It's well known that hardened shot with 2-6% antimony and copper or nickel plated shot usually produce more uniform patterns. Presumably this is due to a decrease in shot deformation (being smashed, smeared, dinged, bent, banged-up, twisted, torqued... you get what I mean).

However, I wonder...

(A) Does hardened shot increase barrel wear?

(B) What about plain vs. chrome-lined bores?

(C) Do "Backboring" and long forcing cones work?

Come on out shotgun freaks! What do you think?

Kenati,

a) No
b) No, though chrome lined will last longer, but will cost more to alter (harder) and when you do alter the barrels you ruin the chrome. So if you have a shotgun with chrome barrels it is good, unless you want to muck with them, then it is bad.
c) no and yes. Factory Backboring does nothing that I can see except make barrels heavier, which may or may not be good. Best patterning shotgun I ever owned was a Perazzi 12 ga. with .725 bores. Worst was a Browning with .741 bores.

However, if you have a shotgun that is too muzzle heavy, you can lighten it somewhat by backboring (if it has not already been backbored by the factory).

Long forcing cones do work, in reducing shot deformation. Some gun butchers though think 4 or 5" long cones are needed, when all you really need are about 2" long cones.

The older Beretta's (pre-optima) have 1 3/4" cones which are about right. Kriegoff's have short cones but are backbored. Perazzi's can
came any way you want including specifing barrel weight.

This stuff only really matters in competion shotgunning. Quail don't care.

My game was sporting clays. Shot in the 1998 National Championship. From 1994 to 1998 fired about 10 to 12,000 shells per year. Used a pair of MX 8 Perazzi's. A 32" 12 bore with custom choke tubes, and a 30" 20 ga with Briley Ultralight sub-gauge tubes in 28 and 410.

1999 gave up the competion scene (too much $ for too little return), sold the Perazzi's. (By the way, you don't buy Perazzi's, you marry them. Then we had a divorce.)

Took up quail hunting with a 28 gauge B.Rizzini. Much more satisfying, and I eat better too!

Still shoot some clay pigeons, but could never get them to cook right. No matter how long you bake em, there still hard and gritty!

What else do you need to know?

Bob

[ 10-05-2003, 10:53: Message edited by: Shadow ]

Look at chokes in the Brownell's catalog and the steel ratings seem to only be available in some modified and more open chokes.

I have used an old Belgian Browning A5 for a few seasons with full choke and steel shot. The pattern is ~5" at 40 yards. Everyone tells me it can't last, but it has so far.

Good post Shadow, I agree with you

1. No
2. No, hard crome make em' last longer and easier to clean too.
3. Long forcing cones do work. It takes a lot of tinkering by a Master Smith to get it right,I had my 101 done years ago when I was heavy into the ATA circuit. Trouble is, it's specific to one load one shot when they do it. As noted any pheasant usualy won't notice a diffrence with a good choke or quality tube but when you're at 199 clays at the 16 yd line and shooting at no. 200 you want every pellet where you can get it.

I am still attached to my MT 6, I think it's till death do we part.

Scout Master 54

Thanks guys for the replies. (sorry, I've been away for a couple of days)

Are you suggesting that Browning's backboring process is a marketing gimmick? C'mon, gun manufacturers wouldn't do that, would they!?!