H and R 12ga choke question

Suther

Suther

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So I bought a H&R single shot 12ga off the EE the other week, and the choke wasn't specified in the ad. On the barrel it simply says "12 GA CHOKE". Measuring with my calipers I get about .700 at the muzzle, which makes me feel like its probably a Full Choke. Can anyone confirm this for me?

Thanks!
 
cosmic said:
If the muzzle doesnt swallow a dime, its a full choke.
Click to expand...

The dime did not drop into the barrel. Thanks for that tip! I guess I've got a full choke gun.

Anyone happen to know if these things are safe to shoot with steel if I opened up the choke to say Mod or Imp. Cylinder? I probably wont do any of that, but if I don't ask it'll bug me. Thanks!
 
Well - its an inexpensive gun, taking it to a gunsmith to open the chokes and forcing cone will cost more than its worth. Just get Mr Hacksaw out and lop off a few inches from barrel. Then take the money you saved and buy a Limbsaver pad, you'll need it.
 
They take nothing special same Winchester, Browning Invector & Mossberg 500 style threads. Look at the notch chart to see what you have

dzZZo9R.jpg
 
SHOTGUN BARREL ALTERATIONS FOR STEEL SHOT

Forcing Cone Alteration:

Factory shotgun barrels usually have a fairly short and abrupt forcing cone. The forcing cone is the tapered area just ahead of the chamber where the shell is contained. Altering the forcing cone, so it is one and one half or two inches in length, reduces recoil and improves the pattern density. Trap shooters and skeet shooters have been doing this for many years. It is a good benefit to the steel shot user as well.

Choke Alteration:
Choke designation from the tightest to the most open are:
Extra Full, Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Skeet II, Improved Cylinder, Skeet I, and Cylinder Bore.

Steel shot does not require the constriction that lead shot needs, to produce good patterns. In fact too much constriction, causes poor, erratic patterns, and in some cases, permanently damages the barrel. I have seen barrels bulged at the choke, I have seen barrels where the choke split right open, from using steel shot.

For steel shot, with thin barrels, chokes should be altered to at least Skeet II. Often, over & under, and side-by-side shotguns, are best altered to Skeet I and Skeet II chokes. Heavier barrels can be left at Modified choke but may see an improvement in the pattern if opened slightly.
 
cosmic said:
Well - its an inexpensive gun, taking it to a gunsmith to open the chokes and forcing cone will cost more than its worth. Just get Mr Hacksaw out and lop off a few inches from barrel. Then take the money you saved and buy a Limbsaver pad, you'll need it.
Click to expand...

As I said before, I probably won't do anything with the gun, but if I didn't ask then I'd always be thinking about it. I already have a turkish single shot with an 18" barrel and removeable chokes, so I don't have much reason to chop the barrel on this one.

3macs1 said:
They take nothing special same Winchester, Browning Invector & Mossberg 500 style threads. Look at the notch chart to see what you have

dzZZo9R.jpg
Click to expand...

The gun has a fixed choke.

guntech said:
SHOTGUN BARREL ALTERATIONS FOR STEEL SHOT

Forcing Cone Alteration:

Factory shotgun barrels usually have a fairly short and abrupt forcing cone. The forcing cone is the tapered area just ahead of the chamber where the shell is contained. Altering the forcing cone, so it is one and one half or two inches in length, reduces recoil and improves the pattern density. Trap shooters and skeet shooters have been doing this for many years. It is a good benefit to the steel shot user as well.

Choke Alteration:
Choke designation from the tightest to the most open are:
Extra Full, Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Skeet II, Improved Cylinder, Skeet I, and Cylinder Bore.

Steel shot does not require the constriction that lead shot needs, to produce good patterns. In fact too much constriction, causes poor, erratic patterns, and in some cases, permanently damages the barrel. I have seen barrels bulged at the choke, I have seen barrels where the choke split right open, from using steel shot.

For steel shot, with thin barrels, chokes should be altered to at least Skeet II. Often, over & under, and side-by-side shotguns, are best altered to Skeet I and Skeet II chokes. Heavier barrels can be left at Modified choke but may see an improvement in the pattern if opened slightly.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that detailed explanation.
 
guntech said:
SHOTGUN BARREL ALTERATIONS FOR STEEL SHOT

Forcing Cone Alteration:

Factory shotgun barrels usually have a fairly short and abrupt forcing cone. The forcing cone is the tapered area just ahead of the chamber where the shell is contained. Altering the forcing cone, so it is one and one half or two inches in length, reduces recoil and improves the pattern density. Trap shooters and skeet shooters have been doing this for many years. It is a good benefit to the steel shot user as well.

Choke Alteration:
Choke designation from the tightest to the most open are:
Extra Full, Full, Improved Modified, Modified, Skeet II, Improved Cylinder, Skeet I, and Cylinder Bore.

Steel shot does not require the constriction that lead shot needs, to produce good patterns. In fact too much constriction, causes poor, erratic patterns, and in some cases, permanently damages the barrel. I have seen barrels bulged at the choke, I have seen barrels where the choke split right open, from using steel shot.

For steel shot, with thin barrels, chokes should be altered to at least Skeet II. Often, over & under, and side-by-side shotguns, are best altered to Skeet I and Skeet II chokes. Heavier barrels can be left at Modified choke but may see an improvement in the pattern if opened slightly.
Click to expand...

For many years a favorite for me on waterfowl has been an AYA 3 1/5" 10ga mag SxS, as luck would have it, in addition, it happens to have VERY nice wood. It's full & full and the patterns using Federal Premium ammo are something else!!! As such, I've hesitated in having the chokes opened up in order to use steel shot. Just wondering what your take is in switching to bismuth shot?? I've been led to believe it may not be necessary to open the chokes using bismuth.
 
albertaal said:
3macs is right, bismuth is crazy expensive. But those big old cannons are fun to shoot.
Click to expand...

True enough but at my age, 75, and with the number of probable/possible years of use ahead, I may just ;) 'bite the bullet' and go for bismuth. Again, as well as my AYA patterns with Federal Premium, I don't want to even consider touching the chokes. That's my governing factor and opening the chokes would be a likely option if the patterns weren't what they are.
 
It is a progression I guess as you get older ,bought a 12g Benelli 828 to use as a pheasant gun as it is light and could shoot steel through it with the screw tubes.Now the 16g model 12 and 28g Weatherby are my go to upland guns and the 828 sits in the safe. Never used much steel through it but was the "thought process" at the time. Now have a couple of classic sxs that I can use and look forward to that in the coming years.:)
 
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