20 bore non toxic for duck, recommendations please

deerstalker.308

Well-Known Member
I'm looking at an evenings duck flighting later this month, but slightly surprised to see that unless going down the tungsten matrix route, the majority of steel loads in 20bore I could find were very light at around 24grams, I would appreciate any recommendations you may have........
given that I fully intend missing quite a few (in the interests of conservation you understand) I don't really want to be paying £30+ a box for tungsten so was looking at steel primarily, unless anyone has any surplus they are looking to sell.....?
 
Eley VIP Bismuth 28g 4's £25-30 box

Tungsten 30g 5's £46 box round my way now

20bore steel is rubbish unless you can get hold of any Remington 3's
 
I'm using Eley VIPs and as long as you get the shot on target and it's not too long the you will drop them!
 
just bought myself a 20 bore silver pigeon for my Christmas present! and in the last two weeks have had lots of teal and mallard using lyalvale express 24gm no 4 steel twenty cartridges
 
Thanks all, bought some gamebore 24g steel as that was what was available, so we will see.........knockdown capabilities of the various media for non toxic round are a bit irrelevant when you shoot like I do......so very little point firing multiple £££ worth of bismuth or whatever into the sky!
 
I have an older Beretta 686 in 20 bore, fixed choke at ¼ & ½, not steel proofed.
Am I limited to just steel clay loads, or is 24grams of 6's or 5's ok ?
It would only be a few rounds on ducks on the lakes I shoot around.

Neil. :)
 
You'd be fine with any steel upto 28g 70mm.

Steel in a 6 is equivalent to a lead 8!
You want to move up 2 shot sizes with steel
 
You'd be fine with any steel upto 28g 70mm.

Steel in a 6 is equivalent to a lead 8!
You want to move up 2 shot sizes with steel

Normally I would use 6's, so now I need 4's in steel ?
I thought that only clay loads up to a 6 were safe in a non steel proofed gun :confused:

Neil. :)
 
Not sure about the equivalents in sizing between lead and steel, I presume it is in terms of weight and therefore energy per pellet, with a steel pellet the same size as a lead one carrying less weight/energy.
As for the proofing, normal velocity steel cartridges are fine through most modern guns, but only up to half choke should be used. The issue of barrel damage through extended use of steel would be best commented on by a gunsmith.
The Fleur de Lys mark shows that a gun has been proved to use high performance steel loads (as opposed to normal loads).
Just my understanding as myself and Sauer try to work out which gun (non semi)would be future-proof as an all rounder. I'd like to try some normal steel loads for clays, since they're about £20 cheaper per 1000 at Caledonian up the road.
 
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