Should I have to change my ring setting for these loads?

I have always tried the loads at the heaviest setting and then changed it if they dont always cycle. I know a lot of guys use the light setting for steel loads, but I have used the heavy setting on my magnum 12 and it will cycle remington nitro steel just fine.

Someone correct me if im wrong because I sure dont want to mess anything up :shock:

Sorry...I'm more or less just stirring debate....I have played with all sorts of ring and spring arrangements, light 12 springs, compressed springs, etc. in my Mag 12s.....unless it's a true turkey load for turkey season, I never even know where the rest of my rings are to set it up for heavy loads. My mags all work most reliably on the light setting and I even go to Light 12 springs/rings for dove/clays loads. I am not afraid for one to take a bump or two, either......the mag setting on any Mag 12 I have owned does not seem to like steel at all.

Almodux,
Of course, you are the best judge of what will work best in your gun, but I'm curious...how do you know when you are 'bottoming out'? I suspect every load that 'cycles' is in fact bottoming out, but is there a way to tell if you are seriously under estimating the friction settings when shooting heavier loads, Such as a more 'metalic' sounds in the cycle? or something else?

I shot a 'new' magnum 20 gauge through a round of sporting clays without the rings set at all...they were all at the bottom of the spring, and I felt more trigger sting, but never really knew I was having a problem until I took a look at the settings. If I had been familiar with that gun and shot it that way, I'm sure I would have know something wasn't right.
Ross

I'm sure there is some textbook method for awareness of it, but I feel it, or hear it, or see evidence of it later....or all of that. You can hear it or feel it.....abnormal, that is. If an A5 is 'stinging' you anywhere, something ain't right. A few shots generally won't hurt anything. I wouldn't want to shoot a flat or two at a setting that was too light, though. I have touched off a 1 7/8oz turkey load with the rings on light in one before, and it definately told me something was wrong....oops. :shock: If something doesn't sound or feel like normal, I look into it....but I guess that means you have to have an idea of what an A5 of that gauge should feel like. Like a shotgun bead, I never think too much about it, until it makes me. :lol:

1 3/8oz is kind of the line between for the magnum guns. Many guns will pop them out all day long on the heavy setting but some will have problems when cold for a shot or two starting out but work fine when warmed up. It's one that really does need to be shot to tell. I've seen guns spit out 3" 1 3/8 oz loads but hang every time on 2 3/4" 1 3/8 oz ones.

The shells we are talking about wouldn't be the $8.00 a box specials from Natchez would they?

Nah, they're not from Natchez....I live in Alabama, so they can't sell to me for some fruity reason. I've not had issues with 1 3/8oz stuff....it's usally just fine on the light setting....1 1/2 and up is where I switch to mag as a matter of course....but powder load has to be considered, too....some of the low velocity Hevi-13 stuff won't cycle on the mag ring setting.