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Steel Shot & Barrel Damage

wmg1299

wmg1299

Professional
Pretty much all handgun, rifle, and shotgun ammo (except 28 gauge) has disappeared in my area. I'm unwilling to pay current prices for common pistol calibers online, and am saving most of the handgun and rifle ammo that I have stored. Bass Pro regularly has 12 and 20 gauge Winchester Super-X High Velocity Steel #7 shot on their website for $0.30 per round with free shipping, and I have purchased several hundred rounds. I plan to take my sons shooting on the family land when the weather warms up, but cannot find consistent info about steel shot online.

For every article claiming that steel shot will not damage modern shotgun barrels, I find another advising shooters to fire steel shot at their own risk. Almost all of my shotgun experience has come from shooting lead shot and slugs. Have those of you with significant shotgun experience ever had problems with steel shot damaging your barrel?
 
wmg1299 said:
Pretty much all handgun, rifle, and shotgun ammo (except 28 gauge) has disappeared in my area. I'm unwilling to pay current prices for common pistol calibers online, and am saving most of the handgun and rifle ammo that I have stored. Bass Pro regularly has 12 and 20 gauge Winchester Super-X High Velocity Steel #7 shot on their website for $0.30 per round with free shipping, and I have purchased several hundred rounds. I plan to take my sons shooting on the family land when the weather warms up, but cannot find consistent info about steel shot online.

For every article claiming that steel shot will not damage modern shotgun barrels, I find another advising shooters to fire steel shot at their own risk. Almost all of my shotgun experience has come from shooting lead shot and slugs. Have those of you with significant shotgun experience ever had problems with steel shot damaging your barrel?
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I've shot shotguns for 50 years and never used and with steel shot. You have a good question though? Why would they make steel shot and be bad for barrels? I wonder what kind of steel it is?
 
TEXASforLIFE said:
I've shot shotguns for 50 years and never used and with steel shot. You have a good question though? Why would they make steel shot and be bad for barrels? I wonder what kind of steel it is?
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I'm having trouble finding exactly what type of steel is used in steel shot. All I have found is that it is made through a process called atomization to produce shot of various sizes and hardness. My assumption is that steel shot is made more to comply with environmental regulations than for any sort of performance purpose.

The shotguns I plan to shoot with my sons were made by manufacturers with good reputations (Mossberg/Maverick, Savage/Stevens), but they are lower-end home-defense models. I'm not sure if these barrels handle steel as well as higher-end hunting models. I never intended to shoot anything other than lead through my shotguns, but the current market has changed my plans.
 
wmg1299 said:
I'm having trouble finding exactly what type of steel is used in steel shot. All I have found is that it is made through a process called atomization to produce shot of various sizes and hardness. My assumption is that steel shot is made more to comply with environmental regulations than for any sort of performance purpose.

The shotguns I plan to shoot with my sons were made by manufacturers with good reputations (Mossberg/Maverick, Savage/Stevens), but they are lower-end home-defense models. I'm not sure if these barrels handle steel as well as higher-end hunting models. I never intended to shoot anything other than lead through my shotguns, but the current market has changed my plans.
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With sg barrels being thin already there's no room for wear. I wonder if it is stainless or just polished? The last sg ammo I bought was Rio 00 @ $75/200. Good ammo and good velocity for 12ga.
 
wmg1299 said:
I'm having trouble finding exactly what type of steel is used in steel shot. All I have found is that it is made through a process called atomization to produce shot of various sizes and hardness. My assumption is that steel shot is made more to comply with environmental regulations than for any sort of performance purpose.

The shotguns I plan to shoot with my sons were made by manufacturers with good reputations (Mossberg/Maverick, Savage/Stevens), but they are lower-end home-defense models. I'm not sure if these barrels handle steel as well as higher-end hunting models. I never intended to shoot anything other than lead through my shotguns, but the current market has changed my plans.
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Yes, steel bird shot is made for environmental and health concerns because it's sometimes missed while preparing fowl that's shot with typical lead shot and can be ingested by other wildlife...besides some humans. :)
Lead is also deadly when consumed, especially by youngsters. Once inside body, lead rarely leaves, if ever. Lead mimics other digested minerals in the body and is absorbed by body. That part I know. The type steel? Nope. May end up contacting mfg for metallurgical composition for best info? Steel may be different types with different mfg's too?
 
wmg1299 said:
Pretty much all handgun, rifle, and shotgun ammo (except 28 gauge) has disappeared in my area. I'm unwilling to pay current prices for common pistol calibers online, and am saving most of the handgun and rifle ammo that I have stored. Bass Pro regularly has 12 and 20 gauge Winchester Super-X High Velocity Steel #7 shot on their website for $0.30 per round with free shipping, and I have purchased several hundred rounds. I plan to take my sons shooting on the family land when the weather warms up, but cannot find consistent info about steel shot online.

For every article claiming that steel shot will not damage modern shotgun barrels, I find another advising shooters to fire steel shot at their own risk. Almost all of my shotgun experience has come from shooting lead shot and slugs. Have those of you with significant shotgun experience ever had problems with steel shot damaging your barrel?
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This info may help you or give you some more info needed? It's from the UK, but likely has bearing on many shotguns in USA?

www.shootinguk.co.uk

Steel shot - will my shotgun be safe with steel shot cartridges?

Is it possible to shoot steel shot from an ordinary side-by-side shotgun? Or will it ruin the gun? How can you check if your gun is safe?
www.shootinguk.co.uk www.shootinguk.co.uk
 
Ordinarily manufacturers will state in the sales description or the manual if it's rated for steel shot. For example my KSG is ok for steel shot. Your Mossberg 500 or Savage side by side isn't. It's not like it's dangerous to use it, it will wear your barrel out faster though and it probably pits it up pretty good.

That said I don't use steel shot in anything. Steel slugs either, even though steel slugs are significantly more ballistically efficient in the sense that they do much more damage to much thicker barriers, etc..

Of course the argument could be made that the cost of a new barrel for your 500 might outweigh the increase in the cost of ammo over time.
 
Hey, guys?

Millions of waterfowl hunters aren’t replacing their barrels every year due to wear from steel shot.

Or even every other year.

Or ever that I've heard of, over the past several decades it's been a requirement.

It won't hurt your choke (again, waterfowl hunters are using full or extra full chokes, and I’ve never heard of anyone replacing one due to wear).

Most shotshells use a plastic cup to hold the pellets, anyway, and that's what's going to contact the barrel. Additionally, most of the steel they use for pellets is quite mild—softer than the barrel steel.

Manufacturers hardened their barrels to accept steel after it became a requirement. If you have a heirloom shotgun, you may not want to run it, but...unless you are going to run PALLETS of it through your shotgun...I wouldn’t worry about it.

Are you REALLY worried?

Go buy a Benelli. They chrome line their barrels.
 
Steele is fine in all modern shotguns past the late 80’s.
Earlier “older” shotguns after mass amounts of rounds will have barrel issues with the steele. Dont shoot your grandads, or dads, (depending on your age) nostalgic shotgun with steele.

your typical Rem 870, browning BPS, Benelli super nova, and just about every grade of shotgun will handle steele. After steele became mandatory shot, gun makers made their shotguns to handle it.
I’m an avid duck hunter for 35+ yrs.
as Hans and others pointed out, millions of rounds have been fired. I have run 2 modern shotguns for 25 yrs with steele and zero issues.

as i said, pre 1980’s , I would err on the side of caution and not do it . Lots of makers have said they were not designed for the velocity of steele before the mandate
 
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The only steel target I keep on the land is an 8" AR500 plate. We usually only use that for pistols from 10 yards and beyond. I use homemade plywood targets supported by 1x2's and an old steel frame for the shotguns.

I tracked down the Maverick 88 user manual, and it states that steel is ok for everything except "older C-lect choke or fixed-choke barrels". The 88 has a cylinder bore security barrel, so I'm assuming it will be fine with steel.

The Stevens 320 manual doesn't mention anything about steel shot. All I have found online are generic statements like "All modern cylinder bore shotgun barrels are capable of shooting steel shot without damage". I would feel better if Savage/Stevens had directly addressed the issue, but I'm guessing that a few hundred rounds of steel should be fine. Hopefully, my small stash of lead shot will be enough to make it through a range session. It's gonna depend on how long the kids' shoulders hold out :sneaky:.
 
KillerFord1977 said:
Steele is fine in all modern shotguns past the late 80’s.
Earlier “older” shotguns after mass amounts of rounds will have barrel issues with the steele. Dont shoot your grandads, or dads, (depending on your age) nostalgic shotgun with steele.

your typical Rem 870, browning BPS, Benelli super nova, and just about every grade of shotgun will handle steele. After steele became mandatory shot, gun makers made their shotguns to handle it.
I’m an avid duck hunter for 35+ yrs.
as Hans and others pointed out, millions of rounds have been fired. I have run 2 modern shotguns for 25 yrs with steele and zero issues.

as i said, pre 1980’s , I would err on the side of caution and not do it . Lots of makers have said they were not designed for the velocity of steele before the mandate
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Paper verses plastic wadding maybe? Cautions noted.
One old Ranger double barrel here is definitely pre 1980.
Gramp's gets leaded!
 
wmg1299 said:
The only steel target I keep on the land is an 8" AR500 plate. We usually only use that for pistols from 10 yards and beyond. I use homemade plywood targets supported by 1x2's and an old steel frame for the shotguns.

I tracked down the Maverick 88 user manual, and it states that steel is ok for everything except "older C-lect choke or fixed-choke barrels". The 88 has a cylinder bore security barrel, so I'm assuming it will be fine with steel.

The Stevens 320 manual doesn't mention anything about steel shot. All I have found online are generic statements like "All modern cylinder bore shotgun barrels are capable of shooting steel shot without damage". I would feel better if Savage/Stevens had directly addressed the issue, but I'm guessing that a few hundred rounds of steel should be fine. Hopefully, my small stash of lead shot will be enough to make it through a range session. It's gonna depend on how long the kids' shoulders hold out :sneaky:.
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Good to know. Have a great time!
 
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