[Chris17404]

Hi all,

Let's compare two different choke constrictions: IC and Mod. In the same exact gun, using the same exact shells, will the tighter choke produce a slightly higher felt recoil given that the shot is being squeezed through a smaller hole? Perhaps it's such a small difference that it's imperceptible?

Chris

[RNB65]

No, not that I can tell.

Recoil is a subjective thing. When I'm at the rifle range shooting at paper targets with a shotgun I feel every shot. When I at the sporting clays course and I'm concentrating hard on a little flying orange thingy, I really don't feel the recoil at all.

[evbutler462]

According to the experts, gun authors O'Connor and Bristow, the tighter the choke, the more actual recoil. Yet when shooting at game, I never feel the recoil, though I rub my shoulder that night if the shooting was heavy.

[mswestfall]

OK, if the shot goes out of an unconstricted bbl you have X recoil.

If a shot collides with the constriction of a full choke you have X recoil minus the the forward (away from your shoulder) movement of the gun as the shot "hits" an object (the choke) and moves it away from you.

A tighter choke should lessen recoil.

[kirbythegunsmith]

In the case of the shot "colliding" with the choke, you would need a very stiff angle to cause such an effect, but it can happen that way in that extreme situation. That much choke angle and amount is dangerous to the integrity of most shotgun barrels of normal wall thickness.

Normal shot action is to be squeezed, even though there may be a little bit of OOOMPH when it makes contact.

A really tight choke will act as a better ROCKET NOZZLE with some acceleration of the gasses by the venturi effect.


These are all my opinions from years of experiments, as well as remarks from testers that shot different barrels with vastly different choke constrictions, but with the same box of shells and same gun frame (870).

kirbythegunsmith@hotmail.com

[blitzen]

I like what mswestfall said. (sounds good)
having shot a zillion shotshells I think you'd be hard pressed to tell the diffference between IC and MOD

[TrapperReady]

Not enough to notice. Unless you think about it a whole bunch beforehand and convince yourself otherwise.

[buck460XVR]

According to the experts, gun authors O'Connor and Bristow, the tighter the choke, the more actual recoil.

I tend to agree with them. The difference between two similar open chokes like IC and Modified may be insignificant, but the difference between Cylinder and extra full is very noticable. Just yesterday, sighting in a red dot on my 14 year old son's turkey gun, we shot several different types of shells thru Full, extra Full and Turkey chokes. Felt recoil from all loads was greater from the Turkey and extra Full choke tubes, than from the Full choke. This was from both of us plus my 29 year old. Some times I switched the chokes without telling them which chokes were in and they always felt more recoil with the tighter chokes. I know it wasn't a truly scientific experiment, but doing it this way, the difference was physically felt and not a mental thing. Because of this and the very slight difference in patterns at even 45 yards(our limit for shots at turkeys) my son stuck with the Full choke.

[mnrivrat]

More restriction = more pressure = more recoil.

Might not be significant depending on the amount of pressure increase, but it should be there .

[Geno]

Yes. A tighter choke produces more recoil.

Doc2005
(#2400)

[Dave McCracken]

Tighter chokes produce slightly elevated velocities. Higher velocity means more recoil. But....

I defy anyone to detect the difference.

[mswestfall]

My explanation assumes that all the powder burned before the shot hits the choke. The pressure will increase if there is more powder to burn when you put something in the path of the projectile (shot cup and shot).

Shot hitting a constriction in a bbl is the same thing as shot hitting it's target. Both things (gun and target) move away from the shoulder of the shooter. Granted that the very, very slight constriction of a bbl slows the shot much, much less than does a solid target.

I agree that I can not tell the difference in recoil between an IC and Full choke.

This brings up a question that I asked before on this forum:
Why are rifled shotgun bbls often only 20" long. Is all the powder expended in the first 20"?
A one ounce slug usually exits a bbl at about 1,400 fps.
I shoot one ounce target loads at 1,180 fps.
There (almost) has to be more powder in the slug round than in my target round.

Does all the powder in a slug round burn up before the end of a 20" bbl?
Does all the powder in a one ounce target round burn up before the end of a 26", 28" 30" or 32" bbl?