Are specialty BUCKSHOT choke tubes worth it?

[hillbillydruggist]

Are they any better than just full choke?

 

[hillbillydruggist]

Are they any better than just full choke?

What brands are better?

 

[jds holler]

I think with large buck such as #1 and larger, no choke may be best. I'd be interested to hear from someone who has tested. jd

 

[muleystalker]

Are they any better than just full choke?

You don't want to shoot buckshot through a full choke, its not great on the choke and usually it blows the pattern, especially the bigger buckshot. Usually use a cylinder or an improved. The tighter the choke and the bigger the buckshot the more negative affect it will have on the pattern. Its like shooting BBB or T steel shot, you use a cylinder or improved cylinder for best results and tightest patterns.

 

[LA50SHOOTER]

Are they any better than just full choke?

In several 12 gauge guns (Rem. Model 870, Browning BPS, Rem 11-87) I found that anything more than a Modified choke started to throw fliers out of the patterns which were shot at 40 yards. And the bigger the pellets the worse it got. 000 Buck and a Tri-Ball (3 Balls at .600 diameter) were the worst offenders of having patterns with fliers due to the choke being so tight that I believe the balls were crossing over mid-flight to the target.

A full choke is not my preferred choke for 0, 00, 000, 0000, and Tri-Ball.
Number 4 buckshot holds a tight pattern (in some guns) with a tight (full) choke.

- Ron -

 

[AckleymanII]

Shotguns are a real quagmire to work with when it comes to chokes, I have hunted coyotes since the mid 70's and have used a flock of shotguns and chokes while living out West. Terrain will dictate a certain level of choke you want. Close calling where shots range from 3'-35 yards, you can sleeze by with a Modified choke, maybe. Browning patterns tighter per choke than any other fixed choke I tried, and the BPS is a battle tank shotgun where a Modified translates to a full or tighter Rem 1100/11/87 fixed choke.

For many years, I hunted Mexico, S. CA, and Arizona with a Rem 1100 with a fixed full choke that would pattern 90% in a 30" pattern at 40 yards, 41 pellets of 3". Later on, I got an 11/87 and played with chokes trying to get tighter patterns for more open dessert areas. I found that the Carlson's Turkey choke would pattern 100% in a 20" circle with Rem 3", #4 Buck, Buffered loads. The same choke would pattern 00 and 000 in a 15" pattern at 40 yards, Rem 3" shells, which blew my mind.

20" pattern at 40 yards is getting darn tight, and is like shooting a rifle at close range, but These super tight patterns extended the kills to 50 yards, and further at times.

I loaded my own #4 Buck using Ballistic's Products F and #4 Buck, and specialty wads. For factory loads, the Fed Premium copper plated, buffered 3", #4 Buck is awesome, Winchester running second, and REm Buffered #4 is third.

There are some great information for those wanting to load their own buckshot available from:

Wade with Bubbarountree.com is down to Earth, and patterns a lot. He also molds his own buckshot, uses Ballistic Products wads and filler. Bubba(Wade) is great in his demonstrations of loading, load recipes, and shows actual patterns up to 85 yards. Wade and his family are deer hunters and run deer with dogs where buckshot only is allowed.

Another source is on Predatormasters.com on this thread that is exhaustive to say the least:

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=777351#Post777351

I started off hunting coyotes with a Ithaca 37, modified...kicked me to death. Then went through several 870's with 28" and 30" Full Chokes, then a Browning Pump with two barrels, full and modified. The 870 Full choke barrels patterned fantastic with 90% patterns at 40 yards in a 30" circle, brownings did about the same with the Modified. The browning Full choke blew the patterns.

I got froggy and bought two Ithaca Auto Mags in 10ga, 32" full chokes. You could kill coyotes at 65 yards using the 54 pellets of #4 buck and 2 1/4 oz of BB. People kept wanting to buy the 10ga, and I eventually Sold them off.

I bought an 11/87 with a 28" Rem choke barrel, used and beat up, painted it with archery paint. I played with various hand loads and factory loads with a multitude of chokes, when I tried the Carlson's Turkey choke that I spoke of above. Later on, I bought a Rem 1100 with a 21" Rem choke barrel, jezz...that short barrel had a ton of muzzle blast from the muzzle pressure of the un-burnt powder in the 3" mag loads...this one went down the road after killing half a dozen coyotes.

I can not handle the recoil of a pump or a Benelli on 3" buckshot loads, I develop a flinch. So, gas operated shotguns are what I stick to. I bought what I think is the finest shotgun I have ever owned for hunting, a Beretta 391 with the Kick Off System which is a shock absorber in the butt of the gun. Between The fabulous Gas system of the Beretta 391 and the Kick Off system, this is the softest shooting shotgun I have ever owned. I had a Benelli, and shot it well. However, the inertia(kick your brains out) recoil system of the Benelli turned my arm green within 5 boxes of Dove shells on opening day, which I hated because I sure shot that gun well.

The next year, my hunting partner had a Benelli on the dove field. He wanted to trade off shotguns for a while on the afternoon shoot, and I let him borrow my Browning Gold Sporting clays 12ga. He loved the shotgun and wanted to trade(gas operated). Then had to go and buy a Mossburg pump 410 because the Benelli had turned my arm green once again.

I had numerous other shotguns with IC, Mod, and Full choke barrels or chokes. I pattern a LOT. My barn is full of rolls of good shotgun patterns. I also had a Mossburg 500 that shot like a rifle with #4 and 00 buckshot loads with an Undertake Turkey choke, I felt like the fillings were going to get knocked out of my teeth with these pump shotguns.

Assume nothing, pattern your shotgun at 40 yards, take particular notice of where you aim vs where the center of the pattern is...get ready for the shock of your life. I suggest that you use Shooting sticks to support your shotgun or shoot off of a bench.

In summary, when I get a new shotgun for Coyotes, I start with a full choke on a Remington, then extra full, then a turkey choke. You will NEVER know until you try. Brownings, I start with a modified. With the Beretta 390 and 391's, I start with a Full, then go extra full, and may end up with some kind of Turkey choke. The 391 loves the Beretta 391 flush with the end of the barrel extra full choke vs an extra full extended beretta choke. The Beretta 390 likes an extra full choke with a speciality name, I just can not remember the name...670 constriction..I do remember that.

You read and hear all kinds of theories on buck and full chokes. That first Rem 1100 that I used killed hundreds of coyotes in Mexico with a full choke, and the barrel never Bulged with well over 1000 rounds of 3" buckshot loads through it.

Good luck!

 

[hillbillydruggist]

Shotguns are a real quagmire to work with when it comes to chokes, I have hunted coyotes since the mid 70's and have used a flock of shotguns and chokes while living out West. Terrain will dictate a certain level of choke you want. Close calling where shots range from 3'-35 yards, you can sleeze by with a Modified choke, maybe. Browning patterns tighter per choke than any other fixed choke I tried, and the BPS is a battle tank shotgun where a Modified translates to a full or tighter Rem 1100/11/87 fixed choke.

For many years, I hunted Mexico, S. CA, and Arizona with a Rem 1100 with a fixed full choke that would pattern 90% in a 30" pattern at 40 yards, 41 pellets of 3". Later on, I got an 11/87 and played with chokes trying to get tighter patterns for more open dessert areas. I found that the Carlson's Turkey choke would pattern 100% in a 20" circle with Rem 3", #4 Buck, Buffered loads. The same choke would pattern 00 and 000 in a 15" pattern at 40 yards, Rem 3" shells, which blew my mind.

20" pattern at 40 yards is getting darn tight, and is like shooting a rifle at close range, but These super tight patterns extended the kills to 50 yards, and further at times.

I loaded my own #4 Buck using Ballistic's Products F and #4 Buck, and specialty wads. For factory loads, the Fed Premium copper plated, buffered 3", #4 Buck is awesome, Winchester running second, and REm Buffered #4 is third.

There are some great information for those wanting to load their own buckshot available from:

Wade with Bubbaroundtree.com is down to Earth, and patterns a lot. He also molds his own buckshot, uses Ballistic Products wads and filler. Bubba(Wade) is great in his demonstrations of loading, load recipes, and shows actual patterns up to 85 yards. Wade and his family are deer hunters and run deer with dogs where buckshot only is allowed.

Another source is on Predatormasters.com on this thread that is exhaustive to say the least:

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=777351#Post777351

I started off hunting coyotes with a Ithaca 37, modified...kicked me to death. Then went through several 870's with 28" and 30" Full Chokes, then a Browning Pump with two barrels, full and modified. The 870 Full choke barrels patterned fantastic with 90% patterns at 40 yards in a 30" circle, brownings did about the same with the Modified. The browning Full choke blew the patterns.

I got froggy and bought two Ithaca Auto Mags in 10ga, 32" full chokes. You could kill coyotes at 65 yards using the 54 pellets of #4 buck and 2 1/4 oz of BB. People kept wanting to buy the 10ga, and I eventually Sold them off.

I bought an 11/87 with a 28" Rem choke barrel, used and beat up, painted it with archery paint. I played with various hand loads and factory loads with a multitude of chokes, when I tried the Carlson's Turkey choke that I spoke of above. Later on, I bought a Rem 1100 with a 21" Rem choke barrel, jezz...that short barrel had a ton of muzzle blast from the muzzle pressure of the un-burnt powder in the 3" mag loads...this one went down the road after killing half a dozen coyotes.

I can not handle the recoil of a pump or a Benelli on 3" buckshot loads, I develop a flinch. So, gas operated shotguns are what I stick to. I bought what I think is the finest shotgun I have ever owned for hunting, a Beretta 391 with the Kick Off System which is a shock absorber in the butt of the gun. Between The fabulous Gas system of the Beretta 391 and the Kick Off system, this is the softest shooting shotgun I have ever owned. I had a Benelli, and shot it well. However, the inertia(kick your brains out) recoil system of the Benelli turned my arm green within 5 boxes of Dove shells on opening day, which I hated because I sure shot that gun well.

The next year, my hunting partner had a Benelli on the dove field. He wanted to trade off shotguns for a while on the afternoon shoot, and I let him borrow my Browning Gold Sporting clays 12ga. He loved the shotgun and wanted to trade(gas operated). Then had to go and buy a Mossburg pump 410 because the Benelli had turned my arm green once again.

I had numerous other shotguns with IC, Mod, and Full choke barrels or chokes. I pattern a LOT. My barn is full of rolls of good shotgun patterns. I also had a Mossburg 500 that shot like a rifle with #4 and 00 buckshot loads with an Undertake Turkey choke, I felt like the fillings were going to get knocked out of my teeth with these pump shotguns.

Assume nothing, pattern your shotgun at 40 yards, take particular notice of where you aim vs where the center of the pattern is...get ready for the shock of your life. I suggest that you use Shooting sticks to support your shotgun or shoot off of a bench.

In summary, when I get a new shotgun for Coyotes, I start with a full choke on a Remington, then extra full, then a turkey choke. You will NEVER know until you try. Brownings, I start with a modified. With the Beretta 390 and 391's, I start with a Full, then go extra full, and may end up with some kind of Turkey choke. The 391 loves the Beretta 391 flush with the end of the barrel extra full choke vs an extra full extended beretta choke. The Beretta 390 likes an extra full choke with a speciality name, I just can not remember the name...670 constriction..I do remember that.

You read and hear all kinds of theories on buck and full chokes. That first Rem 1100 that I used killed hundreds of coyotes in Mexico with a full choke, and the barrel never Bulged with well over 1000 rounds of 3" buckshot loads through it.

Good luck!

Thanks very much for that wealth of information!

 

[2506]

To answer your question yes, maybe. LOL It all depends on what load you are shooting and what choke that load likes. I have a Rem. 870 Super mag and with a Rem. extra full turkey choke it shoots cheap Walmart Suprema naked 00 Buck 9 pellet into a paper plate at 30 yards and inside a 20 inch circle at 50 yards.
Back when I used to live in east NC 40 years ago I bought a Rem. 1100 that had a 30 inch full choke barrel. Only buck shot that it would shoot was Rem. #4 buck but it shot it like a rifle. I killed many deer with it out between 40 and 60 yards on a regular bases.

I know fellows in east NC that use Buck Kicker and some other brands special chokes with their chosen loads that kill deer almost to 100 yards. Mostly 00 Buck or 000 Buck and 3 or 3 1/2 inch mags.

As shown above go to YouTube and watch Wade at bubbarountree.com There is no d in the name. It is bubbarountree.com . You can learn a great deal about chokes and buck shot loads.

 

[okie]

check out nitro company ammunition---they recommend a choke with their loads

 

[liljoe]

And the only way to know for sure what is best is to go shoot a few at a pattern board.
It takes a while and is quite boring and usually hurts the shoulder.
Joe

 

[TrapperBR549]

And the only way to know for sure what is best is to go shoot a few at a pattern board.
It takes a while and is quite boring and usually hurts the shoulder.
Joe

All very true. At least he doesn't have to count 300 #8 holes. I have been permanently scarred from time spent at a patterning board.

 

[Gman]

Trulock makes a "Boar Buster" tube that is specificaly for buckshot. I haven't tried it yet, but reviews on youtube show promise.