will steel shot scratch a barrel?

B

bamayote23

New member
hello everyone!

i have a question, will steel shot damage a shotgun barrel? someone told me it will scratch the inside of the barrel. and also will it do it to the supernova? and if it does, should i worry about this or only worry if i shoot alot of steel shot a year?
thanks everyone!
GOD BLESS
Luke
 
You don't have to worry about it with the Supernova.

When steel shot first came out, it didn't work so well with some of the older barrels. I won't shoot it out of my old shotguns.
 
ok thanks! it just had me a little worried for a second. i have shot it out of my Dad's 870 and never seen any damage but i was just wondering.
thanks!
 
luke...that was ONE of the concerns with fed requirement to mandate steel shot back in the 70's...some of the older shotgun barrels had mild steel (due to the fact that lead is soft and deforms...they're were safe for lead)...if a steel pellet somehow got thru a wad,it scratched the inside of the barrel...reloaders had to wait til the thicker/harder plastic wads were made available...some didn't & grieved afterwards...plus steel loads can develop higher pressures stressing old collectibles...steel is hard &doesn't deform like lead.
 
The only thing I would make sure is that your choke can handle steel shot, some chokes, especially full and tighter need to be made to handle steel shot. This was another problem with older barrels esp. full choke barrels
 
Luke...it can happen...nothing is written in stone (ten commandments,yes)...though it would be extremely rare...the wads columns have been engineered to prevent this(would be bad news on shell sales) BUT a steel pellet can scratch a barrel....modern barrels are designed to withstand the primary concern of pressures generated by a non-compressible (compared to lead) mass of steel pellets going thru chokes as compared to older barrels....older barrels developed bulges or worse at choke points.
 
Yes steel shot can mark a barrel. I have a brand new O/U with two BB sized dents all the way down the lower barrel.

That's why they still use the reall thick wads on the steel loads. Every now and then a pellet slips thru and makes a mark though. It only took three boxes of steel before I got my first dent.
 
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If you hunt in an area that requires non-toxic shot, public waterfowl production areas, etc., and are hunting with an older shotgun, you can always use Bismuth or Tungsten Matrix shot. These are options, although much more expensive that plain old steel shot. Better than damaging a nice old shotgun.
 
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