[Lone Star]

I moonlight as a security officer, and my bi-annual qualification is coming up.

The range I'll use said that I can use my own shotgun for that phase. (They have an old Mossberg or something, and I prefer my M870 Wingmaster.)

I never use buckshot in real life. I have rifles if I need that level of power. But I HAVE to fire six rounds of 00 buck at a silhouette to qualify to carry a shotgun on duty. This is marked on my license:if it isn't there, I can't carry one, and the need might someday arise.

So: which choke tube should I screw into my M870 barrel (28") to best fire buck? I think I have a Modified tube in there. Should I go to Imp. Cylinder?

If anyone is curious, I'm qualifying for the handgun phase with my CZ-75B, so I can carry an auto. I usually do carry a S&W .357 revolver, but want the auto option...

Lone Star

[Yooper]

I don't have a lot of experience with buckshot, but the choke most often associated with it is cylinder or improved cylinder. The advantage with buckshot is the pattern spread and this would maximize the spread.

[Dave McCracken]

Sadly, we can't know in advance what a given load will do in a given choke and barrel. Best way to determine the best combination is shooting patterns, varying the load and choke.

Using standard 9 pellet 00 loads, shoot some patterns with an IC choke in place. Then screw in a Modified and repeat using the tightest patterning loads from the first test. Use the tightest combo for qualification and duty use.

Contrary to the fantasies of the gun shop commandoes, spread is not what we want here. We want all the pellets to dump energy into the target. Spread will not compensate for bad shooting.

HTH....

[Lone Star]

I called a local dealer, who said to screw in the Improved Cylinder choke, to use none tighter.

But what would happen if I did use a tighter choke? He didn't know. Safety was my main concern.

But I thank Dave for his advice, which seems to basically address whether it would be safe or create a clean-up mess in the choke area if I do use Modified.

LS

[foghornl]

Buy some rounds of the type you intend to carry, and test-pattern them with both chokes.

Each shotgun/choke/ammo combination is a rule unto itself. What ammo works perfectly for Jon in HIS shotgun may be aboslutely worthless in YOUR gun. The Imroved Cylinder choke tube is a great place to start.

[Dave McCracken]

00 can safely be fired through any choke up to full in a modern US made arm, but results will fall off at or beyond Modified. Mod seems to be the threshold of Too Much. That's why I suggested doing the tests with IC first.

[Fred Fuller]

Try Improved Cylinder first. That should give you nice even patterns at the distances you are apt to be qualifying. Some of my guns like Modified tubes for buckshot, but that can be too much choke in some cases, resulting in more open patterns rather than the reverse.

lpl/nc

[DFBonnett]

The conventional wisdom is to use an IC tube with 00 buck. It happens to be what works best in my 870 with Federal 2 3/4.
YMMV

[Lone Star]

Thanks, guys! Much appreciated!

Lone Star

[lbmii]

From what I have gathered from various internet sites, a modified choke tends to produce the tightest patterns with buckshot. However there is so much variation in barrels and brands of shot that you will really just need to test it for yourself.

Federal premium 00 9 pellet produced the tightest pattern in my fixed modified choke Mossberg.

Here is the spread at about 7 yards:

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13719

In contrast here is standard grade Remington 9 pellet 00 buck at about 6 yards.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=1028398

[Lone Star]

Those photos sure show the need to try different loads, don't they?!

Thanks. Very informative.

Lone Star

[grendelbane]

As others have stated, each barrel, choke combination has its own result. Generally speaking, IC works best, in my limited testing with buckshot. Certainly modified works best for others.

I have a Patternmaster choke tube. I thought their advertizing was hype, until I bought one, and tried it on my Benelli.

In my case, it works! Worth every cent. It will literally keep 9 pellets of 00 buck on a regular piece of notebook paper at 25 yards. That is an 8" cluster of 9 .33 caliber pieces of lead. Not bad in my book! :)

[MrMurphy]

My shotguns are all antipersonnel pieces and shortbarreled.

All have cylinder or IC bore from the factory, never altered.


The tightest patterning, from the box ammo I've fired (of almost all of the ammo out there I can find) is Hornady TAP 00 Buck low recoil.

At 10 yards there is a single hole in the target, at 20, it looks like a normal 10-yard 00 Buck target.

At 30, they're all still fairly close on the body.

They work well in the 870 and Benelli Nova SP, and don't thump you much on the giving end (although apparently work well on the recieving end).

www.northwestloading.com I believe is the site, carries it, my gunshop back in Waco carried the stuff on the shelf. WELL worth it.