New Guy with a New 870
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aasoverteakettle
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New Guy with a New 870
Hello from Vermont, USA. I recently purchased an 870 Wingmaster, dated 1981 and in great shape. Too snowy for skeet, but that is my primary purpose for this gun. Very much looking forward to it. I have some questions about the choke: confirming what choke my gun has based on my measurements and what I can shoot through it. Can anyone direct me to the correct topic thread? Thanks
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Synchronizor
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Re: New Guy with a New 870
Are you sure there're no markings telling you what choke you have? Fixed-choke 870 barrels are usually stamped with the choke.
Actual measurements vary by manufacturer, year, intended ammo, etc. It's a bit hard to tell precisely what choke you have, though you can get a general idea of what to expect. At some point though, you really just need to pattern-test your gun & ammo, and see what they actually do. The choke is only one of many things that play into patterning.
Actual measurements vary by manufacturer, year, intended ammo, etc. It's a bit hard to tell precisely what choke you have, though you can get a general idea of what to expect. At some point though, you really just need to pattern-test your gun & ammo, and see what they actually do. The choke is only one of many things that play into patterning.
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aasoverteakettle
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Re: New Guy with a New 870
There are many markings by the receiver, but need to revisit to find the one referencing choke. I measured the muzzle a few days ago: .705. (I have good calipers, so I'm confident in that measurement). I didn't measure the barrel by the receiver because I didn't have time to take it apart for an accurate measurement. I'm sure google can tell me as well, but what marking should I be looking for and where? Visually, it looks like cylinder choke, but I assume that can't be accurate. Thanks for your help.
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aasoverteakettle
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Re: New Guy with a New 870
There it was. "MOD." stamped on the barrel, modified choke. Thanks for your info Synchronizor (sp?). So my next questions is what can I shoot out of it? I really only plan to use it for skeet. But if I wanted to, could I shoot larger shot or slugs out of it? The guy I purchased it from said no steel shot, but sold me steel target shot. I assume he meant no larger steel shot (00 or 000 for example). I don't hunt and don't plan on using it for self defense. But I would like to have an appropriate box of slugs on hand. Would a rifled, lead slug damage my barrel? Thanks again for your info.
Re: New Guy with a New 870
If it's a "mod" I'd say you're good to go on any size. More importantly is what length shell your firearm is rated for. If it is a 3 1/2, you can shoot any shell. If it's 3", you can shoot 3" or 2 3/4. If it says 2 3/4 only, stick with that.
Your barrel is perfect for skeet ; have fun with it.
Slugs are OK, but with no rifling in the barrel, you will likely not be accurate at a distance.
Steel shot is fine, but if you aren't duck or goose hunting, that is a non issue.
**There is an exception to the above statement ** If the previous owner had the barrel sleeved, then it may be too tight and may not be "mod" after all. I'm trying to process why he would advise against steel, other than it will change your pattern. It's only dangerous when you are talking about full, or tighter. To be sure, you can measure it; modified should be. 70" or thereabouts. If you don't have caliper, a dime should barely fit into the muzzle.
Your barrel is perfect for skeet ; have fun with it.
Slugs are OK, but with no rifling in the barrel, you will likely not be accurate at a distance.
Steel shot is fine, but if you aren't duck or goose hunting, that is a non issue.
**There is an exception to the above statement ** If the previous owner had the barrel sleeved, then it may be too tight and may not be "mod" after all. I'm trying to process why he would advise against steel, other than it will change your pattern. It's only dangerous when you are talking about full, or tighter. To be sure, you can measure it; modified should be. 70" or thereabouts. If you don't have caliper, a dime should barely fit into the muzzle.
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Synchronizor
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Re: New Guy with a New 870
Here's the thing about chokes, Modified, Full, Improved Cylinder, etc, refer to patterns, not constrictions. They indicate the pattern you should get with that choke, but since shotshells vary and have evolved, this isn't all that precise a system.
Back when fixed chokes were popular, shotshell wads weren't as advanced as they are today, and so fixed chokes tend to be tighter than newer interchangeable chokes with the same designation. A .705" constriction might have been considered a Modified choke with older shotshells, but nowadays, Modified choke tubes tend to be around .709" - .710", and a .705" constriction would be considered an Improved Modified (between Modified and Full). Again, the actual patterns are going to depend on more than just the diameter of the hole at the end of your gun, so only testing your gun with the ammo you intend to use will tell you what pattern you actually going to get.
As for what you can shoot, any lead shot loads will be fine. Lead slugs & buckshot shouldn't be an issue either; some loads may not perform best out of a .705" choke, but that goes for any choke. Steel shot should be okay as long as the pellets aren't too large or fast, but I wouldn't feed the gun too much steel, just to be safe. There's no good reason to use steel for target shooting anyway, use lead.
For skeet, a Modified/Improved Modified pattern isn't ideal. It's going to throw a tighter pattern than you'd want for the close-range crossing shots in that game. it's not impossible, but there is going to be less margin for error; you'll really need to get your leads dialed in to make the hits, and you'll be at a disadvantage if you're competing.
If this is going to be a dedicated skeet gun, I would really recommend getting the barrel threaded for interchangeable choke tubes. That'll let you dial the choke in to get optimal patterning out of your ammo, and it gives you adjustability for different ammo, locations, or games. Plenty of gunsmiths offer that for under $100.
Back when fixed chokes were popular, shotshell wads weren't as advanced as they are today, and so fixed chokes tend to be tighter than newer interchangeable chokes with the same designation. A .705" constriction might have been considered a Modified choke with older shotshells, but nowadays, Modified choke tubes tend to be around .709" - .710", and a .705" constriction would be considered an Improved Modified (between Modified and Full). Again, the actual patterns are going to depend on more than just the diameter of the hole at the end of your gun, so only testing your gun with the ammo you intend to use will tell you what pattern you actually going to get.
As for what you can shoot, any lead shot loads will be fine. Lead slugs & buckshot shouldn't be an issue either; some loads may not perform best out of a .705" choke, but that goes for any choke. Steel shot should be okay as long as the pellets aren't too large or fast, but I wouldn't feed the gun too much steel, just to be safe. There's no good reason to use steel for target shooting anyway, use lead.
For skeet, a Modified/Improved Modified pattern isn't ideal. It's going to throw a tighter pattern than you'd want for the close-range crossing shots in that game. it's not impossible, but there is going to be less margin for error; you'll really need to get your leads dialed in to make the hits, and you'll be at a disadvantage if you're competing.
If this is going to be a dedicated skeet gun, I would really recommend getting the barrel threaded for interchangeable choke tubes. That'll let you dial the choke in to get optimal patterning out of your ammo, and it gives you adjustability for different ammo, locations, or games. Plenty of gunsmiths offer that for under $100.