The effects of steel shot thru a lead choke tube....

Lavid2002 · June 9, 2008, 07:43 PM

A REMINDER TO ALL! Check your gear, stay safe THEN have fun!

Last duck season, shot skeet all summer, got syked for duck season, left lead mod choke in the tube.....only shot 5 shotshells that day. Took me 8 hours of soaking in ALLOT of CLP, working and scratching the hell out of the top of this thing to get it out. Luckily, I then hunted the next morning :P
top
EDIT: HAHAH!THIS PIC. EVEN HAS THE PRINT THAT SAYS "NO STEEL" ON IT!

I was fine, gun was fine....Small mistake im lucky.

Dave

Lavid2002 · June 10, 2008, 12:05 PM

Bump

hogdogs · June 10, 2008, 12:20 PM

What split the choke? during removal? What is the difference in a lead and a steel choke?
Brent

Lavid2002 · June 10, 2008, 12:27 PM

The choke was split upon firing, I HAD NO IDEA! The only thing I did to it(Besides not put a steel choke in ) Was scratch up the divets made for removal because I needed to smack away with a hammer to take the tube out.

The steel shot is FAR more dence than lead shot. Therefore steel choke tubes must be made out of tougher material like hardened steel. This was meant for lead and even though I only shot 5 shotshell, it sliced it like a hot knife through butter.
Hope that helps! Read the choke tube it will tell you steel or no steel. Check your firearm as well! Most modern firearms are fine but old ones can be iffy.

Jeff Mulliken · June 10, 2008, 01:52 PM

Steel shot may swage out a choke that is designed for lead. That is because it does not compress at all at the choke and at high velocities hard shot "bridges" and acts more like a solid than a liguid. The evidence is a bulge right behind the tightest part of the choke.

It looks like this:

This damaged choke at the beginnig of this post shows evidence that the wad and shot charge hung up on the inside edge of the choke tube and peeled away a piece. This is often caused by failure to completely seat the choke in the barrel or it can be caused by a choke is even slightly out of round.

I once saw a friend drop a choke tube....pick it up and screw it in with no obvious trouble and the same damage occurred when he shot a 1 1/8 oz load of lead #8's through it a few minutes later. Dropping it had damaged it the minute amount necessary to allow the wad to hang up on the tube where the choke tube intersects the barrel.

Jeff

mikenbarb · June 10, 2008, 02:58 PM

I have read that with the new style wads that steel shot wont damage barrels or chokes because pellets dont contact the bore surface. I guess they were wrong.

Jeff Mulliken · June 10, 2008, 03:04 PM

Mike,

There are special wads designed for steel shot, however all they are designed to do is protect the barrel from scoring. They do nothing to prevent bulging at the choke.

And there is no wad made that will save your choke if there is an edge exposed that the wad can catch on to as it goes by at 1250++ FPS.

Jeff

rem870hunter · June 10, 2008, 03:41 PM

i am glad that you and any bystanders were not hurt. i see the NO STEEL on the choke tube in the first pic. what make was the shotgun/choke tube?

oneounceload · June 10, 2008, 06:49 PM

too tight a choke will do that as well. Rule of thumb is at least one choke more open for steel versus lead. NEVER use a full choke with steel

mikenbarb · June 10, 2008, 09:48 PM

Oneounce, You very well can with small steel shot, Not the large stuff. Its even rite on the back of Federal's box with choke recomendations for steel shot. Brileys Goose tube for large steel is even an Improved modified and my Browning patterns T steel and Hevi-Shot great with it. I always thought an open choke is better also but thats not always the case anymore. I hunt alot of waterfowl and choke makers are trying new things all the time. I upgrade my tubes every season because someone comes out with better.

I even have a Remington factory Full choke tube that says "for lead or steel". Now why would Remington label it like that if you couldnt?

Lavid2002 · June 11, 2008, 12:06 PM

My shotgun is a H&R pump 12 gauge. That was the standard choke tube that broke, Luckily I had a replacement in improved that I now use for skeet, and ducks :P

June 9, 2008, 07:43 PM	#1
Lavid2002 Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2007 Posts: 2,568	The effects of steel shot thru a lead choke tube.... A REMINDER TO ALL! Check your gear, stay safe THEN have fun! Last duck season, shot skeet all summer, got syked for duck season, left lead mod choke in the tube.....only shot 5 shotshells that day. Took me 8 hours of soaking in ALLOT of CLP, working and scratching the hell out of the top of this thing to get it out. Luckily, I then hunted the next morning :P top EDIT: HAHAH!THIS PIC. EVEN HAS THE PRINT THAT SAYS "NO STEEL" ON IT! I was fine, gun was fine....Small mistake im lucky. Dave __________________ Math>Grammar

June 10, 2008, 12:05 PM	#2
Lavid2002 Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2007 Posts: 2,568	Bump __________________ Math>Grammar

June 10, 2008, 12:27 PM	#4
Lavid2002 Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2007 Posts: 2,568	The choke was split upon firing, I HAD NO IDEA! The only thing I did to it(Besides not put a steel choke in ) Was scratch up the divets made for removal because I needed to smack away with a hammer to take the tube out. The steel shot is FAR more dence than lead shot. Therefore steel choke tubes must be made out of tougher material like hardened steel. This was meant for lead and even though I only shot 5 shotshell, it sliced it like a hot knife through butter. Hope that helps! Read the choke tube it will tell you steel or no steel. Check your firearm as well! Most modern firearms are fine but old ones can be iffy. __________________ Math>Grammar

June 10, 2008, 02:58 PM	#6
mikenbarb Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2007 Location: N.J. Posts: 1,111	I have read that with the new style wads that steel shot wont damage barrels or chokes because pellets dont contact the bore surface. I guess they were wrong. __________________ Mike B. Gun control= Being able to hit your target. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pifinnercircle

June 10, 2008, 09:48 PM	#10
mikenbarb Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2007 Location: N.J. Posts: 1,111	Oneounce, You very well can with small steel shot, Not the large stuff. Its even rite on the back of Federal's box with choke recomendations for steel shot. Brileys Goose tube for large steel is even an Improved modified and my Browning patterns T steel and Hevi-Shot great with it. I always thought an open choke is better also but thats not always the case anymore. I hunt alot of waterfowl and choke makers are trying new things all the time. I upgrade my tubes every season because someone comes out with better. I even have a Remington factory Full choke tube that says "for lead or steel". Now why would Remington label it like that if you couldnt? __________________ Mike B. Gun control= Being able to hit your target. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pifinnercircle

June 10, 2008, 12:20 PM	#3
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	What split the choke? during removal? What is the difference in a lead and a steel choke? Brent

June 10, 2008, 01:52 PM	#5
Jeff Mulliken Senior Member Join Date: July 13, 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 250	Steel shot may swage out a choke that is designed for lead. That is because it does not compress at all at the choke and at high velocities hard shot "bridges" and acts more like a solid than a liguid. The evidence is a bulge right behind the tightest part of the choke. It looks like this: This damaged choke at the beginnig of this post shows evidence that the wad and shot charge hung up on the inside edge of the choke tube and peeled away a piece. This is often caused by failure to completely seat the choke in the barrel or it can be caused by a choke is even slightly out of round. I once saw a friend drop a choke tube....pick it up and screw it in with no obvious trouble and the same damage occurred when he shot a 1 1/8 oz load of lead #8's through it a few minutes later. Dropping it had damaged it the minute amount necessary to allow the wad to hang up on the tube where the choke tube intersects the barrel. Jeff

June 10, 2008, 03:04 PM	#7
Jeff Mulliken Senior Member Join Date: July 13, 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 250	Mike, There are special wads designed for steel shot, however all they are designed to do is protect the barrel from scoring. They do nothing to prevent bulging at the choke. And there is no wad made that will save your choke if there is an edge exposed that the wad can catch on to as it goes by at 1250++ FPS. Jeff

June 10, 2008, 03:41 PM	#8
rem870hunter Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2007 Location: N.J. and trying to decide what state to move to. Posts: 973	i am glad that you and any bystanders were not hurt. i see the NO STEEL on the choke tube in the first pic. what make was the shotgun/choke tube? __________________ BEAR Bows,Remington shotguns,Marlin rifles

June 10, 2008, 06:49 PM	#9
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	too tight a choke will do that as well. Rule of thumb is at least one choke more open for steel versus lead. NEVER use a full choke with steel

June 11, 2008, 12:06 PM	#11
Lavid2002 Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2007 Posts: 2,568	For all the curious people, My shotgun is a H&R pump 12 gauge. That was the standard choke tube that broke, Luckily I had a replacement in improved that I now use for skeet, and ducks :P __________________ Math>Grammar