Browning A-5 Light Twelve 1964

Juliusvatalaro

Juliusvatalaro

New member
I just purchased an older Browning shotgun. It has a 27 1/2" barrel with a modified choke. It will not take choke tubes. What shot shells would work good on SD wild birds?

1st shot

2nd shot

3rd shot
 
No steel or Tungsten loads

Private land lead shot loads. I like 13/8OZ 2.75" Fioochi Golden Pheasant load #5 or #6

On public land it would be Tungsten Matrix 13/8OZ #5 2.75"
 
My '71 A-5 likes the Golden Pheasant # 5's with an improved. Like stated above--no steel.
 
Would steel be okay in a gun like this if the choke was opened up to IC? Just wondering. I've been looking for a Sweet Sixteen preferably with tubes, but if I found a nice fixed choke gun with IC choke would steel be okay?
 
someone more knowledgeable can correct me. I don't believe that the Belgium Brownings can handle the steel. I think steel is OK out of Japan made A-5s. Don't think it has to do with the choke. I think it has to do with the type of steel the barrel is made of.
 
I agree with the conclusion that steel would not be beneficial to shoot through a pre-steel browning, regardless of choke. Two issues, as stated the steel used in barrel making was of a different hardness, than post steel construction, even then my invector plus tubes much tighter than imp mod. are not steel recommended and browning chokes of that vintage, are notoriously tight! with imp cyl. regularly patterning as a true mod. and mod. patterning as full with normal lead shot, steel agravates the problem further. With eventual ring bulge as a result, while not a functional issue for the most part, it may seperate or cause rib distortion, and assuredly it will devalue the gun to zilch. I have seen guys have Briley thread thin wall chokes into the barrel that are steel rated, or buy a current barrel that fits, of current manufacture, that's steel rated, saving the original barrel.
 
You can shoot and reload "Nice Shot", I have used it and like it, but it's not cheap, and produces slightly higher, ( about 10%), chamber pressures. It works best in loads limited to 1 1/8 ounce in a twelve, and as the shot size gets larger, the payload should be reduced slightly, at least thats how my guns pattern through regular lead chokes.
 
I will be on private property so I can use lead. Is 1 3/8 oz in 5's the ticket? I really don't know much about chokes. Like what is the diff. between Modified and Imp. cyl. or full chokes?
 
Full is tight, imp. cylinder, is open, modified between the two. More open chokes will improve your odds on most upland expeditions. The golden pheasant loads are sure fire killers on pheasants. I have had a noticable reduction of crippling with them. Recoil will be noticable as well, but not extreme.
 
This is what can happen if you shoot steel shot through a Belgium made Browning barrel.

Browning_bulge.jpg


You shouldn't shoot steel through one no matter the choke. A Japan made Browning is a different story. You can shoot #2 and smaller size shot as long as it's no tighter of a choke the Mod.
 
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