Jack,
The 1 1/4 ounce load is shot inside a deep wad that is then lined with thick mylar. The 1 1/4 ounces does not fill the shot cup, and being that the shot is #9 in size, it cannot get through the double wrap and make contact with the barrel. So all you have is a plastic wad filled with small shot going down the barrel.
In the 20 gauge loads, it too is inside a deep wad, and inside the 20 gauge wad is another 28 gauge wad with the piston cut off. So a double wad with only one ounce of #9s. As you say tungsten is harder than any steel, so in theory it would damage the surface of even the most modern chrome lined bore. But the shot can't come in contact with the bore in these loads if loaded to the recipe Hal provides. Now he does have loads that may spill over, for example a 1 5/8 ounce 20 gauge 2 3/4" load he calls Little Stubby or something like that. I would only use that in the most modern gun.
But it is a personal choice whether to believe in it as being OK or not. I saw nothing in six different barrels. Had I seen damage, I would have stopped.
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