Little Skeeters

[aerod1]

Has anyone used these inserts to reduce a 12 ga. to a 20 ga. or 28 ga.? What is your opinion? Do they damage a barrel? I know the wad for a 28 ga. would have to open wider to accomodate a 12 ga. barrel. I used them once in my O/U and really like the fact that for only $40.00 you can have another gauge.
Thanks,
Jim Hall

[ACP230]

I am considering getting one or two of these. How are the patterns of the smaller shells in a larger bore?

[mikey357]

...the "Little Skeeters" and the similar "Chamber Mates" work reasonably well when used to fire 20 ga. and 28 ga. ammo in a 12 ga. gun....the .410's do NOT work quite so well....well enough for VERY CASUAL use, but NOT for competition-type purposes, UNLIKE the full-length tubes from Briley and Kolar...the ultra-short, chamber-length "tubes" shouldn't damage the 12 ga. barrels, either....mikey357

[PJR]

The little skeeters work as advertised. They pattern according to the choke that is in your gun regardless of cartridge. The wad in premium shells (AA, STS, Gold Medal) does fill the larger bore although I'm not sure whether other wads would do the same.

Having tried them, I found them fussy, messy little things IMHO. You need to reload the skeeters between stations and therefore to shoot a round of skeet you could need up to 5 of them.

The problem with the .410 is the slower burning powder. The latest version of the .410 Little Skeeters that I've seen are about twice the length as the others. The Chambermates are about 5 times longer than the other gauges.

Personally, I prefer the Chambermates. Drop them in, line up the ejectors and you're set. They are more expensive but consider their price compared to 2 or 3 sets of Little Skeeters. The advantage to the Chambermates is their light weight. Unlike the Briley tubes they don't change the handling and balance of the gun at all.

Final note: Depending on your gun and what gauge you are using, the triggers on recoil mechanisms may not shift to the other barrel. This happened on my Beretta 682 when I tried the 28 gauge Skeeters.

Paul

[mikey357]

...well, yeah, they WORK...go "Bang", anyway, but...using the .410 cartridge in ANY of the "short tubes", I do NOT believe you'll see the type of patterns necessary to score well at Skeet, much less at Sporting or other longer-range endeavors...I base this on MANY patterns shot with MANY Skeet guns...pumps, autos, over-under barrel sets AND full-length tube sets...Claude Purbaugh--the originator of the "full-length" tube concept--AND Jesse Briley BOTH have said that you needed 94-96% of the measly 1/2 oz. of shot in the .410 Skeet shell to be deposited in a 26 in. circle at 21 yards to CONSISTENTLY break clays at Skeet distances...my patterning experience has born this out...no matter the choke present in the 12 ga. barrel, I do NOT believe the "Little Skeeters" OR the "Chamber Mates" can deliver that kind of performance...not to mention, with the .410 using WW296 or H110, you'd experience a SIGNIFICANT loss of velocity with the .410 in the "short tubes", affecting both LEAD and downrange ENERGY...I think they'd be Okay for CASUAL use, but lacking in performance for SERIOUS use...my two cents' worth, anyway....mikey357

[aerod1]

Thanks for the replies. the reason I am interested is because a friend had some at the range when we were shooting skeet and I was shooting better with the 28 ga. than I was with the 12 ga. I was using the same chokes for both.
The main thing I was worrying about was the smaller wad not being large enough to protect the larger barrel from the shot.
Thanks for the input. Any more comments pro or con are still welcome.
Jim Hall

[Bud1]

The main thing I was worrying about was the smaller wad not being large enough to protect the larger barrel from the shot.

Your steel barrel does not need protection from lead shot. The wad helps to protect the shot from being deformed during the trip down the barrel, resulting in better patterns. There is also a better gas seal, thus helping velocity. The wad also helps when it comes time to clean the barrel, as there will be less lead deposit to mess with.