870 and Federal Flitecontrol buckshot

[evanh]

I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not getting as good a pattern as some of the videos that I have watched on youtube, because of my factory rem choke barrel.

If I shoot it out of my tactical extended cyl choke, it shreds the tail of the wad and my patterns arent very good. If I put my improved cyl choke in, the group does get better and the wad isn't in bad shape, but I wind up with one or two flyers.

I have noticed both chokes at the point which they contact the barrel, there is a lip. The barrel is smaller, and the choke is larger at that point. I wonder if the Flitecontrol wad works better in a single piece barrel with no choke, in either cyl, or improved cyl. As if that lip is causing an unsettling of the shot or wad, like a catch.

Can anyone share their findings, and setup? I have a 870 tactical, 18.5 rem choke barrel, tactical extended cyl choke.

[Synchronizor]

I don't think that that lip where the choke tube meets the barrel bore is what's causing your pattern problems. Rem Choke tubes are designed so that that transition is a slight step "out", meaning the choke tube starts out at a very slightly wider diameter than the bore to ensure that things don't catch there. You aren't going to see improved patterns with a fixed choke of the same geometry; if you want proof that screw-in chokes can perform just as well as fixed chokes, look at what Olympic Trap and Skeet shooters are using.

How do you know that the breaching stand-off is interfering with the wad? Were you able to recover and inspect them? And what is the exact load you're using, 00 Buck?

[evanh]

I inspected the wads after firing. When shot through the breaching choke, the rear tails are tattered and the majority is missing. However when shot through the improved cyl choke, they look like the pictures and only have minor markings from going down the barrel.

I know chokes are good, but all I can find is they don't require a choke to get good patterns. It's good to know my barrel isn't somehow messed up though, thank you for telling me the way they are designed.

I am shooting the 2-3/4 00 buck, non-tactical. I have yet to try the tactical, and can not find the #1 buck in stock yet.

[Synchronizor]

You could try replacing your cylinder breaching choke with a normal flush Cylinder tube. I couldn't tell you if that'll give you better patterns than your IC tube, but it'll at least eliminate the variable of the breaching stand-off.

[bbull311]

The flight control rounds are designed to be used in an open choked shotgun. They work well with cylinder and improved cylinder. They will also work fairly well with a modified choke. I don't used choke tubes in my work or hD shotguns so I have never had or seen this problem. You might try putting on a different barrel with a fixed choke and see how that works.