Can you shoot Rifled Slugs with a choke in the Barrel?

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WinkingTiger

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I have a Remington 870 with a smooth bore barrel. It came with a choke it. I was told it is setup for trap shooting.

If I go turkey hunting I was planning on leaving the choke in.

However if I go deer hunting I was unsure if I need to remove the choke to shoot rifled slugs out of the barrel.
Any ideas?

Thanks
 
I would suggest you use only cylinder or skeet choke only for slug shooting...

I remember a friend of my ripping off all choke threads on barrel when he shot a slug while full choke was installed...
 
You don't want to shoot slugs or anything else through a barrel threaded for a choke tube and no tube in place.
Those teeny little threads will not act as rifling and impart extra spin on the slug.
Yes. You can shoot slugs through a barrel with a choke tube installed. accuracy may be somewhere between great and horrible depending on many variables.
 
Buy a rifled tube. It replaces the choke tube and has rifling. They cost $20-30. In my 20 gauge, 870 Remington Express the rifled tube shoots nearly as well as my $200 fully rifled barrel.
 
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I don't know much about the screw in choke tubes, but I'd say it is best to have it in than not, like Kingcreek said. I do know that it is okay to shoot slugs in a regular full choke shotgun. I bought a Winchester Ranger 12 ga. with full choke when I was 19 and wrote a letter to Winchester asking them about shooting slugs in it. I was concerned about rumors that a slug would take out the choke. They replied saying it was fine to do so because the slugs made today are hollowed enough in the back to press through without effecting the choke. It so happened I took a couple deer with that gun. You will just have to shoot it and see how accurate it is, and out to what range. That Winchester is the only smooth bore I ever had that would shoot a slug accurately.
 
Don't shoot ANY load thru a barrel without a choke tube in place. I'd get a more open choked tube or a rifled tube as suggested.
 
How's the gun pattern now? I was always told that you'd damage the chokes even though the gun would throw the slug.
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It still runs like a pro, Rem 11, it took it's share of game before and after I used it for deer hunting. I also claimed a few prizes at turkey shoots with it.
 
I was always told that it was okay to shoot slugs thru a full choked barrel, but it wasn't as accurate as using a modified or cylinder bore. Sabots on the other hand should only be fired in rifled barrels.
 
is it safe to shoot slugs through an adjustable choke?

Never tried it, but if I had no other option, I'd open that puppy up. Price of a slug barrel is far less than that associated with trying to replace a cherished shotgun.
 
I will jump on and say that going with a skeet choke or any kind of "open" choke is the way to go. Don't shoot without the choke in.

One more thing, 1 click past "hand tight" is all you need. Screw it in to hand tight, then a little tighter and that's it. Some folks put them in WAY to tight.
 
Some folks put them in WAY to tight.

And they DON'T use choke lube, don't remove them periodically, then come to me to get them out. One does need to check the tightness, every so often however. Excellent point!
 
Back in the old days before there was Foster type slugs all there was were "pumpkin balls" these were just a round lead ball. At the same time removable chokes had not bee thought of yet and the farm might have one gun, likely to be full choked. The ammo makers knew this and so the balls were sized to fit thru a full choke, they had abysmal accuracy because that ball would roll down the barrel loosely until it got to the choke. When the Foster slugs came along the barrels still were mostly full choked so they still made sure that they would go thru the full choke but the design of the slugs was such that they expanded to bore size. They are still made basically the same way and will not harm your gun unless the instructions to the gun say not to use on a full choke or the slugs themselves say not to use on full choke.
 
I have shot Foster-type rifled slugs in my Savage 24 .30-30 over 12ga.
The best accuracy was with an Improved cylinder choke tube installed.

Foster type slugs should be compatible with most smoothbore barrels
and conventional chokes.

Now I had a Mossberg 835 Turkey gun with the turkey choke barrel
and the factory warned not to shoot any slugs in the turkey barrel.

Also, I believe (and will be corrected if wrong) that saboted slugs
intended for rifled barrels should not be shot in a choked
smoothbore barrel.
 
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