming to the great white north every fall for years to hunt waterfowl. All he has ever used is a BSS and steel shot has done it no damage. Don't know what it has for choke constrictions.

Oldest son shot ducks and geese with an Ithaca/SKB Model 280 20 gauge 3" chambers with IC/IC chokes #3-4 steel for years with no problems. Exceptional patterns.

Thanks to everyone, I appreciate it. I was slow to by a 12 ga BSS from a fellow CA sis guy who was selling it at our statewide shot for his brother, who had shot steel in it for a long time. Missed my chance

I am having one of my LC Long range restocked, but I will only shoot Bismuth or ITX in it.

I have always shot a lot of 20 ga over the years, just not for ducks, except a little when lead was still legal. I had a blast last opener, but I hunt 2 days a week most of duck season, so... bismuth and ITX get a little hard on the pocketbook. Maybe if I was a better shot! LOL

Thanks again to all who have shared their experiences.

Jerry

I had the chokes opened to 10 and 15 thou on my 12-g BSS specifically to shoot steel. So far no problems.