I want to learn about chokes

Joker

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Apr 23, 2012
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I got a new shotgun today. Iv had a few in the past but none of them ever required or came with a choke. I also had no issue shooting bird, buck, and slug. The one I got today came with one but I have no idea what the ideal shot would be for it nor do I know what kind of shells I can use. I mainly do target practice and just have general fun when I am out shooting.

So if anyone can share any information or have a link of where I can read about them that would be great.
Thanks in advance.
 
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someone will have a link.

your other shotguns probably had a choke just not removable, made in.

i have an adjustable choke on one gun.

after cutting the bbl on my SBS it has no choke, otherwise called improved cylinder.
 
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Understa ... 532520.uts

I use Carlson chokes in my Browning, they work well.
Ported chokes are a joke and do nothing but make the gun louder. (There is not enough gas pressure left to do anything, even at 18").

Steel shot patterns one full size up because it is harder (Mod -> Full).

Shotguns and their chokes are ammo sensitive. They will pattern differently with different ammo, even with matching speed/"dram equiv"/"Dr.Eq." and shot size & weight.

Tiger: no choke is cylinder, Imp Cyl is .010" tighter

Listing of chokes off the top of my head:
Cylinder: .000"
Skeet 1: .005"
Imp Cylinder: .010"
Skeet 2: .015"
Modified: .020"
Imp Modified: .025"
Full: .030"
Extra full: .040"
Turkey: .045+"

I think there some stuff like "ultra super turkey" etc.
 
I don't think I had any chokes in any of the ones I have had because I was about to shoot slugs out with no issue. I want to be able to shoot slugs out of my new one too. How do I remove the choke?
 
You never shoot it without the choke installed. Ever.

Most slugs will shoot fine in a cylinder to imp cyl. choke.
In addition, you can usually get rifled chokes.
 
http://www.wildfowlmag.com/tips_strategies_shotgun_062304.html
http://www.chuckhawks.com/dope_on_chokes.htm
http://www.chuckhawks.com/magic_shotgun_choke.htm
http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_chokes.htm

These are the best of the articles I could find. Every attempt to find a definitive article (except this one:http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_slugs.htm) regarding slugs and chokes ended up in nothing but forums, where the opinions ran the gamut and true knowledge was sometimes suspect.

Hope this helps.
 
Years ago when I was a young guy fixed choke barrels were the norm and screw-in chokes were a novelty.
Not so today screw in chokes are everywhere.
There is a wealth of factory and aftermarket flush and extended chokes to choose from.
For years I thought that improved cylinder was the most open shotgun choke, imagine my chagrin when I recently learned that skeet was more open.

Urban wisdom passed imparted to me years ago was that for self defense you should use improved cylinder or cylinder barrels to get the most close range spread.
I guess those guys had never seen a skeet choke.
The internet guys seem to think that rifled slugs are best shot from IC chokes.
Some seem to think that all new slugs have been lawyered to be about 1 size smaller than the barrels they are rated for, i.e. a 12 gauge slug would actually be 13 gauge So they think that improved cylinder stabilizes a slug due its slight constriction

Back in the late 1800's gunsmiths learned that if they reduced the diameter of the barrel at the business end by .020" or .030" that it would hold the shot closer giving shotguns a longer range. Choke designations of Full, Modified, Improved Cylinder and Skeet are determined by the percentage of the shot they put into a 30" circle at 40 yards. These designations standardized into constrictions of the bore by .035" for Full, .020' for Modified .0010" for Improved Cylinder and .005" for skeet. In other words, if you have an internal barrel diameter of .729", an Improved Cylinder choke should have an internal diameter of .719" or ten thousandths of an inch of constriction.

The dimensions choke tubes and shotgun barrels may vary a bit, all factory and generic production chokes and barrels currently available from major manufacturers' include a min and max value. This seems to range plus or minus 2 to 3 thousandths. I read that a guy at Michael Murphy & Sons measured hundreds of choke tubes with a micrometer and has found that about 10% of the factory chokes supplied with shotguns are off more than .002".

Generally we are told that a Foster slug sighted to hit 1 inch above the bull's eye at 50 yards will usually strike 3 inches below the bull's eye at 100. In the real world this varies with the gun and the brand shell.
It takes practice to know what a Foster slug will do from your gun.


In all the owners manuals it tells you not to shoot your shotgun without a choke tube in the barrel.
Yes I suppose you might damage the threads but more likely in my mind is the risk of damaging the barrel due to it's being thinner where the tube goes and needing the support of the tube.
The threads can get polymer from the wad and lead from the shot.
If I never have to chase the threads on a shotgun barrel with a dental pick again it will be to soon.

The box of truth site told me that shooting shot out of a rifled barrel will give me a doughnut shaped pattern.
I tried it and yup it does.

Some say that the best choke for a Foster (rifled) slug is rifled.
They believe that the rifled choke will impart some spin on the slug and help stabilize it.

Remington specifically states
The Slugger Rifled Slug should be used in a smooth bore barrel with an Improved Cylinder Choke Tube.


Speaking of rifled choke tubes most people think they are just for shooting sabot slugs.

Rifled choke tubes can be used with any slug including sabots or Foster slugs and can sometimes improve accuracy with thoFosters beyond just a simple smooth bore.

Rifled choke tubes really only work with older Sabots like Winchester BRI sabots, Brenneke K.O. sabots, Hastings Sabots and the Remington BuckHammer.
The BuckHammer uses a projectile shape inside the sabot that is naturally stable in flight using a non-discarding sabot which is also naturally stable.
Remington states "Specifically designed for rifled barrels and rifled choke tubes"
These types of sabots do indeed work well out of a rifled choke tube.
Second Gen sabots such as the Remington Copper Solid Sabot, Winchester Partition Gold Sabot, and Hornady SST Sabot, don't work well with a normal rifled choke.
Seemingly they don't spin up enough to stabilize and you need a fully length rifled slug barrel for them.



Common Choke Restrictions
.000 restriction - cylinder
.005 restriction - skeet
.010 restriction - improved cylinder
.015 restriction - light modified
.020 restriction - modified
.025 restriction - improved modified
.030 restriction - light full
.035 restriction - full
.040 restriction - extra full

Shotgun bore diameters
10 gauge = .775 inches
12 gauge = .729 inches
16 gauge = .662 inches
20 gauge = .615 inches
28 gauge = .550 inches
 
Informative Frost. Thanks for the post.

As a Benelli/HK 12 gauge owner, that I bought new in 1995 (M1Super 90 Tactical, 18.5 inch barrel), I was also told that if I wanted to shoot slugs to slap in the IC choke and all would be good. I need to do a little research on slugs and rifled chokes (and a little more shooting :lol: ).
 
so Frost, in the days of old shotguns with a built in choke, people shot what is now the slugger from what ever they had, like full, right?

i know i did. i never did any accuracy tests. it was just all there was. if the bbl says full that effects shot, not slugs. right?

with my adjustable choke im pretty sure i used full with slugs also.
 
Yes, my first shotgun was a double barrel, I think it was full and improved.
I don't think I paid much attention to which barrel I put slugs in, of course I didn't shoot that many slugs.
Most of what I shot was #4 buckshot at paper and targets of opportunity.
I won't swear to it but I remember being told that the ridges that look like they are intended to give a spin to Foster slugs are intended to crush to fit.
Some of the super tight Turkey or competition chokes might be too much for a Foster slug though.
Personally I would not try it.
 
How about this, is there a choke that I can shoot bird, buck, and slugs out of and maybe the occasional "specialty" shells they have out there? It would mostly see bird and buckshot.
 
Joker said:
How about this, is there a choke that I can shoot bird, buck, and slugs out of and maybe the occasional "specialty" shells they have out there? It would mostly see bird and buckshot.

An improved cylinder choke can handle all of that. It just does not give as tight a pattern for the longer range shots.
 
most shotguns with removable chokes come with full amd modified.

in my opinion they will shoot bird buck and slugs, with different patterns.
 
How can I tell what choke came with my shotguns?

I am not too worried about having a real tight group, I won't be doing any hunting and sporting with it. Mostly just for fun
 
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