Shooting Slugs Through a Waterfowl Gun with an IC Choke

Butcherbill said:
If it’s not some pos Turkish gun or choke tubes I wouldn’t worry about it, pretty sure there was a thread not long back about some Turkish choke that was bulged from either slugs or steel shot. If it’s a good brand of choke it should be plenty strong and handle a lead slus just fine, when I get a new shotgun I will pattern it and shoot slugs through all chokes from cyl to full at a couple distances. There’s always one or two chokes that give me great patterns at 15 & 30m and shoots slugs to poa out to 50m, generally it’s mod or imp mod in Rem or Truchoke but I have one barrel where it’s a full Winchoke.
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Thank you (and everyone else) for the feedback. My chokes are OEM Benellis, quality should be ok.
 
If they're Beretta Mobil chokes you can use rifled slugs up to full. If it's the higher end Beretta choke like the optima choke high performance than mod choke is the tightest recommend by Beretta

Always follow the choke manufacturers guidelines. They're there for some reason
 
So is it not recommended to shoot slugs through the cheaper Turkish guns unless you only use a cyl choke?
I have a couple guns that came with only 3 chokes , full, mod, and cyl
So it’s not safe to use a mod choke the in these?
I have the challenger target slugs and some federal slugs
 
Deathrawt said:
So is it not recommended to shoot slugs through the cheaper Turkish guns unless you only use a cyl choke?
I have a couple guns that came with only 3 chokes , full, mod, and cyl
So it’s not safe to use a mod choke the in these?
I have the challenger target slugs and some federal slugs
Click to expand...

The bias that some shooters have against Turkish shotguns is generally unfounded. Turkish guns are no different than those made in any other country - they make some spectacularly fine guns and they make loads of crap. Every gun, regardless of where it was made, has to be evaluated on it's own merit. Having said that, the Turks are the country that currently make the highest volume of inexpensive guns. In order to make guns inexpensively, you have to reduce labour costs, cut back on material quality, and and eschew fit and finishing effort. The old axiom "you get what you pay for" is especially true with shotguns.

Being prudent is good. Being paranoid is not. So, always inspect your firearm before use. Signs of loose joints, rust or corrosion, or damage should cause one to reconsider the use of such a firearm if not choosing a different gun altogether. A good example would be a dent in the barrel(s). Dented barrels are a risk factor even with bird shot. All the more so with slugs.

My biggest concern with cheap shotguns (be they Turkish, Brazilian, Chinese, or an old Belgian clunker) is that they can be damaged or get loose in a fraction of the time it would take for a quality gun. That being said, if your Turkish shotgun is in good condition and functioning properly, there's no reason why you can't fire slugs through a modified choke with it. However, many of the so-called "tactical" shotguns are far too light for heavy shot shells and slugs. The recoil can be punishing to both shoulder and trigger hand.

Foster Slugs and Brenneke Slugs (often referred to as "rifled" slugs) have angled grooves cut into the lead. These grooves will compress as the slug passes through a choke that is narrower than the full diameter of the slug. This helps keep the slug in contact with the barrel as it passes down the bore and equally as it passes through the choke. If there's anything left of these vanes after leaving the barrel, they are said to impart a spin on the slug that provides stability for better accuracy. The tighter the choke, the more these vanes are crushed going through. So much for stability and accuracy!

This is why some slugs are more accurate through IC and some are more accurate through MOD - the best accuracy comes from the constriction that best fits the diameter of the slug without excessively crushing the vanes.

Sabot slugs are solid lead slugs with no vanes. They are intended for shotguns with rifled barrels with little or no choke. Some newer versions retain a plastic sleeve as they travel down the barrel. This sleeve easily compresses going through the choke, providing the same seal to the barrel and choke walls as do the vanes with the previously described slugs. The plastic sleeve is intended to drop off after leaving the barrel. Theoretically these sabot slug are safe to use in smooth bore shotguns, but I wouldn't take that chance - especially though a choked barrel. Sabot slugs don't all have this feature and there are plenty of easily available suitable alternatives to not be taking such risks, especially when using cheap shotguns.
 
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straightshooter said:
The bias that some shooters have against Turkish shotguns is generally unfounded. Turkish guns are no different than those made in any other country - they make some spectacularly fine guns and they make loads of crap. Every gun, regardless of where it was made, has to be evaluated on it's own merit. Having said that, the Turks are the country that currently make the highest volume of inexpensive guns. In order to make guns inexpensively, you have to reduce labour costs, cut back on material quality, and and eschew fit and finishing effort. The old axiom "you get what you pay for" is especially true with shotguns.

Being prudent is good. Being paranoid is not. So, always inspect your firearm before use. Signs of loose joints, rust or corrosion, or damage should cause one to reconsider the use of such a firearm if not choosing a different gun altogether. A good example would be a dent in the barrel(s). Dented barrels are a risk factor even with bird shot. All the more so with slugs.

My biggest concern with cheap shotguns (be they Turkish, Brazilian, Chinese, or an old Belgian clunker) is that they can be damaged or get loose in a fraction of the time it would take for a quality gun. That being said, if your Turkish shotgun is in good condition and functioning properly, there's no reason why you can't fire slugs through a modified choke with it. However, many of the so-called "tactical" shotguns are far too light for heavy shot shells and slugs. The recoil can be punishing to both shoulder and trigger hand.

Foster Slugs and Brenneke Slugs (often referred to as "rifled" slugs) have angled grooves cut into the lead. These grooves will compress as the slug passes through a choke that is narrower than the full diameter of the slug. This helps keep the slug in contact with the barrel as it passes down the bore and equally as it passes through the choke. If there's anything left of these vanes after leaving the barrel, they are said to impart a spin on the slug that provides stability for better accuracy. The tighter the choke, the more these vanes are crushed going through. So much for stability and accuracy!

This is why some slugs are more accurate through IC and some are more accurate through MOD - the best accuracy comes from the constriction that best fits the diameter of the slug without excessively crushing the vanes.

Sabot slugs are solid lead slugs with no vanes. They are intended for shotguns with rifled barrels with little or no choke. Some newer versions retain a plastic sleeve as they travel down the barrel. This sleeve easily compresses going through the choke, providing the same seal to the barrel and choke walls as do the vanes with the previously described slugs. The plastic sleeve is intended to drop off after leaving the barrel. Theoretically these sabot slug are safe to use in smooth bore shotguns, but I wouldn't take that chance - especially though a choked barrel. Sabot slugs don't all have this feature and there are plenty of easily available suitable alternatives to not be taking such risks, especially when using cheap shotguns.
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Great post thanks for the info
The shotguns I have are in good condition but they are the tactical type that are built lightweight
A little recoil doesn’t bother me so I will experiment using the modified choke
 
Deathrawt said:
So is it not recommended to shoot slugs through the cheaper Turkish guns unless you only use a cyl choke?
I have a couple guns that came with only 3 chokes , full, mod, and cyl
So it’s not safe to use a mod choke the in these?
I have the challenger target slugs and some federal slugs
Click to expand...

There’s been the odd thread about bulged and stuck chokes in Turkish guns, choke quality may not be up to par compared to a better brand of choke.
 
OkayShooter said:
Pretty sure my slug box, said they shoot better in a modified choke.
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Lol .... good to know ... but out of what choke do they actually shot "best"?

You actually tested and grouped those slugs out of your gun and with different chokes .... right?

Every shotgun is different .... some are over-bored ... others are not ... some chokes are marked Full but are actually Modified chokes ... etc. ... etc. .... etc. ...

You don't know until you have actually shot a specific slug out of different chokes ....
 
So I tried my slugs through my Supernova with the IC choke yesterday at the club.

I don't know if it's the gun, the fit of the gun, or the shooter (me), the choke or the ammo, but the slugs grouped well all things considered, BUT it grouped high and to the right (about 6-7" high, 2-3" to the right). Only sight is the front stock fibre sight. Gun is 28" barrel SuperNova. Shooting at 25 yard distance (shortest distance at club). Ammo is Score Low Recoil 1300fps 2 3/4"

My daughter thinks the gun is too big (length) for me. She said the same thing about my 18" barrel SuperNova tactical, but I can shoot great groups with slugs out of that one, and that one has front post and rear ghost ring.

I am not a pump shotgun guy typically, except for my old 870 20ga. I have semi auto shotguns with optics, all of which shoot great with slugs. I generally use the same Score slugs.

Aside from my 18" SuperNova, the only other shotgun I currently have with no add-on optic was my Vinci. That one had a front sight and a mid-sight third-party added, and that shot great.

In reading online, it looks like installing some shims may help. The gun is stock, was just bought in the Fall 2023.

Maybe it takes a while to get used to this new 28" SuperNova...I may try a modified choke next week as well as different kids of slugs to rule out it being something that can easily be addressed.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.
 
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thegazelle said:
So I tried my slugs through my Supernova with the IC choke yesterday at the club.

I don't know if it's the gun, the fit of the gun, or the shooter (me), the choke or the ammo, but the slugs grouped well all things considered, BUT it grouped high and to the right (about 6-7" high, 2-3" to the right). Only sight is the front stock fibre sight. Gun is 28" barrel SuperNova. Shooting at 25 yard distance (shortest distance at club). Ammo is Score Low Recoil 1300fps 2 3/4"

My daughter thinks the gun is too big (length) for me. She said the same thing about my 18" barrel SuperNova tactical, but I can shoot great groups with slugs out of that one, and that one has front post and rear ghost ring.

I am not a pump shotgun guy typically, except for my old 870 20ga. I have semi auto shotguns with optics, all of which shoot great with slugs. I generally use the same Score slugs.

Aside from my 18" SuperNova, the only other shotgun I currently have with no add-on optic was my Vinci. That one had a front sight and a mid-sight third-party added, and that shot great.

In reading online, it looks like installing some shims may help. The gun is stock, was just bought in the Fall 2023.

Maybe it takes a while to get used to this new 28" SuperNova...I may try a modified choke next week as well as different kids of slugs to rule out it being something that can easily be addressed.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.
Click to expand...

Yeah, try different chokes, different ammo. At least it'll give you more info to work with. My single shot was like 6" low at 25 so I know the feeling lol
 
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0faustus0 said:
Lol .... good to know ... but out of what choke do they actually shot "best"?

You actually tested and grouped those slugs out of your gun and with different chokes .... right?

Every shotgun is different .... some are over-bored ... others are not ... some chokes are marked Full but are actually Modified chokes ... etc. ... etc. .... etc. ...

You don't know until you have actually shot a specific slug out of different chokes ....
Click to expand...

Well it was more being helpful for the OP. Not to start a pissing match.
 
You actually shot your other gun without a choke installed? You are lucky it did not ruin the end of the barrel never mind "wear out the threads" from repeated use. I've seen one fellow banana peel the end of a barrel shooting it without a choke installed!
 
Thanks for everyone for the responses and detailed information on your experiences. Again, this is not my area of expertise so appreciate those with thoughtful responses.

Someone PMed me and indicated Benelli has on their website FAQ a couple of interesting things...

1. Benelli shotguns do shoot high and this is apparently by design. My 6" high, 2-3" wide pattern may be within factory spec at around 20 yards (18 meters). I was at 25 meters.
2. Benelli recommends slugs be shot through only cylinder or improved cylinder and any other choke type is "not safe" (see Benelli FAQ below)

https://www.benelliusa.com/support/faq

I don't know about #1, as my other 18" Supernova patterns perfectly out of the factory. So did my M4 and Vinci - Hence, I was puzzled when I saw this new one shoot high.
 
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thegazelle said:
Thanks for everyone for the responses and detailed information on your experiences. Again, this is not my area of expertise so appreciate those with thoughtful responses.

Someone PMed me and indicated Benelli has on their website FAQ a couple of interesting things...

1. Benelli shotguns do shoot high and this is apparently by design. My 6" high, 2-3" wide pattern may be within factory spec at around 20 yards (18 meters). I was at 25 meters.
2. Benelli recommends slugs be shot through only cylinder or improved cylinder and any other choke type is "not safe" (see Benelli FAQ below)

https://www.benelliusa.com/support/faq

I don't know about #1, as my other 18" Supernova patterns perfectly out of the factory. So did my M4 and Vinci - Hence, I was puzzled when I saw this new one shoot high.
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Betcha the thing about not using anything tighter than IC is simply to cover their ass.

Its nice that they tell you what their expectation is with regards to slugs though:

Our point-of-impact specifications are:

Up to 2"" left or right of point of aim
Up to 5"" above point of aim
Up to 2"" below point of aim
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