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  #1  
Old 09-16-2021, 10:47 AM
stevei stevei is offline
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Default Re: want to use steel shot

Hello,

Remington 1100. Belive mid 70s to mid 80s if I remember when purchased it from Turners used about 15 years ago. The barrel I bought from Gunbroker is a fixed mod choke, no choke tubes. The receiver is a regular 1100, not a magnum. The barrel does not have the stamp for me to look up the year of manufacture. I used lead 2 3/4 - size 7 1/2 lead for Pheasant hunting in it and had no issues. The place I went was ok to use lead at the time. Many many years later I want to hunt Pheasant again. What steel shot size do I need? Most important, is this shotgun safe to use steel shot? I am so confused as how to get proper shells that will be safe for the shotgun and come closest to what I used to use in lead projectiles before. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Safety with using steel shot is by biggest fear as I have not chartered these waters before, lol!

Thanks, Steve
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  #2  
Old 09-16-2021, 11:31 AM
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Must be planter birds. I mostly hunt wild birds and would suggest #3 for steel. General rule is 2 sizes larger than lead.

Many shotguns that weren't "designed" for steel shot will handle steel fine. I wouldn't worry about an 1100. Maybe a double with barrels soldered together.


Perfectly safe for you. The worst I've heard for an auto is a rib coming loose.

Personally, I've been shooting #4 and #5 handloaded bismuth on ditch chickens. Rio makes a similar commercial round.

Where are you in CA? I have some 2-3/4" steel in pheasant sizes (4's and/or 6's?) from back in the day that would be fine on club birds.
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  #3  
Old 09-16-2021, 11:38 AM
edgerly779 edgerly779 is offline
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I use #4 steel for big ducks and pheasant mod choke 870 or imp cyl/ mod over under
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Old 09-16-2021, 1:43 PM
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I'd go with #6 or #4 steel, probably #6. Through that fixed modified choke bbl steel is going to act like a full choke.
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  #5  
Old 09-16-2021, 1:45 PM
NATEWA NATEWA is offline
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Avoid the issue of using steel and buy bismuth. Less cripples and no worries.
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  #6  
Old 09-16-2021, 8:21 PM
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With a modified choke you should be good to go. Manufacturer's DO NOT recommend using a full choke as the steel shot has trouble compressing down, where lead would compress without issue.
Yes as stated above, #4 would be a good shot size in steel. Most steel rounds also have an elevated velocity from lead as it loses velocity more rapidly and cannot keep the inertia as well as lead shot. Pheasant isn't usually a long shot situation, so should be okay.
mike
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  #7  
Old 09-17-2021, 6:34 AM
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Steel should be safe for you to shoot, concerns would be scoring or bulging the barrel. For modified cylinder, you could limit it to steel #4s or smaller if you wanted to avoid significant risk of the shot bridging. Barrel scoring is mostly prevented by wads currently in use, but it is a risk.

Or you could buy a box of bismuth shells and not worry at all. I've used #5s on pheasant and was very happy with their performance. Would not hesitate to use them in my 120 year old double.
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Old 09-17-2021, 8:01 AM
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I’m buying as much Bismuth as I can find!
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  #9  
Old 09-17-2021, 12:10 PM
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Thank you all for the info! JagerDog, I am in Los Angeles. Went shopping today. No Bismuth anywhere, no steel shot in 2 3/4, was told from everyone "not for months". I did find 2 boxes of steel 7. I bought it in case I should go for quail. I am sure this won't cut it for Pheasants!
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Old 09-17-2021, 12:22 PM
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Very little 2,4,6 steel around. Big 5 has 7 all the time. Order online to local ffl when you can find it. Bismuth even harder to come by or hevi shot,
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Old 09-17-2021, 4:48 PM
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Ok will try to find a FFL that will accept the sale. I know FFL folks will do a transfer ranging like 100.00+. Not sure the cost for 2 boxes of shotgun shells. I sure don't wanna pay that amount to get them plus the purchase cost, lol!
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  #12  
Old 09-17-2021, 4:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowDrifter View Post
I'd go with #6 or #4 steel, probably #6. Through that fixed modified choke bbl steel is going to act like a full choke.
100% spot on
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  #13  
Old 09-17-2021, 7:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevei View Post
Ok will try to find a FFL that will accept the sale. I know FFL folks will do a transfer ranging like 100.00+. Not sure the cost for 2 boxes of shotgun shells. I sure don't wanna pay that amount to get them plus the purchase cost, lol!
If I buy ammo online and have it sent to my FFL, his fee is $10 per case (250 rounds) of shot gun ammo. Plus the background check fee.

Ammo transfer fees are usually much less than a firearm transfer fee (100.00+ in your example).
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Old 09-17-2021, 7:42 PM
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For what it’s worth, I’ve used steel shot size BB in my old Mossberg 500 fixed modified choke. Dropped Snow Geese at 25-30 yards with ease.

I have a few boxes of Remington steel BB that run 1300fps. I’d be willing to help anyone here if needed.

I’ve been to Sportsman’s Warehouse recently out in corona, and they had a decent selection of multiple types of steel shot ammo. Prices weren’t great, but they had the ammo to sell.
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Old 09-18-2021, 6:48 AM
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Steel out of the modified choke should pattern about like lead through a full choke. We do lots of duck hunting over decoys, and occasionally pen raised pheasants, IC choke and #4 steel works just fine.
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  #16  
Old 09-18-2021, 5:50 PM
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Try Gun World in Burbank for Bismuth.
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  #17  
Old 09-19-2021, 1:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by THBailey View Post
Steel out of the modified choke should pattern about like lead through a full choke. We do lots of duck hunting over decoys, and occasionally pen raised pheasants, IC choke and #4 steel works just fine.
This is important to note.

Steel shot patterns denser than lead shot (usually). I don't hunt pheasants, but I do shoot plenty of ducks in a year. I go with steel #3 out to about 40 yards, though I generally try to shoot them closer. I used to shoot a mod choke, but now shoot IC or skeet. Does just fine on big canvas back ducks and kills little ruddy ducks as well. As noted possible problems would be barrel ringing or crack the rib off the gun. Neither is really a safety concern. Another problem would be possibly peening out the choke to something more open.
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Old 09-19-2021, 8:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowDrifter View Post
I'd go with #6 or #4 steel, probably #6. Through that fixed modified choke bbl steel is going to act like a full choke.
I belive This One Is Good one too.
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  #19  
Old 09-19-2021, 9:25 PM
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I use #6 steel. 7 and 8 are trash. Man I hate this state
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  #20  
Old 09-19-2021, 9:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 9mmrevolver View Post
I use #6 steel. 7 and 8 are trash. Man I hate this state
Not to bicker, but I disagree. Federal makes an ounce-and-an-eighth load of 7.5 steel running at 1400fps that has been putting the smack-down on Dove for me these past two weeks.
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Old 09-20-2021, 11:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 9mmrevolver View Post
I use #6 steel. 7 and 8 are trash. Man I hate this state
Quote:
Originally Posted by PoorRichRichard View Post
Not to bicker, but I disagree. Federal makes an ounce-and-an-eighth load of 7.5 steel running at 1400fps that has been putting the smack-down on Dove for me these past two weeks.
Hopefully, you are just trying to say that with the right load for the targeted species steel can result in effective kills.

The OP wants to hunt pheasants with steel.

That dove load might work on planted pheasant that hold in the bush, if you are a quick shot, shooting at close range.
Even in that scenario, it's not a load that I would want take into the field to use on pheasant.

In California, if I'm using steel and/or bismuth hunting pheasant, I would not go smaller than #6.

When using steel, speed kills. I believe that 1400 FPS steel is the way to go.
The slower the speed, the sooner you'll run out of effective range.
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  #22  
Old 09-20-2021, 1:36 PM
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About 20 years ago I sent a email to Remington about using steel shot in my 1952 20 GA. 11-48 with a full choke.

This was there reply:


Thank you for visiting Remington Country! We certainly appreciate you taking the time to write in with your question.

You can shoot steel shot through any Remington barrel made since 1950. In a fixed full choke, you can shoot up to a size #2 pellet. Anything larger would not perform well out of a fixed full choke and could open up your muzzle over time.

Should you have additional questions, please feel free to contact our Consumer Services Department at 800-243-9700, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, EST, Monday through Friday.





I guessing that some folks using that advice had their barrels damaged because I noticed a few years ago they had changed their recommendation on their website

They now say:


Question
Can I use steel shot in my shotgun barrel?

Answer
We do not recommend the use of steel shot through any barrel manufactured before 1963 or through any barrel having a fixed Full choke. If you have barrels, manufactured after 1963, with fixed Modified or Improved Cylinder chokes, you may shoot up to size #2 steel shot. The use of steel shot larger than size #2 is only recommended in modern barrels with the Rem Choke system.

If you have the Rem Choke system, you may shoot any size steel through the Improved Cylinder and Modified choke tubes. The Full choke tube must state "For Steel or Lead" to be capable of handling steel shot.






The Remington 1100 was first introduced in 1963.
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  #23  
Old 09-20-2021, 6:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PoorRichRichard View Post
Not to bicker, but I disagree. Federal makes an ounce-and-an-eighth load of 7.5 steel running at 1400fps that has been putting the smack-down on Dove for me these past two weeks.
Dove are a whole different animal (literally and figuratively).
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  #24  
Old 09-20-2021, 10:34 PM
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I used Number 7 steel two weeks ago on doves and it worked well. I have not hunted pheasants in many years, but Number 4 would be what I would use with steel.
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Old 09-21-2021, 12:28 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevei View Post
Thank you all for the info! JagerDog, I am in Los Angeles. Went shopping today. No Bismuth anywhere, no steel shot in 2 3/4, was told from everyone "not for months". I did find 2 boxes of steel 7. I bought it in case I should go for quail. I am sure this won't cut it for Pheasants!
From your first post, it seems that you are hunting planted birds at a club. If that is the case, the steel #7 you bought will work

Get out there and enjoy yourself hunting again.
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