steel through a turkey choke?

[Rockhound]

what are the side effects? i dont do it just got to thinking and was wandering

[deadbuck]

My next door neighbors kid shot a ton of steel shells through an 870 with an extended turkey choke. It welded itself to the barrel and wouldn't come out. Ended up cutting 2 inches
' off barrel and rethreading for chokes again.

[Michigander]

I had my turkey tube in my Nova while at a buddys house. A crow was flying over, so he grabbed the first shell he could find, threw it in and shot it. Ended up being a 3 1/2" BB steel. Killed em both DRT.

[Rockhound]

Killed the nova or killed your buddy? Whats the difference in a turkey choke and a choke designed for steel?

[Michigander]

Ha ha, no, killed the crow and the choke. Extended range steel shot chokes aren't as tight a turkey chokes, and usually harder.

[mightyjoeyoung]

Killed the nova or killed your buddy? Whats the difference in a turkey choke and a choke designed for steel?

How's this for an example?  My 835 has a .775 bore (10 gauge).  My long range waterfowl choke is maybe .030-.040 constriction. My turkey chokes are around .10 constriction.  Around 3 times as tight.  Shoot some big steel though that and its almost a given you'll be looking for a gunsmith...

[bulldog18]

Lead will compress, deform, etc to get through a tighter constriction. Steel will not to the extent of lead and something has to give and it is usually the the thin walls of the choke tube inside the barrel.

[dpittman]

If steel shot will ruin a turkey choke then why doesn't Tung. shot destroy one. HS is harder and less compressible than steel. Always wondered that.

[allaboutshooting]

If steel shot will ruin a turkey choke then why doesn't Tung. shot destroy one. HS is harder and less compressible than steel. Always wondered that.

Good question.

The real key is pellet size.

Steel shot is normally about 110 on the DPH scale as are WXRHD, RWHD and Federal Heavyweight. Hevi-Shot is about 220. For comparison, lead varies of course with the amount of antimony mixed with it but normally it's something like 10.

Any hard shot can "bridge" and damage any choke tube. That will cause expansion and make it difficult to remove or install.

Thanks,
Clark

[sugarray]

Clark,

How can Hevi-Shot be harder than Federal HW?   Just doesn't fit right in my mind.

[allaboutshooting]

Clark,

How can Hevi-Shot be harder than Federal HW?   Just doesn't fit right in my mind.

The Heavyweight is heavier but not harder. Kind of like lead is heavier than steel but not harder.

Thanks,
Clark