Which choke should I use?

[blatantsubtlety]

I just bought a smooth bore 20 gauge. Which choke, if any should I use for SHOT vrs. Rifled Slug? I was told to use the Full Choke for rifled slugs. Is this correct? Also have an IMP CYL, and a MOD. I can see the phyisical differances in the chokes, I guess I am just a bit ignorant of what to use. And must I use a choke at all when useing SHOT shells?

Thanks.

 

[Snowdog]

I always thought you didn't want a choke (cylinder) when using rifled slugs.
I would be interested to see what answers you receive.

 

[FLNT4EVR]

The IC choke will normaly give the best accuracy with slugs. The full choke will squeeze the slug down to fit thru the restriction which deforms it somewhat and has a detrimental affect on it's accuracy.Using different chokes when using shot shells extends the effective range of your shot string. ie: IC for close shooting as for bunnies or grouse in cover.....MOD for early season pheasants or ducks with steel shot, full for those long field shots at late season pheasents that flush early,and of course turkey which need a tight pattern for those head shots.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Always have a choke tube in place, in a gun that is fitted for them. Otherwise you risk damage to the threads.

ImpCyl or maybe Mod should be good for slugs- RIFLED slugs in a smoothbore, sabots in a rifled barrel.

lpl

 

[Tim the student]

Which choke, if any should I use for SHOT vrs. Rifled Slug?

Depends what you want to do with it. So, what do you want to do with it? I would look at the Shotgun 101 sticky, and in that, specifically this thread: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=22655

I was told to use the Full Choke for rifled slugs.

As FLNT said, I would use the IC.

And must I use a choke at all when useing SHOT shells?

Yep. I have heard a million times (and like Lee just said) that you will damage the threads. I don't know if you will, and I don't have enough money to test it, but why risk it?

Welcome the THR.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I keep a cylinder choke in my 870 for household use. Slugs, buck, whatever. 30 yards max for self-defense, as far as I'm concerned.

For sporting use - well, each choke is specialized.

Google is your friend.

 

[blatantsubtlety]

well.. im not useing it for hunting, yet. bought it for home defence. so i guess the full choke is what i should leave in it, so that i can use what ever shell i grab.

thanks for the info..

 

[Fred Fuller]

i guess the full choke is what i should leave in it

I wouldn't.

For the simple reason that Full is often too much choke, these days. Without having patterned the gun with the different loads you plan to use and different choke tubes in place, there is no way you can know how the gun will perform with any given load and choke.

With a defensive shotgun, you need to know as well as possible what the gun is going to deliver, every time you press the trigger. And where it's going to put it. That takes time at the flat range, on the pattern board.

I wouldn't voluntarily use a shotgun in a defensive role that I had not patterned sufficiently to know pretty well what it would do at any practical range, with whatever load I was shooting through it. YMMV of course...

lpl

 

[sheephearder]

Most 18+ inch barrels are choked cylinder or improved cylinder (IC) and that is what is normally recommended for slugs or buckshot. As stated above you should pattern your gun with different chokes to see what works best some times a modified or even full will pattern better with buckshot than a cylinder or improved cylinder. The patterning will also give you some experience with the gun and it's capabilities. Good luck : Bill

 

[blatantsubtlety]

well, i pattererned the gun with about 10 shots the other day. useing a full choke, i fired from 20 yards(50-60 feet). seemed to get a even spread of about 12-15 inches, useing two seprate types of shot. also ran two slugs through the full choke from the same distance and hit my target just fine. the shot shells from a five foot range, blew about a 6 inch hole in my target with some stray spread around said hole.

plan on doing a lot more patterning this week. with the MOD, IC and FULL. so your saying to shoot slugs throu the IC then? not the full. will it do damage, or have i done damage to my gun by doing so?


thanks.

 

[Dave McCracken]

You haven't damaged your gun. Slugs rarely do well from tight chokes, though exceptions occur.

I suggest measuring, not estimating, the longest possible shot opp in your house. Add a yard for GPs and pattern there. Repeat at 25 yards just to know what happens.

And shoot the heck out of your gun. It will not wear out in your lifetime.