Lead to Steel Choke Conversion

[General Skanky]

I saw this on the Briley website.

Hadn't considered a choke for lead would equate to a tighter constriction for steel.

Just thought we could use up to Modified, that's it.

https://www.briley.com/c-460-lead-to-steel-shot-conversion.aspx

Have I read that right?

For example, IC lead = Modified shooting steel.

 

[Freddypip]

Yes - I understand the effect of the choke is double that for lead.

I'm guessing however that (as with lead) may change depending upon gun, choke & cartridge.

If we go all steel then I can see a new market in 1/16, 3/16, 5/16, 7/16 chokes for steel. It's also interesting that browning have adopted numbers for the chokes in the 825.

 

[k80ben]

The shells have come a long way now I shoot more steel than most and I shoot the same for both. The myth that you can’t shoot tight chokes has long gone

 

[Martinj]

Thanks Ben, does the advice about going down two shot sizes still count?

 

[Bavarian]

Thanks Ben, does the advice about going down two shot sizes still count?

Never heard of that. The other way round
to use one size bigger for game shooting is what i know.

 

[k80ben]

Thanks Ben, does the advice about going down two shot sizes still count?

Yes mate so if u shoot 5s shoot 3s for the same killing energy over 45/50 yards under that one size be sufficient

 

[Martinj]

Never heard of that. The other way round
to use one size bigger for game shooting is what i know.

Should have said two numbers down

 

[Jonny English]

I've patterned an eley vip and gamebore dark storm 32 gram 4 in steel (3.25mm) against a hull high pheasant extreme 32 gram xtrm 6 (2.75mm) through 1/4 choke and the patterns were very similar indeed for spread. The steel wasn't as tight as I was expecting. I'm not usually a black gold/ dark storm fan, I find them a bit thumpy compared to some other cartridges. But the dark storm in steel were excellent, pretty smooth and killed up to 50 yards superbly. Both the dark storm and vip were standard steel not hp.

 

[k80ben]

I've patterned an eley vip and gamebore dark storm 32 gram 4 in steel (3.25mm) against a hull high pheasant extreme 32 gram xtrm 6 (2.75mm) through 1/4 choke and the patterns were very similar indeed for spread. The steel wasn't as tight as I was expecting. I'm not usually a black gold/ dark storm fan, I find them a bit thumpy compared to some other cartridges. But the dark storm in steel were excellent, pretty smooth and killed up to 50 yards superbly. Both the dark storm and vip were standard steel not hp.

No recoil no energy

 

[Mark Edwards]

Back when we in the 'states were first forced by governmental fiat to shoot steel for waterfowl here, the early steel loads utterly SUCKED. It is hard to describe how bad those loads patterned/wounded game. The rule of thumb was to back down 2, or more likely 3, shot sizes for equivalent energy at plus/minus 40 yards. As well as to "loosen up" one or two "degrees" of choke, not shoot any choke tighter than mod due to shot bridging and deforming the choke tubes, or blowing out some really tight chokes in a fixed choke Model 12, etc. So at that time, most people here went from shooting lead #5's for ducks to steel #2's in "plus-chambered" guns. Now, the steel loads are an order of magnitude more efficient than those old heifer loads. They have figured out wadding and higher velocities, and you are seeing competent folks shooting steel 4/5's for ducks instead of #2/3 shot, through much tighter chokes including loose full (at least in recent production guns). In places where you have to shoot steel at clays due to environmental issues, pretty much all you see is steel #7's.