Out of hunting season set up.....for hd...

[PSuarez]

Well, I want to try some experiments with the old 870 slugger rifled out of season. I already have a police magnum...18.5" blah blah... Ok...here's the idea...870 express slug gun turned into all around fun gun...I'm thinking original 26 inch barrel, mod choke for slugs and buck shot. Tacstar plus 5 extension instead of the Remi +3. Maybe a magpul stock (for year round)...Really I want to figure out what buckshot and slugs do with a 26" barrel....18.5 and buckshot is useless except as a room broom... There's a lot of debate about barrel length and choke tubes...that's mostly what I'm after here. Not really an hd guy. I'm looking for 50 yard consistent accuracy with 00 buck. It's ridiculous I have to ask a forum for ideas...Tired of shotgun myths on the internet. Tell me your real experiences or don't reply. Include barrel length, choke and ammo info, Thanks!

[DaveC]

I cannot really comment from first-hand experience, since I've not used a shotgun at particularly long ranges. South Texas white-wing doves can attest I'm not much of a hunter, either!

In a past thread, I posted about some folks testing buckshot from an 18-1/2" barrel with a full choke. It may help inform your own testing and shotgun tinkery with a longer barrel with a modified choke to use slug and buckshot loads.

tactical-home-defense/12-gauge-00-bucks ... 50%20yards

I'm sure your experiences would be informative, should you care to post the results.

[PSuarez]

Thanks That's what I've been getting from every video and things I've read. It will be a lot funner....although....expensive to figure it out myself, lol. I'll keep everyone updated. Thanks

[Synchronizor]

As DaveC hinted at, I think you're confusing the effects of barrel length with the effects of the choke. If you put a cylinder tube in a 26" barrel, it'll throw just as wide a pattern as a cylinder-bore 18.5" barrel - possibly even a hair wider if the longer barrel increases velocity and deforms the pellets more. On the other hand, the 26" barrel will provide you with a longer sight radius; and it'll look better with a long magazine extension if you're the type who doesn't like the look of a magazine that's longer than the barrel.

It's hard to make broad recommendations about chokes no matter what you're shooting. With the wide variation in modern wad designs and shot alloys, a given choke may perform well with one load, but poorly with another - even if those two loads use the same size and quantity of shot. The only way to know for sure what kind of pattern you're throwing is to perform your own testing.

With 00 buckshot, you also have to deal with the fact that ammo manufacturers play pretty fast and loose with pellet size. Shells marked as "00B" (nominally .33-caliber) are often loaded with smaller pellets so that they can be more easily stacked inside cup-style wads. The pellets in one 00B load I examined were only .315" in diameter. I've also seen 00B loads with .34-caliber pellets stacked in the traditional 3-pellet tier arrangement, which cannot geometrically fit into a standard 12-gauge bore without being swaged down or inconsistently knocked out of their stack.

My suggestion would be to first decide what ammo you're going to be using. There are some very nice, tight-patterning premium buckshot loads on the market, with hardened or plated pellets and advanced wads; but if you're looking to shoot a lot of buckshot, you may be better off with less-expensive ammo that's available in bulk. Once you know what ammo you'll be using, you can experiment to find the choke that provides the tightest pattern. I'd suggest starting out with basic Modified and Full choke tubes - and maybe an Improved Modified or Light Full as well. You could try tighter chokes if you want, but the way 00B pellets are usually stacked, I would expect really tight constrictions to start opening shot patterns back up due to pellet deformation.

Be aware that the actual constrictions of choke tubes can vary depending on the manufacturer and the product line. A Full or Modified tube from one company will often be tighter or looser than similarly-marked tubes from other companies. The widespread adoption of various nontoxic shot materials has made this even more complicated, as some companies offer specially-designed choke tubes for them. A choke tube designed to throw a Modified pattern with hard steel shot may throw a wider Improved Cylinder or Skeet pattern with lead. Whenever possible, look at the actual constriction of a tube rather than the pattern size it's labeled with.

[PSuarez]

Cool, thanks! Great info there. I love shooting slugs as well through the smooth bore. I've heard I can actually put a slug through a fully choked barrel, but then I heard you never want to go beyond mod choke for slugs...? Any idea on this? I got a wide variety of buck to play with already. It's been a waste to use it in the Police Mag...unless I put a slug in it.


Side note...I would love to play with chokes on my police mag 18.5", but it was never threaded for chokes and has a custom duracoat paint job. Not that I'm into "tacticool" It was already on there when I bought it. It's pretty much a 20 yard broom gun unless I put a slug or two in it.

[Synchronizor]

I love shooting slugs as well through the smooth bore. I've heard I can actually put a slug through a fully choked barrel, but then I heard you never want to go beyond mod choke for slugs...? Any idea on this?

It depends on the specific slug, but your standard Foster (or "rifled") slugs can squeeze through most chokes without a problem. This includes Full chokes, though you probably won't get the best accuracy with a full choke, and the tube will likely see accelerated wear & tear if you shoot a lot of slugs through it. So if you plan on doing a lot of slug shooting, I'd recommend popping in a more open tube (ammo manufacturers will often recommend a specific constriction for best results with their slugs; the Remington Sluggers I prefer are said to perform best out of an Improved Cylinder choke). But in a pinch, you should be able to shoot Foster slugs through a Full choke without damaging anything.

Some other, less-common types of slugs may not play as nicely with tight chokes. When in doubt, check the ammo packaging for warnings or recommendations from the manufacturer.

[PSuarez]

Perfect! Good to know. I'll keep the mod choke on it and start there...since it's the only one I own, lol!