Thread: Ammo advice for the new duckshooter...

yes,eeebees,i have a B 687,chambered for 2 3/4,i shoot steel through it, but i use patternmaster extended chokes. tom rooster did a series of articles on steel shoot through older barrels.the conclusion, as the steel is encased by a plastic wad it causes little problems with barrels that are it good condition,ie free of dents etc.yes i would go with aftermarket steel chokes if i was doing a lot of steel shooting.but if you are shooting around ponds,use your two most open chokes,pattern your ammo,and don't go for steel faster than 1450 fps. faster than that will pattern poorly.the steel in beretta barrels is the best, so i doubt whether you'll damage them with steel.keep your chokes lubed with a choke lube, because steel does not compress and will bruise a choke thread if the choke is too restricted.also make sure the chokes are firmly in and they are not shooting loose. so as i see it no problem shooting a bit of steel in the beretta if you use the right ammo and beretta chokes. should you decide on a 20ga. the best gun for you is a benelli m2 20ga ,a 24 or 26 inch barrel. you can get a wood version if you don't like plastic,or you can buy aftermarket wood stocks,if you purchase 2nd hand plastic.i shoot what is basically an m2 24inch, it is the ultralight benelli, and it is a versatile and a pleasure to shoot.at 5 1/2 lbs you can carry it all day,and no i never notice recoil but then i don't shoot more than 30 gms,usually 24gms.