Older Browning A5 duck loads

Troy Fields

Troy Fields

Well-known member

I'm curious what A5 users are shooting for duck loads. I was fortunate enough to find a nice Sweet Sixteen, 1958 vintage, and I would like to take it out in the fall for a hunt or two. It is a modified choke. Thanks for any input.


Good luck to all the turkey chasers in the upcoming season.




Troy
 
Troy, great gun, use it well. Take it to the range and try different loads. The old A5's weren't made for steel, try them and adjust the rings as needed.
I still have a few old school guy's that can't figure out the rings with steel. Just like cooking, adjust to taste...
 
Thanks the input Rich, I wasn't going to shoot steel, thinking of trying Hevi-Shot Classic. Limited shot size, looks like only 4's but this is more of a bucket list thing, maybe once a season. I can always take it upland and small game hunting where I can run lead through it.
Thanks again.


Troy
 
I have a 1955 sweet sixteen with 2 barrels and one is 30 inch full and the other is 28 but a factory poly choke. And I have shot steel out of mind with the poly choke for almost 20 years. I set it to light modified and it is a great Gun. Buying a barrel with a poly choke is not very expensive or hard to find. Great gun and good luck. I love mine
 
I'm old school, if I have it I will shoot it. Steel, bismuth, either, I shoot old Daly's with steel and never had a problem. Have a full/xtra full and shoot steel.
 
gboth Rio and Kent are loading Bismuth these days

Cabelas just had the Kent on sale- might watch for it to come up again


but the saving was only a couple bucks a box- so getting some now for testing won't be much different
 
I also own a sweet 16 A-5. Never have run steel through it. Back in the day, I used it for both upland and waterfowl. As stated before just make sure you have the rings set properly ( diagram should be inside the forearm after removing it) Mine is a 28 inch modified,great gun.
 
Not a Browning, but I have an old late '20,s Remington Model 11, the American made version built under the Browning patent. It's the one with the weird safety inside the trigger guard. I hunt ducks with it occasionally, using steel 4's, 3's, or 2's. Fixed full choke. It is a great duck hunting gun, and the steel hasn't hurt it in the least, as far as I can tell. This is the gun I was using the day I shot my first and only deliberate triple on mallards.
 
Troy, try Art's Gun and Sport's website. Art Isaacon is a former Browning custom shop gunsmith who opted to not move to Utah when the company relocated. He and his son(s) do excellent gunsmithing, working on very expensive English double guns, Winchesters, and Browning's. I have had his crew reblue several O/U superposed over the years, as well as two A-5. Cold rust bluing is very difficult to do well since the oxidation has to be carded off the metal without damaging engraving and rounding-out screw holes and flaring the slot ends of machine screw heads. They are one of the best rust bluing shops in the country. They list Browning guns and barrels via the Guns International website.

One caveat, Art knows what FN Brownings are worth, so nothing is listed at fire-sale prices.

Your shotshell choices are quite limited by your gun's gauge, after reading ChuckHawk's review of these shotshells in 20 gauge loads, I would be inclined to purchase one box and pattern the gun to see how it handles them...Browning's made by FN have very tight chokes compared to others produced in that era.
 
Last edited:
http://www.rstshells.com


Try this place for shot shells for your older guns.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RST's are great shells and great people

I (and my fellow weekly shooting group members) go trough them by the case for clays in my side by side and would recommend them to anyone with a vintage gun

and they are starting to load Bismuth after Nice Shot supplies have remained inconsistent

but a 1958 Browning would not be short chambered - so the expense may not be warranted -
Click to expand...
 
I have tried the RST 2 1/2 shells and even with changing the rings they do not consistently eject. In Fact I may get one on 10 to fully eject. These are made for classic doubles who require low pressures rather than an automatic that need the pressure to eject and cycle the action.
 
I've shot Steel #2's out of my old Model 12, 16ga., mod. for many years. It patterns very well and does a fine job. So far no problems, other than finding factory steel loads for the 16ga. Some years they make em, and other years they don't.
 
I shoot steel out of my A5s all the time, never had a problem. Make sure your choke is MOD or less and don't use anything bigger than 3's. Nothing over 1500 fps either. You'll be fine. Best thing to do would be to find a Jap made barrel and not have to worry about it.


You'll have to test the loads to see which ones eject or not with steel. On my 12 ga's I just use the 2 3/4" setting and I've never had an issue. The Browning Manual actually says to use that setting for 3" steel. You'll never hurt that receiver in a lifetime shooting steel on the lower setting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top