School me on chokes!

Painkillers

Painkillers

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
GunNutz
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
Fella's I have a few 590A1 heavy barrels that are cylinder bore, which while very effective for about 10 yards, spreads too quickly to effectively hit anything beyond that range.

I'm a fairly handy guy and am confident I can tap the barrels myself if I can source the tap/s, but sometimes once tooling costs are calculated it makes more sense to send them to someone who cuts for chokes already?

Is a modified choke compatible with slugs and buck as well as bird shot?

So, understanding I'd want flush mounted, internal screw in choke options, what say you?

What make are the best choke tubes?
Who can tap barrels (Ontario)?
Where can I source taps for the choke tubes?

TIA, Painkillers
 
I believe S&J Hardware and TacOrd both can cut for chokes. Usually will do for Benelli Mobil or Remington. In the end, I would choose whichever you have most of already. If neither, Mobil chokes are very common. Sourcing taps, only place I found was Brownells. Modified is perfect for buck and slugs, although Federal Flight control often work better with an improved cylinder. I sold both my 590A1's due to the lack of chokes, for me a cylinder only shotgun is not useful. Flush or extended, no big difference other than can often change extended or even tighten, by hand. Modified is certainly better for birdshot than cylinder, but a full would be handy as well.
 
Modified seems to be the way to go. Not recommended to slug out a full choke. Just get a machinist to cut the threads, if your barrel is accepting of it. Too thin of a wall will just crack.
 
Improved cylinder is better for steel shot... steel does not require much constriction for a good pattern.
 
Jahnj0584 said:
Modified seems to be the way to go. Not recommended to slug out a full choke. Just get a machinist to cut the threads, if your barrel is accepting of it. Too thin of a wall will just crack.
Click to expand...

Totally fine to shoot slugs out of full chokes, I’ve been doing it for years. Think about all those old full fixed choke Cooey’s that have shot deer also.
 
I had my 590A1 threaded for chokes so that I could use birdshot through it. Had it threaded locally. Ended up going with Rem-choke style threads on the gunsmith's recommendation (couldn't tell you if there's any advantage over one or the other). Then I just bought a set of Carlson's flush fitting chokes and I've had no problems. I shoot in 3-Gun competitions and it works great. I'll put in a cylinder choke when shooting slugs and switch to full or modified when shooting birdshot.
 
The choke thread taps are pretty expensive. I just checked and the PT&G thread tap is $180 usd.

Looks like the taps are available to rent from 4D reamer rentals for $55 usd.
 
OP,

Call TacOrd and they will walk you through your options as to what types of chokes/threading would be available for your shotgun.
Really can't do better than them regarding this topic.

Type/brand of choke tube... it doesn't matter. As long as the constriction is tighter than your bore, it will have an effect on your pattern.
Don't know if its the case for all models, but some Mossbergs have larger than what would be considered a typical 12g bore.
You may be limited to Trulock brand chokes as your most readily available option for choke tubes. (TacOrd has these in stock...)

And I don't mean limited in a bad way as they make excellent choke tubes.
A Rem choke pattern or others may not fit your barrel. TacOrd will let you know.

Another option may be to get the Vang Comp system done to your barrel.
Essentially works in reverse to adding a choke. Rather than add constriction to the end of your barrel, it opens up the bore of the barrel and tapers to your factory muzzle constriction.
And on the plus side, you don't have to buy choke tubes, or the added maintenance steps that go along with having chokes.

As far as what you can shoot out of tight chokes, you can pretty much shoot any lead (shot/buck/slug) out of a tighter constriction, but you may not get the best results if it deforms the lead.
May/may not get fliers and inconsistent POI if you shoot rifled slugs and buckshot through tight chokes.

Unfortunately there really is no 100% guaranteed recipe with shotgun.
Its trial and error until you find the results you are looking for.
 
My two cents, made keeping in mind that this is not the sporting shotguns section:

OP, I would say you're looking at a non problem. The shotgun is not a long range weapon: sure you can shoot slugs out of one out to 100 meters but that is just making it a medium range one and for that you still want an open choke and then consider, as already stated, if you choke up an open cylinder you're risking screwing up your ability to shoot slugs effectively. I suppose if you're looking at making a general survival weapon to carry wilderness canoeing or in a bush plane, variable chokes might be a good thing to have but I still think it would be an overcomplication.
 
Last edited:
OP,
The Rem Choke are threaded at the breech end of the choke tube which are stronger & can be used w/ lead or steel shot.

Other systems are threaded at the muzzle end of the choke tube.
 
I may have misunderstood previous CGN discussions about choke - but I do not think you can dependably buy a "modified" choke - I think "choke" is a function of your actual bore size, and then how much constriction - to end up with a "modified" choke pattern - may not be same result with same insert into another brand or size of barrel. I think "chokes" are about the amount of constriction, compared to the bore size - I do not think they are free standing sizes, alone - despite various sales pitches.

As has been posted on CGN several times, I think the forcing cone angle - within the bore, just ahead of the chamber - has a lot to do with what type of shot to use, what pattern that you get and amount of recoil that the shooter feels.
 
Potashminer said:
I may have misunderstood previous CGN discussions about choke - but I do not think you can dependably buy a "modified" choke - I think "choke" is a function of your actual bore size, and then how much constriction - to end up with a "modified" choke pattern - may not be same result with same insert into another brand or size of barrel. I think "chokes" are about the amount of constriction, compared to the bore size - I do not think they are free standing sizes, alone - despite various sales pitches.
Click to expand...

This chart suggests otherwise. It would seem choke restrictions have standardized sizes.

https://www.hallowellco.com/choke_chart.htm
 
Of course there are standard sizes .... I mean how else could choke manufacturers label their chokes as "Full", "Modified" or "Improved Cylinder"!!

Chokes are made and labeled with respect to a certain standard bore diameter of a certain manufacturer/brand of shotgun ....

choke-tube-diameter-table-chart-sizes-2.jpg


Link
 
I Dont Care About You said:
This chart suggests otherwise. It would seem choke restrictions have standardized sizes.

https://www.hallowellco.com/choke_chart.htm
Click to expand...

Read the second paragraph on that page - measure the bore diameter 4" back from the choke. Then the chart lists the range of constrictions needed to get specific % of shot into what I presume is a standardized pattern at standardized distance. I do not see anywhere about ordering a specific sized choke by "choke" pattern - by constriction, yes, but that presumes that one know what is the bore diameter.
 
Big Bad said:
if you choke up an open cylinder you're risking screwing up your ability to shoot slugs effectively.


variable chokes might be a good thing to have but I still think it would be an overcomplication.
Click to expand...

100% disagree with this, threading a barrel for chokes is the single most useful thing you can do for a fixed cylinder bore barrel. Making a more versatile tool is never a bad thing. My barrels with removable chokes pattern shot (bird/buck) and slugs great and none of them are cylinder bore, cylinder bore is pretty useless as far as I’m concerned.
 
I'm not much of a shotgun guy but I wouldn't even consider a new made shotgun without choke tubes.
 
Big Bad said:
My two cents, made keeping in mind that this is not the sporting shotguns section:

OP, I would say you're looking at a non problem. The shotgun is not a long range weapon: sure you can shoot slugs out of one out to 100 meters but that is just making it a medium range one and for that you still want an open choke and then consider, as already stated, if you choke up an open cylinder you're risking screwing up your ability to shoot slugs effectively. I suppose if you're looking at making a general survival weapon to carry wilderness canoeing or in a bush plane, variable chokes might be a good thing to have but I still think it would be an overcomplication.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree. Slugs are rifled to allow them to swage down through chokes and often one size choke will shoot better than others with them. Further more it opens up a world of optimization. Buckshot is a great example. Local shop has Federal 3" 15 pellet 00 buck for cheap. My M2 puts all 15 into an 8-10" pattern at 10 yards with CYL. At 15 things open fast. Going from CYL, IC, M, and IM showed several inches less dispersion per choke with IM pulling all 15 pellets back into an 8-10" pattern @ 15. CYL pattern was closer to 25" with only 5 or 6 pellets likely to hit vitals. I bought more to see what the limits are for this load in that gun. I can also shoot steel shot for game birds with the CYL and IC, lead birdshot for target use with full, IC or M for slugs. Lots of options with real world uses.
 
pauls said:
OP,

Call TacOrd and they will walk you through your options as to what types of chokes/threading would be available for your shotgun.
Really can't do better than them regarding this topic.

Type/brand of choke tube... it doesn't matter. As long as the constriction is tighter than your bore, it will have an effect on your pattern.
Don't know if its the case for all models, but some Mossbergs have larger than what would be considered a typical 12g bore.
You may be limited to Trulock brand chokes as your most readily available option for choke tubes. (TacOrd has these in stock...)

And I don't mean limited in a bad way as they make excellent choke tubes.
A Rem choke pattern or others may not fit your barrel. TacOrd will let you know.

Another option may be to get the Vang Comp system done to your barrel.
Essentially works in reverse to adding a choke. Rather than add constriction to the end of your barrel, it opens up the bore of the barrel and tapers to your factory muzzle constriction.
And on the plus side, you don't have to buy choke tubes, or the added maintenance steps that go along with having chokes.

As far as what you can shoot out of tight chokes, you can pretty much shoot any lead (shot/buck/slug) out of a tighter constriction, but you may not get the best results if it deforms the lead.
May/may not get fliers and inconsistent POI if you shoot rifled slugs and buckshot through tight chokes.

Unfortunately there really is no 100% guaranteed recipe with shotgun.
Its trial and error until you find the results you are looking for.
Click to expand...

:cheers:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom