firing slugs...

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geophysicishooter

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What effect does the choke have on firing slugs from a shot gun? Is there a preferred choke ot have on while firing slugs? Should you have a dedicated barrrel for the purpose of firing slugs?

All I've ever sent out the barrel of any shotgun was bird and target shot so I know very little about how to set up the weapon for shooting these monsters. Or even if any special set up is necessary.
 
Well there are rifled barrels that use no chokes.


For standard barrels. You can get rifled choke tubes designed to spin the slug (to be used with sabot slugs), or you can just use a cylinder or improved cylinder tube (for rifled slugs).
 
GENERALLY SPEAKING, because each shotgun/barrel/choke/ammo combination is a law unto itself:

1. Use plain lead rifled or "Foster" (Forster??) style slugs in a smooth-bore barrel of usually not more than "Improved Cylinder" choke. You can go tighter, but very little accuracy is gained at the expense of more felt recoil.

2. The sleeved (Sabot Slugs) are for rifled barrels, or barrels with rifled choke tubes installed. Sabot Slugs will not get the spin they require for optimum accuracy in a smooth barrel

3. Rifled barrels/rifled choke tubes are NOT for use with shot loads. If you have shot loads with the 'shot cup',[a sleeve that protects the pellets from contacting the barrel] the rifling spins the wad/shot column, giving doughut patters. Non-shot-cup loads will get deformed by the rifling, and will lead the barrel A LOT.
 
Hey Foghorn

"2. The sleeved (Sabot Slugs) are for rifled barrels, or barrels with rifled choke tubes installed. Sabot Slugs will not get the spin they require for optimum accuracy in a smooth barrel."--Foghorn

Okay, so, with a smooth bore 12 ga, I need to look for what kind of a SLUG?
 
Alright, maybe a few specifics will help. I have an 870 with a 28" remchoke smoothbore bbl.

I was considering what load combo I would use if I was setting up for purely defensive use. I had considered alternating slugs with buckshot..
 
Smoothbore Barrel:

Works very well with the rifled slugs..Rem "Sluggers", Winchester "Classic' slugs in the silver/grey box, Federal Classic slugs.

Buy a small box of all the different brands you can find locally, and test them out. 1 or 2 brands will be significantly more accurate than the others...F'instance, my Maverick 88 with the 18-1/2" cylinder bore barrel likes the PMC brand, followed very closely by the Brennekke "KO" brand. Again, no sabot slugs for me.

Buckshot for Home Defense: Again, buy as many different brands/sizes you can find. Again, MY shotgun likes Remington #4Buck the best..Your Mileage will Vary. Shooting Budd's indentically setup Maverick likes Federal #1 Buck best, and Rem "Sluggers".

Since it sounds like you have the swappable choke tubes, try the Improved Cylinder or Cylinder first. You probably already know this, but DO NOT shoot without a choke tube installed...the threads WILL get ruined. Never mind HOW I know...I just know.

With 1 certain slug or buckshot load, the Modified Choke tube MAY be better, but test them.
 
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