# Any reason I can't use my Turkey gun for Duck hunting?



## Buford_Dawg (Dec 31, 2006)

It is a Remington SPS 870 MAG Turkey gun, 23 inch barrel.  I have IC, MOD and FULL chokes for it.  I have read up and most serious duck hunters use at minimum a of 26 inch barrel to hunt.  I was thinking I could replace the Extra full turkey choke with a IC or MOD choke and use it.  Would that work?


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## DS7418 (Dec 31, 2006)

Most places want you to use "non-lead" ammo. If you try to shoot steel-shot,, you might ruin your barrel.... other than that,, you will be fine with a good high velocity bird load.


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## 60Grit (Dec 31, 2006)

Buford_Dawg said:


> It is a Remington SPS 870 MAG Turkey gun, 23 inch barrel. I have IC, MOD and FULL chokes for it. I have read up and most serious duck hunters use at minimum a of 26 inch barrel to hunt. I was thinking I could replace the Extra full turkey choke with a IC or MOD choke and use it. Would that work?


 
I hope you don't mind if I piggyback this thread. I was wondering the same thing, in the opposite. I am going to turkey hunt for the first time this year and don't understand the hullaballoo about having a special gun for turkeys. Couldn't a duck gun do just as good???
I mean if you can hit a dove, quail or a duck surely hitting a bird moving at the speed of smell couldn't require a special gun??

To answer your question though, are the chokes and barrels of turkey guns designed to handle steel shot???


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## DS7418 (Dec 31, 2006)

My Mosseburg 835 "turkey special" is NOT made for steel shot.. its a ported barrel,, and says :no-steel-shot"..
 As for turkey huntin with a bird gun,, you will be fine with an "extra-full" choke tube.


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## specsandreds (Jan 3, 2007)

What will shooting steel out of the barrell of a Mosseburg 835 do to the barrell of the shotgun.  Do you know that this will ruin it?


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## Bell_Man (Jan 3, 2007)

I have a Mossberg 500 that came with a 24'' barrell. I bought a 28 '' barrell for it and I use it for ducks in the swamp. It has a ported barrell never any problems. I shoot 3'' steel #2-#4's.


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## Hairy Dawg (Jan 3, 2007)

I picked up a used Mossberg 835 over the summer, and it has the ported barrel. I've been hunting all duck season with it, and it doesn't seem to have any problems. This is the first I've heard about not shooting steel out of it. I'll have to look into it a little more.


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## tgriffin (Jan 3, 2007)

*Turkey/Duck Gun*

I have a Rem 870 Express. I use a Kicks choke for turkey and a Mod choke rated for steel for ducks. Never had any problems thru 3 seasons.


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## Nitro (Jan 3, 2007)

My nickels worth-

Two things to think about with short barreled guns and Duck Hunting- 

The short barrel may create an unsafe situation in a blind or line situation- you could potentially overswing and shoot a friend or partner. They are also much louder than a longer barrel gun when fired in close proximety to others.

For those two reasons, we don't allow barrels shorter than 26" when hunting.  I have been deafened and muzzle blasted several times..........

The other things to consider is that a shorter barreled gun doesn't swing well and a shorter sight plane will cause you to shoot behind moving targets. (the #1 cause of missing birds)


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## tcoker (Jan 3, 2007)

i agree with agarr, the shorter barrelled guns are louder and can do more damage to someone in a blind 3 foot away than a 28" barrell can do. Harder to do ANY wing shooting with the shorter barrels (for me at least), I will defer the reasoning behind that to agarr's post.I'm not gonna not hunt with a buddy if that's all he has, but I definetly have a preference.  As far as the Mossberg 835, I believe the "no steel shot" your referring to is on the choke tubes themselves not the barrell.  The, full and ultra full are not to be used for steel but then again why would you.  Save up the money buy a SBE II or Xtrema II and never worry about it again, you'll have a gun that will last a lifetime and can truly hunt anything you want. They aren't cheap but neither is the craftsmanship. my .02


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## Ta-ton-ka chips (Jan 3, 2007)

I didn't know that - great answers guys


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## GTBHUNTIN (Jan 4, 2007)

I am using my Rem 870 for turkey and ducks, shooting steel out of it.   I  didnt realize that you can damage your shotgun using steel, is the stock 28" barrel ok with steel??


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## LOVEMYLABXS (Jan 4, 2007)

I agree with agarr about the short barrel and the safety issues.

As far as sreel shot out of the newer guns I don't believe there is a problem with steel shot hurting a barrel after all it still has a shot cup around the shot itself the problem is with using a full choke. Steel doesn't tighten upand compress  like lead as it goes thru the full choke constriction thus cause a pressure build up at the choke which could cause you to bulge or spilt or worse case blow your barrel apart. I see nothing wrong with putting in a full choke and lead shot for turkeys then when duck and goose season rolls around put in the IC or Mod choke and use steel.


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## Browning270 (Jan 7, 2007)

I shoot an 870 for ducks and use a full choke. I had a mod but most places i hunt I need to be able to reach out there and touch em. On my chokes they say steel or lead and I aint had no problems


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## Tombuster (Jan 9, 2007)

steel shot is harder than the lead and can scratch the inside of the barrel. Lead being soft will deform when it bounces off the inside of the barrel.


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## tgriffin (Jan 9, 2007)

*Hevi shot/steel*

This is off of the Remington website.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			








 Answer ID 262 Products   Ammunition
    Shotshell





  Firearms
    Shotguns
 Date Created 03/27/2002 04:23 PM

  Print Answer 





  Email Answer    Will Hevi-Shot damage my Remington shotgun?
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Question Will Hevi-Shot damage my Remington shotgun?
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Answer No.

When used in modern Remington shotguns, in good working condition, Remington Hevi-Shot will not cause choke wear in low volume usage such as Turkey Hunting. However, cosmetic rub marks will occur. Remington’s guns with fixed full chokes will show similar results. 

Remington Hevi-Shot ammunition utilizes our super-tough, high density polyethylene shot container that minimizes contact between Hevi-Shot pellets and the barrel and choke. In addition, the pellets are cushioned at the bottom of the shot container to allow them to flow through the choke more easily. 

For waterfowl hunters, where the shell usage is generally much higher, Remington recommends using chokes recommended for steel shot pellets. That is – skeet, IC, modified and full – “lead or steel”.


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