I have an older beretta ou with full and mod chokes, can I shoot steel or heavy shot etc. Can't afford bismuth.

You can shoot steel shot in it until it destroys your muzzles and chokes, if that's what you want to do. But I wouldn't.

Gunsmiths report increase in shotguns ruined by steel shot Read more at http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/gu...0d70zP7c611.99

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If you have to shoot steel, and you have to use that Beretta, you only real option is to open the chokes up to a least a maximum constriction of light modified. Less would probably be better. This might or might not work depending on how thin your barrels are.

You can get away with it if you install choke tubes first.

Personally, I would never shoot either in any shotgun I was fond of...

I have a couple of older inherited shotguns around here that have quite a bit of bore damage from steel shot.

If it has fixed chokes, and the gun had any particular value to me as an investment or a heirloom I would not shoot steel in them, let alone hevishot.

Hevishot can damage even the most modern guns that are made to be steel compliant.

If you can't use lead for what you use them for, and bismuth is out of your price range, I am not sure if you would think it worthwhile, but Kent's Tungsten Matrix is pretty safe, although I think its the same price wise as bismuth loaded ammo.

If you want to handload, ITX-10 seems between steel and lead/bismuth. Its also spendy (but cheaper than bismuth), but if you handload it (which is the only way it comes to my knowledge) Ballistic Products seems to be on a really light shot load at high speed kick, which would tend to cut your costs. Stick with smaller (#4 or smaller) pellets and you should be OK.

Hevi-Shot, last time I checked was almost the same price as Bismuth. It is a pity Remington discontinued Wingmaster HD. That stuff was safe on chokes and produced some incredible long range patterns. Might try Nice Shot if you are not a reloader.

Andy B