Question about chokes

T

ThrowBack

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Hi all

Just bought a Benelli M2 Tactical. The shotgun came with a variety of chokes and just wanted to know which one is safe to use with slugs (something like Remington's "Sluggers"). Don't want to wreck my new gun but don't know much about chokes. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

-TB
 
Rifled slugs are safe to shoot out of any tube between cylinder and full. You might have to try to see which choke is more accurate, but imp.
cyl. and mod would be my bet. What are the choke designations that came with your gun?
 
Improved cylinder, full choke and modified are the 3 chokes that came with the shotgun. I don't really have any choke experience. My other shotgun is a mossberg and it has no choke at all. So I take it improved cylinder would be the best for slugs, then?
 
Of those three, that'll probably be the best (improved), but for the heck of it, no damage will come of trying both the improved and the modified, and seeing which groups best. Just whatever you do, don't ever run slugs through it without one of them installed. That's about the quickest way to wreck the choke threads.
 
"...don't know much about chokes..." Chokes are a restriction in the barrel designed to give the shot, in its wad, a wee tweak to keep the shot together a bit longer after it leaves the barrel. A slug, being a big, lead, bullet, doesn't need a choke for that. A cylinder bore choke is a misnomer as it isn't a choke at all. The barrel doesn't have the wee restriction. Slugs, out of a smooth bore, tend to be a bit more accurate out of an Improved Cylinder(IC) choke. That'd be the least possible actual choke. Put that one it and you'll be fine.
Oh and have the Full Choke in, your shotgun won't be damaged.
 
ThrowBack said:
Improved cylinder, full choke and modified are the 3 chokes that came with the shotgun. I don't really have any choke experience. My other shotgun is a mossberg and it has no choke at all. So I take it improved cylinder would be the best for slugs, then?
Click to expand...

Safe to try with any of those three. As to which is the best? Try all three with the slug you plan to use, and you will know.
 
sunray said:
"...don't know much about chokes..." Chokes are a restriction in the barrel designed to give the shot, in its wad, a wee tweak to keep the shot together a bit longer after it leaves the barrel. A slug, being a big, lead, bullet, doesn't need a choke for that. A cylinder bore choke is a misnomer as it isn't a choke at all. The barrel doesn't have the wee restriction. Slugs, out of a smooth bore, tend to be a bit more accurate out of an Improved Cylinder(IC) choke. That'd be the least possible actual choke. Put that one it and you'll be fine.
Oh and have the Full Choke in, your shotgun won't be damaged.
Click to expand...

You sort of got most of it, but not quite! It is not cylinder bore that is the misnomer but the tube itself. Not all devices intended to control pattern involve choke or restriction, but they are often called choke tubes. You are correct that cylinder has no restriction or is often .000 degrees of restriction. Some companies make tubes that have a negative restriction. Remington skeet is one example. The tubes is -002 or very close. Improved Cylinder is not the least amount of choke. Imp. Cyl. is often .010. Many companies provide one that is .005 which is for skeet. Some specialty companies will provide tubes in .001 inc. or any degree you wish. Now bore? Because there is nothing standard about the actual dimensions of a smooth bore, most ammo companies make rifled slugs over bore sized but easy to conform or squeeze to bore diameter. How they will react, once they engage the choke or whatever you wish to call it is a law unto itself for the slug, bore, tube comb. You have to determine that for yourself and there is nothing written in stone that says imp. cyl. or modified will be best. With my Win SX3 I have had good results with a browing midas invector plus light modified which according to them is .015 or half way between modified and improved cylinder. BTW that tube is the one I like best for all round shooting.
 
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