Beretta 12 Ga., Type of Shot?; Help.

[jstew]

I have a Beretta 12 Ga./ and a Beretta 12Ga. o/u and have had these guns for about 15 years but only ever used lead shot back when that's all they sold.

I have not hunted for some time due to other commitments but am getting back into the sport. Indeed, I would like to use them next weekend, but have heard that IF I use steel or any other new shot other than lead I will damage the barrels.

I have even been told that I need to take them to a gunsmith to have the barrel's re-bored etc., which quite frankly I do not want to do as they are legacy guns and I would like to keep them in the same condition.

Any help on what type of shot I can use including around slough's etc. would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[M70]

Most people will advise you to use a choke no tighter than modified if you are using steel.

What kind of birds do you plan on hunting?

[catnthehat]

Your barrels themselves may not be proofed for steel loads.
There should be a fleur di lis stamped on the water table.
This is the stamp that designates proofed for steel for Italian guns from the official proof house in Cordone, Italy.
15 years old?
I dunno if they would be okay for steel or not......
Cat

[airforce2]

i have used a old berretta 300a with steel for the last two years and havent had any problems but i was told to stay below #2 shot

[bobinthesky]

Originally Posted by airforce2

i have used a old berretta 300a with steel for the last two years and havent had any problems but i was told to stay below #2 shot

That advice actually comes from Browning concerning some of their older guns.

A fifteen year old Beretta will likely have Mobil Choke tubes which are rated for steel, just don't use anything tighter than Mod like Cat said.

[jstew]

Thanks all.

I am not at all familiar with chokes, mods, etc. The guns simply have one barrel with no chokes on the end or anything.

As for the question of what birds I hunt; I hunt upland birds mostly pheasant at the Canadian Pheasant Co. lands for now ( I live in Calgary), a couple of times a year but I use lead shot. I have tons of hunting equipment including geese decoys, blinds, duck decoys, clothes and even a hunting vehicle and have hunted all of the bird types and situations in the past until I was about 35 and started a family.

I want to get back into hunting more now with my 8 yr. old son (he and I are actually heading to Dewinton tomorrow morning for the saftey training youth course) on consented lands, but to be honest have no one to hunt with that I feel comfortable in the field with from a safety viewpoint. I learned hunting when I was knee high to a grasshopper from my Grandpa and he was a stickler for saftey in the field and I have had a few poor experiences with a couple of hunters in the past. Mostly simple common sense stuff and one serious oversight, but all were enough for me to walk away from any future hunts with these guys.

I may just purchase Bismuth for the couple of slough hunts I have coming up in October on a colleague's land south of Calgary.

If anyone knows of a good gunsmith in Calgary I can talk to and possibly use his services, I would appreciate a PM.

Thx,

[Cowtown guy]

On the side of your barrel it should tell you what type of choke that particular barrel is. Mod is short for modified. If your barrel is stamped M, IC or C you should be OK to use steel in it if the watermark is visible that Cat was referring to.

FWIW if I am wrong and someone sees this please feel free to tell me. I will fully admit that I don't know everything.

[bobinthesky]

Originally Posted by Cowtown guy

On the side of your barrel it should tell you what type of choke that particular barrel is. Mod is short for modified. If your barrel is stamped M, IC or C you should be OK to use steel in it if the watermark is visible that Cat was referring to.

FWIW if I am wrong and someone sees this please feel free to tell me. I will fully admit that I don't know everything.

What Cat was refering to is not a watermark but a stamp on the watertable of the gun.

If the gun has no choke tubes then it likely isn't approved for steel although lots of people shoot steel in them with an open choke anyway. I'm not saying that you should...or shouldn't, just that it's probably not approved for it.

[gilbertslake]

Just cleaning my Browning A 5 Belgian and noticed it is stamped Special Steel - 12 gauge shells - 3". I assume that means it is proofed for steel shot? By s/n it was manufactured in 1996. I have been using steel shot and not a mark inside barrel from using these.

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by bobinthesky

What Cat was refering to is not a watermark but a stamp on the watertable of the gun.

Sorry table not mark.

Trying to type and work at the same time.

[jstew]

Thanks CG,Bits, and Cat. That is great info. I will check this weekend.

[bobinthesky]

Originally Posted by gilbertslake

Just cleaning my Browning A 5 Belgian and noticed it is stamped Special Steel - 12 gauge shells - 3". I assume that means it is proofed for steel shot? By s/n it was manufactured in 1996. I have been using steel shot and not a mark inside barrel from using these.

And you know what they say asuming does.......

This is from Brownings website,



3. DO NO USE ANY STEEL SHOT LOADS:

The Belgian-made A-5, Superposed, Leige, and other Belgian Over/Under models, Double Automatic, American-made A-5 and all other models not listed in category 1 or 2. Note: Belgian Auto-5 barrels are interchangeable with the new Invector barrels which are made in Japan. With this new Invector barrel installed on the Belgian-made Auto-5 receiver, steel shot loads can be used. (Shown below, Begian Superposed Over and Under.)

[bobinthesky]

Originally Posted by Cowtown guy

Sorry table not mark.

Trying to type and work at the same time.

Don't take up chewing gum.......