Heavy Metal shot

Discussion in 'Browning Superposed Shotgun' started by mike4570, Nov 25, 2020.

  1. mike4570

    mike4570 Copper BB

    I have a ‘58 vintage Superposed Magnum 12 choked full and modified. Is it problematic to use non toxic shot in it?
  2. Rudolph31

    Rudolph31 .30-06

    You definitely don’t want to shoot steel through it. I would go on the website of the shot manufacturer and find out what they recommend.

    The full choke could be a problem. Some guys are forced to shoot steel and report no problems unless from a full choke, then it bulges the barrel. I don’t know about the other specialty shot.
  3. William Benefiel

    William Benefiel Copper BB

    I own the exact same gun, made in ‘63. When nontoxic shot became mandatory way back in ‘91, I switched over to shooting 1 3/8 oz of steel BB, 2, 3, & 4 shot for ducks & geese out of both the * & ** barrels. I shot cases of the stuff over the years before I learned I wasn’t supposed to. I went looking for someone who had actually had a problem or actually knew someone that did. Nada. Since I had proofed both barrels with hundreds of rounds over many years I decided to keep on. After over 30 years I’ve never had a problem. I’m not advocating others do this, but in my gun it hasn’t been an issue & it’s death on ducks & geese with those loads. I figure somewhere/sometime it caused problems. It may have happened in a small or even tiny % of them, but with liability litigation being what it is, the manufacturers united against it, and you can’t blame them for taking the high road.
  4. Anatidae

    Anatidae .270 WIN

    Shooting steel shot through anything tighter than IM will eventually result in an internal ‘ring’ bulge at the muzzle. There’s a fellow in Greece that posted photos on another website. It’s worse with the larger sizes pellets. Rudy31 has given sound advice.

    I have a ‘61 Vrancken-engraved Midas Grade 28” 3” Magnum (originally Liege-proofed 12/75) with SK/SK chokes and ‘killer’ wood. It would be fine with steel shot and I’d love to kill a banded honker with it out of a layout blind in SK - but I won’t subject that irreplaceable gun to the rigors of waterfowling, nor risk shooting steel shot through it. I have a Benelli M1 Super 90 for that. Boat hunting with 2 guns and 3 dogs is not a good scenario for irreplaceable items in excellent condition. Field hunting or stationary blind would be a better scenario……not boats or pits. To each, their own.
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2023
  5. William Benefiel

    William Benefiel Copper BB

    Congrats on the Midas. I wouldn’t hunt with it either. I hunt with all of mine, waterfowl & upland, and take great pleasure in the way they perform. I have a Lightning Model choked IC /M that I took on a wood duck hunt a few years back. 4 Greater Canadas flew by just close enough that 1 1/4 Oz of #4 steel killed 2 of them cleanly, 1 with each barrel. Both were banded in Eastern AR near the Mississippi 2 years prior. I gave the old gun a smooch on the left side of the receiver.
  6. Anatidae

    Anatidae .270 WIN

    Some people have the luck.

    My wife and I have freelanced in Canada for ducks and honkers for 16 of the last 19 years - 'killed our fair share of honkers but have yet to collect a banded honk.
    [​IMG]

    Different story on the banded mallards, though but have still killed more at home in 45 years of hunting side-by-side.
    Happy Hunting!
    Bruski likes this.
  7. Anatidae

    Anatidae .270 WIN

    Eastern AR, huh? Near what town? Were they captured on a golf course?

    What year was that?

    Where were they killed?

    I find banding data interesting.

    Have you taken any other banded birds?

    Happy Hunting!
  8. Anatidae

    Anatidae .270 WIN

    My wife killed 3 banded mallards in 5 shots over 2 consecutive days.
    Day 1 - her first and last mallard of her limit were banded.
    Day 2 - her first mallard of her daily limit was banded.
    I killed banded mallard drakes during the previous week and the week after. One of hers and one of mine were banded 6 years prior at the same location in Plumas, MB 8 days apart. We killed them 8 days apart about 1/2 mile apart as we never hunt the same location on consecutive days. Makes one wonder if those 2 ducks traveled together for 6 years. They could’ve been siblings.

Share This Page