Does anyone here know about using a rifled choke on a smooth bore when shooting slugs? I have a Model 870 with an unrifled barrel (20 inches) that I cast slugs (Lee Drive Key 1 oz) and 00 buck for. It patterns between 3 inches and 5 inches at 25 meters (3 shots). Performance is adequate for my needs but I would buy a choke just out of interest to try and better this if there is a reasonable expectation of improvement.
Rifled Choke to Improve Slug Performance
- Thread starter BCFred
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happiness is a warm gun
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BCFred said:
I'm not sure if all rifles choke tubes will handle Sabot solid copper slugs, stick to lead slugs unless the choke to manufacture says their safe to use.
I like Briley tubes, but Remington makes a Rifled & an Extended Rifled choke tubes for your 870.
Have fun sighting slugs through your pump gun. Ouchhhhh!
Happiness, I never thought to check the manufacturer...duhhh(!) . Will watch out for copper jacket question. You're right about the "ouchhh!" part, even with a sandbag on my shoulder it's no fun. Muzzle blast is a big part of the thump. Kind of an interesting problem trying to get 00 buck to shoot to the same center that the slugs do too. Thanks again...Fred
I am no expert when it comes to slugs. But I would think you should be getting much tighter groups than 3-5 inches at 25 yards, even with a smoothbore.
You should easily be able to shoot a pie plate all day at 50 yards.
Might be the type of slugs you are using. For smoothbore barrels, take a look at Brenneke or Challenger.
You should easily be able to shoot a pie plate all day at 50 yards.
Might be the type of slugs you are using. For smoothbore barrels, take a look at Brenneke or Challenger.
Waterfowler said:
Sorry, screwed up on reply, so there are two. I have only used Lee Drive Key slugs and only tested at 20 and 25 meters (not true, see below). Probably shot 25 or 30 slugs all told in 3 shot groups. My personal, arbitrary shooting line for a bear rushing me is 25 meters. So, I test there. The best group I have shot is about 2.5 inches and the worst is just under 5. Average is around 3 inches. I appreciate the suggestion about trying other slugs and believe it to be likely correct, but I want to cast my own. Now I think about it I did buy 5 factory cast bullets from Federal and they shot the same. Fred
Lee drive key
The point of the drive key slug design is a rifled choke tube or barrel.
If you retrieve your fired wads and look at them closley you will see how the bottom of the shot cup is formed with the impression of the drive key. It is supposed to lock on to the key and impart the spin provided by the wad petals engaging in the rifling as it passes through the barrel or tube.
Without the spin the wad tears away from the slug in flight on a pretty random basis hence the large 20 yard groups. If you already have screw in choke tubes on your 20 inch then get remington rifled tube and go to town I think you will be pleased.
The point of the drive key slug design is a rifled choke tube or barrel.
If you retrieve your fired wads and look at them closley you will see how the bottom of the shot cup is formed with the impression of the drive key. It is supposed to lock on to the key and impart the spin provided by the wad petals engaging in the rifling as it passes through the barrel or tube.
Without the spin the wad tears away from the slug in flight on a pretty random basis hence the large 20 yard groups. If you already have screw in choke tubes on your 20 inch then get remington rifled tube and go to town I think you will be pleased.
If you already have screw in choke tubes on your 20 inch then get remington rifled tube and go to town I think you will be pleased. (Chuckshot)
When all is said and done Chuckshot maybe I've been lucky to get the accuracy that I have gotten. The barrel was just cut-off and the muzzle squared and smoothed. The comments here have been very helpful and I am at the point now where I wonder if I shouldn't just bite the boolit and buy a rifled barrel since I don't have a thread in the present barrel for a choke tube. I can't thread it myself and it will cost to get it done. Thank you for the excellent description of purpose behind drive key slug, by the way. I don't believe I actually understood it until I read your post. Fred
When all is said and done Chuckshot maybe I've been lucky to get the accuracy that I have gotten. The barrel was just cut-off and the muzzle squared and smoothed. The comments here have been very helpful and I am at the point now where I wonder if I shouldn't just bite the boolit and buy a rifled barrel since I don't have a thread in the present barrel for a choke tube. I can't thread it myself and it will cost to get it done. Thank you for the excellent description of purpose behind drive key slug, by the way. I don't believe I actually understood it until I read your post. Fred
You can buy a whole lot( probably a life time supply) of challenger slugs for the price of a new barrel or installing a choke tube system. Try a box of the challenger slugs, they are designed for smooth bore and are quite accurate. If you are set at casting your own, Lyman make a slug that is shaped like a badminton bird to be used in a regular shot cup. A freind loaned me his mold and I cast a life time supply . I haven't tried them yet. they might be what you need rather than a new barrel/choke system.
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I fire slugs out of my 590 (smooth bore, cylinder bore))and I get 5 shots touching @ 25 yards. These shots are taken using the gohst ring rear, a Win 94 bead on the front, Remington Sluggers (2 /34") and all shots are standing. I tried out Winchester slugs, but found that the groups from the Sluggers was much better.
I am loading up the Lyman slugs now; I find they are not quite as accurate, but they are close enough for the savings I am getting over the Sluggers. I like Big Guy's description of waht they look like; I thought they looked like giant airgun pellets.
I am loading up the Lyman slugs now; I find they are not quite as accurate, but they are close enough for the savings I am getting over the Sluggers. I like Big Guy's description of waht they look like; I thought they looked like giant airgun pellets.
I assume you mean just a front bead type sight. If that is the case, any amount of accuracy in general is going to be tough to get. If this is suppose to be a close range, protection type gun, I would get a Patternmaster choke and go with 00 or 000 buckshot.
BCFred said:
Big Guy said:
Thanks for the opinion. Will try the challenger slugs if I can find them. Seems like a logical step. I do have a Lyman Lube and swaging press, but haven't bought a set of handles...they seemed expensive to me and I have had good luck casting for rifle with Lee dies so far.
Well those Lee slugs are only one ounce and I would not trust them for defence, or for clean kills in a hunting situation for that matter. But chuck is right those slugs were designed for use in rifled barrels not smoothbores.
A rifled choke tube is not as good as a rifled barrel, not even close, and I seriuosly doubt that a rifled tube will stabilize that primitive slug to any degree of accuracy.
If you want to defend yourself from or hunt large game with a smoothbore or a smoothbore with a rifled choke tube use an attached wad slug, that is what they were designed for!
Challenger slugs are too hard and the wads can detach causing all kinds of problems on game!!
1 1/8th or 1 1/4 ounce Brennekes are proven killers on large game.... Buckhammers work good for accuracy and although I have not killed anything with them yet they stabilized well in a smoothbore and very well in a rifled choke tube too.
Just as an aside to this a rifled tube is gonna cost you about 75-90 bucks... and a rifled barrel for your 870 can be picked up used for about 150 bucks... or $249.00 brand new.
A rifled choke tube is not as good as a rifled barrel, not even close, and I seriuosly doubt that a rifled tube will stabilize that primitive slug to any degree of accuracy.
If you want to defend yourself from or hunt large game with a smoothbore or a smoothbore with a rifled choke tube use an attached wad slug, that is what they were designed for!
Challenger slugs are too hard and the wads can detach causing all kinds of problems on game!!
1 1/8th or 1 1/4 ounce Brennekes are proven killers on large game.... Buckhammers work good for accuracy and although I have not killed anything with them yet they stabilized well in a smoothbore and very well in a rifled choke tube too.
Just as an aside to this a rifled tube is gonna cost you about 75-90 bucks... and a rifled barrel for your 870 can be picked up used for about 150 bucks... or $249.00 brand new.
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Geez Big Red what would walk through a solid lead slug about 438 grains at 1500/1600 ft/sec followed by two loads of 9 double ought buck 
? You're right in thinking that I will use it for defence. Basically I will use it when coming back to a kill in the morning when up north or when gutting out. While I don't often go anymore, two hunts are being planned for next year. The other two are camping with my wife in bear country and sometimes when hiking around here. I jumped a bear in heavy bush a couple of years ago while hiking here and I was unarmed. I guess he was sleeping and clearly po'd about being awakened. I had no idea he was there. So, sometimes I carry when hiking in that area. That all being said I will research the slugs you are talking about and see if I cant get some to test. Thank you very much for the advice. Fred
? You're right in thinking that I will use it for defence. Basically I will use it when coming back to a kill in the morning when up north or when gutting out. While I don't often go anymore, two hunts are being planned for next year. The other two are camping with my wife in bear country and sometimes when hiking around here. I jumped a bear in heavy bush a couple of years ago while hiking here and I was unarmed. I guess he was sleeping and clearly po'd about being awakened. I had no idea he was there. So, sometimes I carry when hiking in that area. That all being said I will research the slugs you are talking about and see if I cant get some to test. Thank you very much for the advice. Fred
