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will the A5 barrel hold upwith steel?
O
Too old to suffer fools
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
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will the A5 barrel hold upwith steel?
O Hi OUTCAST, This particular barrel held up well despite being used with steel shot for many years prior to the Briley choke installation. I should note that I never used anything larger than #2's in this barrel. My only concern with this barrel was that I was not achieving the really tight patterns I wanted with smaller shot sizes i.e. #3, 4 through the fixed/integral Modified choke. Once the Briley work had been done, I was running everything from IC (0.010" constriction)through to XF (0.040" constriction) choke in shot sizes from #6 to BB in steel - no problem.
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Well, it nuthin else you guys have convinced me to switch from BBs to #2 shot. Still think I'll pick up a newer auto off the used gun rack between now and next waterfowl season.
O
Too old to suffer fools
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Joined: Feb 2010
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I shot nothing but Winchester Supreme & Drylok..NOT ANYMORE.
I made the mistake of trying some Kent Fasteel in the middle of the season..I will never look back now.This stuff is awesome - forget the name brand crap and paying 27 and 34 and 40 and 52 dollars for a box of steel.This stuff is 16.00 a box and kills them dead - stone cold dead at 40 yards-(thats my limit) with steel shot - I hate the crap !! no matter who makes it - but I have to give it to Kent -they have out done themselves.
Now if they would just tell me the powder and components so I could load it myself..called the main office and they just laughed..and somehow I knew that was going to be their response.
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On a side note. What do you guys think about steel shot in general? I don't think it kills nearly as well lead. Based on the number of cripples I found dead this year, I think it's a toss up between which slowly kills more ducks. Lead poisioning or steel shot.
O Steel shot sucks !! Nuff said.
Last edited by Rodngun; 03/19/10.
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Campfire Regular
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Hi Baltz526,
The 870 is a fairly reliable gun and for that price it�s worth looking at.
I try to avoid ultra high velocity loads where possible. I believe it�s a case of diminishing returns � improvements in one area come at the cost of something equally valuable. Generally I find that loads incorporating velocities upwards of 1,350 � 1,400 fps really don�t pattern all that well. In fact, all the shells I�ve patterned have been dreadful performers. This is despite spending hundreds of dollars on barrel modifications and quality chokes to get them to work well.
The other obvious problem with really high load velocities is recoil. These shells kick hard, particularly in fixed breech guns. IMO, the prolonged effects of recoil work negatively on a hunters shooting ability and in certain cases they create long term problems such as flinching.
I have played with steel shot handloads with a velocity range of 1,250 � 1,275 fps in 1-1/8oz and 1-1/4oz payloads. These were extremely effective when matched to an appropriate shot size, choke, bird species and shooting distance. For decoying work a 1-1/8oz load of #3 or #4 handled virtually any bird species and shooting distances under 35 yards. For long pass shooting situations, I found that a 1-1/4oz load of #2�s and a Light Full (0.030� constriction) choke will take large ducks out to 55, 60, 65 yards without problem.
As for geese, I generally use factory ammunition. Usually Winchester Drylok in either a 2-3/4� 1-1/4oz or 3� 1-3/8oz load of BB�s. I�ve played with other pellets sizes such as BBB, 1 and 2, however, the BB�s just work well for everything from decoying to long range pass shooting. With these �Bad Boys� I just use a Modified (0.020� constriction) and Improved Modified (0.025� constriction) chokes out of my o/u.
What i use for pass shooting snow geese is a remington 870, truelock extended .700" imp mod choke 3" hevi shot duck, 1 1/4oz #2 at 1550. Or hevi steel 1 1/8oz #2 at 1550, Or kent fast steel 1 1/8oz #2 at 1550. When i'm shooting my reloads it is 1 1/4oz of #1 steel at 1460fps. Slow steel pellets just cause lots of cripples. Pellets with energy kill birds, patterns while important is not everything i consider in picking load/gun/choke combos. Over the years i have updated or replaced my older shotguns for steel/nontox hunting. Most days i pack my browning gold 10ga, loaded with reloads, 1 3/8oz BBB at 1600fps. very good patterns are possible with high velocity nontox loads, In the 12ga the largest shot i found to maintain good patterns is #1 steel. BBB in the 10ga. #2 in factory shells of any nontox type. If i want super full patterns 1 1/8oz of #3 steel at 1475fps out of the .700" imp mod. I have little luck patterning BB steel in 12ga unless it is slow, under 1375fps. We do very little decoy hunting out on the high desert, 90% pass shooting is all we have for waterfowl hunting.
The anti American Constitutional party (Democrat). Wants to dismantle your rights, limiting every aspect of your constitutional rights. Death by 1000 cuts is the tactic. Each cut bleeds constitutional rights to control you. Control is the goal.
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rod..,
Never heard of Kent Faststeel - but i intend to learn all about it. This was my first year using steel and i was disgusted at the number of birds i hit that got away. I had never lost a bird til i started using steel.
O
Too old to suffer fools
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Feel free to visit my website - everything there was killed with Kent this year- I just started that website -I had no Crips and no lost birds.I have been duck hunting since I was 7 and at 50 I have shot everything- paper shells all the way to Bismuth...Kent Fasteel has them all beat -hands down!!
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I tried some 3" #4 Fasteel in my 20 gauge last fall for ducks and geese and was totally impressed!
I only use a 20 for waterfowl and besides my hand loads, I have tried Winchester and the federal premium which I alkso liked, but neither killed as well as Fasteel - it's my goto factory load now!
The patterning was great and I killed birds out to 35 yards without too much problem - I usually keep my shots inside 25 however......
Cat
scopes are cool, but slings 'n' irons RULE!
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OP
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Rod..,
Most interesting. What size shot do you use for ducks and/or geese? And what call was that posted on your site?
O
Too old to suffer fools
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3 inch #3 for ducks -unless its Teal and then its 3 inch # 4.But that can change real quick depending on time of season - or or late and time of season.I also like to have my birds within a "real" shooting distance -not shoot and hope for the best.
Which call ..I have 9 of them ?? not sure which one..I have them from the lonely & cheap Redlegg to the Cuttdown and so forth . And dont ,repeat - dont use Robo's or any of the new wave crap out there today.
Robos are hell on juvenile birds..In the first year of flight..I dont care what the so called xperts say .But thats a whole nuther debate.
Last edited by Rodngun; 03/24/10.
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thanx for the info.
i'll check out Fast Steel now as everything was out of stock during season. if it wasn't for the guy who got me into this-all he had was Win BBsteel- i'd been pointing my finger and going, "BANG!". Now you see the reason for my questions.
O
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