Hi all, I have a question. Can you use steel shot choke tubes for lead shot? I know that you can't use steel shot in standard tubes, and I have a shotgun that I need to buy tubes for. I was wondering if I could buy steel tubes first and then later buy tubes for lead, and in the meantime use the steel ones for lead shot. Thanks for the help.

good luck and good shooting,
Eterry

Yes and maybe... As the others have said, they will function just fine. I have noticed, though, that the choke tubes I use for duck/goose hunting get scored up by the shot working through the shot cups. I know they make the cups thicker, but I have picked up enough to know that almost every wad has 2-3 holes in the side where steel shot was scraping the choke...especially with full chokes.

For that reason I use a different set (of the same brand and choke) for lead and steel shooting.

No problem at all. Easiest way to figure our what choke you have is not to use the manufacturer's designation (or to use it only as a rough guide), but to find out how many thousandth's of constriction you have. For example, using the LEAD standard, .035 to .040 const. is usually considered to be about full choke, around .030 as modified, etc. Of course, if you're a perfectionist, you need to pattern your specific ammunition to see what it is actually doing. As the above poster said, many steel tubes are, in effect labeled one choke tighter than they would be with lead, but that is probably not universal since I sure don't keep track of all the tube manufacturers.

Chokes designed for steel shot are stronger, the constriction between the two shouldn't be different .Steel shot cups are thicker to protect the bore from the shot therefore the pattern with steel shot will be tighter.Since there are so many different types of ammo ALWAYS pattern the load. Loads of lead,or hardened lead, or plated lead, or buffered will all give different patterns .Steel or bismuth etc will also be different.

yes you can,, steel shottubes are just tougher.. some makers may list them as to the choke they will make with steel shot, and that would be confusing.. you should buy tubes good for steel that have a chart for steel and lead giving you the choke it will efectivly give with each.. a modified choke tube for lead will yield full choke with steel normally, but who knows who is doing what out there to make someone buy both steel and lead tubes.. full is full with lead and too tight for good steel patterns and not good with large shot as it could damage gun.. improved cylinder would be modified for steel shot etc.. but you could probably find a modified tube for steel that gives a modified patern for steel, that i havnt seen or heard about, but im not up on what all the differnt companys around the world are doing.. ask the tecknical department where your buying your tubes what they have and what it means.. dave..