Choke or no choke?
- Thread starter Csinn
- Start date
mcb
Member
Always have a choke tube installed. Shooting without a choke tube could damage the threads.
Yes with slugs is usually good idea to start with your most open choke, but don't be afraid to try tighter choke tubes to see if you get better groups. My 3-Gun Rem 1100 shoot Remington Sluggers best using a modified choke but does better with an improved cylinder when shooting Wolf Slugs.
Yes with slugs is usually good idea to start with your most open choke, but don't be afraid to try tighter choke tubes to see if you get better groups. My 3-Gun Rem 1100 shoot Remington Sluggers best using a modified choke but does better with an improved cylinder when shooting Wolf Slugs.
Mizar
Member
I'd like to know the reasoning behind why someone thinks, that shooting without choke tubes is a good idea.
All we have ever used shot guns for is with #8. We use them extensively in the summer and we’ve never had issues so far. Glad I wrote in though this is great info. I have a 16 guage with a choke but that’s the way it came and I’ll be honest in my stupidity I never thought much about it. I’d like to use my vr60 with heavier loads and during deer season and it came with them so i figured it probably is necessary but wanted to make sure. Can you get shotguns with them built in?
Last edited:
Mizar
Member
You used to shoot with fixed barrel constrictions (chokes) - in other words, they were integral part of the barrel/s and cannot take removable choke tubes. Like already mentioned, shooting without the choke insert in place will damage the barrel, because that part of it is rather thin and fragile without the support that a tube provides.
P.S. I'm pretty sure that somewhere in the manual you have there's a warning: "Do not shoot your shotgun without a choke tube installed!" and it's there for a reason...
P.S. I'm pretty sure that somewhere in the manual you have there's a warning: "Do not shoot your shotgun without a choke tube installed!" and it's there for a reason...
I've never heard of that gun and had to do some research. It apparently comes with interchangeable choke tubes. Not all guns do. If it doesn't have tubes the choke is fixed at the factory. If it has tubes, you select the choke that works best for what you're doing. For slugs the most open choke available is usually best. Buck shot will give a wide pattern with little choke which makes it easier to hit moving targets. A tighter choke will keep the pellets closer together at longer ranges.
You should NEVER fire a gun that comes with interchangeable tubes without one in the gun. If you've already done so you have probably ruined the barrel. The threads are probably ruined. It might be possible to cut the barrel shorter and have it rethreaded if it can be done so and still be the legal length. Since you're starting with a 20" barrel it will be close. It can't be shorter than 18".
You should NEVER fire a gun that comes with interchangeable tubes without one in the gun. If you've already done so you have probably ruined the barrel. The threads are probably ruined. It might be possible to cut the barrel shorter and have it rethreaded if it can be done so and still be the legal length. Since you're starting with a 20" barrel it will be close. It can't be shorter than 18".
My friend use to take his chokes out when we got to a station in SCs that had birds real close. He claimed the shot is lead, quite a bit softer than a steel barrel, so how you gonna hurt it. Anyways, he did this for years with no apparent damage to the threads on his barrel. I shoot just old SxSs with regular barrels so never had to change chokes. I would think if you did it for a number of shots without putting the chokes back in you might get lead packed in the threads, plugging them up a bit.
