Shotgun Forum banner

Choke tube barrel or fixed cylinder bore barrel for HD

11K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  2340  
#1 ·
Hi Guys,
I currently have a fixed cylinder bore 18.5" barrel. I am considering a barrel that accepts choke tubes. I like the fact that the barrel I have has one less part to clean and come loose.I read that IC chokes are pretty good for buck and slugs. Are there any benefits to changing over to a choke tube barrel from my fixed open? I'm planning on taking some tactical classes soon with this gun.
 
#4 ·
cmug870 said:
Why not pattern your barrel as is with some Federal Flightcontrol buckshot and see how it does? If it patterns well, why not leave it alone?
This is good advise and I advise you to try what cmug870 suggested, though I would suggest running the low recoil Fed Tactical 00 buck for HD but that is just my personal choice. That being said my personal preference is an IC for HD. Remington makes fixed IC choked barrels. I have both fixed IC choked barrels and non-fixed choked HD barrels. Ideally in my opinion you want a gun with a fixed choke. It is one less thing you have to deal with maintenance wise. However if your not the type of guy who just tosses his gun in the closest and takes the time to maintain his HD gun it doesn't really matter. When you pull the gun out to maintain it just check to make sure the choke is still tight (it always is). As for the question; Why an IC choke over cyl bore? It just gives you a tighter pattern. Do you need an IC choke for HD? No. At the ranges you will see in the typical home if you are doing your job on your end of the gun, the buckshot will do it's job on the other end and with the Fed tactical 00 buck I am pretty certain all eight of those pellets will hit their mark even from a cyl bore.
 
#5 ·
I would agree with trying out what you've got. FC loads and several others should do just fine.
Defensive and duty ammunition tends to be made for use in C or IC chokes. That is because most defensive and duty shotguns are C and IC. That is because most defensive and duty ammunition is made for use in C or IC chokes. Do you see the pattern?
Removeable chokes are just that: removeable, and sometimes at inopportune times. Fixed chokes are as you say more simple.
FC loads and the Hornady TAP stuff will pattern very well, and possibly better than you would see with any kind of choke. As the choke tightens the shot cup/load down, it also causes deformation and is literally a choke point in the barrel. The FC and similar loads allow tighter patterns without the constriction.
 
#6 ·
Cylinder is fine for HD use. Having said that, I had my 870P barrel threaded for tubes and had the forcing cone lengthened. The only reason I did this was to be able to use the same gun and barrel for multiple purposes. It can cover almost anything with a simple choke swap. For HD I keep a IC tube in it and use either Federal or Hornady 00 buck. Despite what the experts say, I never had a tube fall out of my gun. Even if it did, it would still be adequate for HD/SD use.

Being able to shoot clays at longer distances with your HD shotgun is not only fun but good practice, IMO.
 
#7 ·
Some slugs may group better through an IC choke than a cylinder bore. I suspect that's why Remington has gone to fixed IC across the board on their police 870s.
http://www.remingtonle.com/shotguns/870synthetic.htm

You may see more variation in buckshot patterns by changing loads than by changing chokes.
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot45.htm

I'd try as many different loads as you can with your current barrel before spending the money on a new or modified one.
 
#8 ·
Hydra-shokz said:
Despite what the experts say, I never had a tube fall out of my gun. Even if it did, it would still be adequate for HD/SD use.
I am with Hydra on this one (did I just say that :) ). I hear all the time how choke tubes are supposed to loosen and fall out. After thousands and thousands of rounds down range using guns with removable chokes I have yet to have one become even loose let alone come off the gun. The single most abuse I have put a removable choke though was last summer while testing a prototype product a Remington 870 with an removable IC choke went though 2,500 rounds in two days without cleaning. When the gun was broke down for cleaning it took considerable force to get the choke tube off using the speed wrench. It was just as tight as when I installed it three days prior before the tests.

A few months later while testing a prototype follower that same gun, barrel and IC choke tube ate 1,700 rounds without cleaning. Again the same results. No loose choke tube. The choke did not fly off while firing. Really at the time I didn't think about it. But when people bring up things like removable chokes are not the way to go because..then they begin to say things like they fly off during firing or they come loose during firing, or the threads can't handle the strain of firing. I think back to my own personal experience. Who knows maybe if I would have fired three thousand rounds consecutively by the 2,700 round my choke tube would have gotten loose. I can't really anwser that. Myself and a good friend shot 1,300 rounds in that first day of testing and that was enough for both of us. I can't imagine any situation, even war where you would throw that much fire down range from a shotgun. Even then you would still be able to maintain your weapon and check the choke tube.

All that aside. I am not advocating using removable chokes for everyone. The advantage goes to a fixed choke because it is something you don't have to worry about. At the same time I don't think there is too much worry about removable chokes either.
 
#10 ·
I have seen exactly one choke tube fly downrange. Given that the user was a soup sandwich, I cannot completely remove operator error from the equation.
Is it something to be aware of? I think so, if nothing else than to make sure that yours does NOT go downrange. Is it something to obsess over? I don't think so, unless you're a soup sandwich and then you wouldn't care enough to worry about it anyway.
 
#11 ·
Hello:

I just had my 870 Police threaded for Remchoke tubes.

Image


I have never had an issue with choke tubes coming loose in any shotgun that I have owned / used. I never even thought about the possibility until reading this thread. Thatb being said I did have a friend who once forgot to put a choke tube into his gun. :D

Image


Regards,

Chizzy
 
#12 ·
Choke tubes or fixed, make sure you pattern with different ammo. I automatically assumed I'd need to buy an IC tube for my new 20ga 18.75" barrel that came with Modified, lucky for me I shot with Mod first. I have fewer ammo options in 20ga, but either Rem or Win pattern 6" (20x#3 pellets) at 8 yards in my gun (2 3/4" shells). I was amazed at what the difference was with Fed blue box -11" at the exact same distance. With those results, I'm glad mine had choke tubes and it came with what it did!
 
#13 ·
At home defense distances, a cylinder bore pattern would be nearly identical to even a full choke. Having said that I had both my 590A1 and 930 drilled for chokes since I like to practice shooting clays. And as others have stated and I have read, an IC choke gives a bit better accuracy with slugs.

Never have had a problem with chokes getting loose. However, you do need to clean and lubricate the threads whenever you clean the SG. If fact if the SG is stored in a humid environment it is recommended to take the choke out of the barrel every so often to make sure no rust is forming on the threads.

In my opinion the chokes give you a more versatile SG, but if it is only going to be used for home defense, then I would not bother with chokes.
 
#14 ·
Its choke tubes for me. I like experimenting with different hand loads and chokes. It sure isn't necessary, Federal HD loads and a modified or IC will work nicely. On the other hand I can shoot much tighter patterns with some of my hand loads and Blackbore, Patternmaster or Wad Wizard tubes. If one wishes to shoot slugs also the Blackbore tactical chokes work very well.
 
#16 ·
Great info guys. I just measured the muzzle on my fixed barrel with my caliper and it is 0.7175 and according to Briley this measurement of -0.0125 is between IC -0.01 and LM -0.015. I think this barrel is optimal for my needs including shooting clays. I am going to pattern the barrel I have and see what I get with various loads. I'll report back with my findings.
 
#17 ·
2340 said:
Hi Guys,
...I am considering a barrel that accepts choke tubes...Are there any benefits to changing over to a choke tube barrel from my fixed open? ...
Mike Honcho's post about his product testing, involving 2500 and 1700 rounds through a Remington 870 with RemChokes, could make an additional point. That is a business venture, so to keep down costs, I assume that several cases of birdshot were used. Likewise, most shooters target practice with lots of birdshot, to keep down costs. The problem is, after shooting ten rounds of birdshot at perhaps ten yards, your nice new cardboard/paper target is so peppered with holes that you can barely determine where your shots are hitting. You will see little pieces of paper fly, and that is about all that you will know.

Of course, you will also want to target practice with 00 buckshot, your HD load. Paper targets survive long enough with 00 buckshot rounds to let you see how you are shooting, but at $0.60-$0.80 per shot. A shooter could keep costs down by using a full choke to tighten birdshot patterns up enough to imitate Federal LE132 00 buckshot with FliteControl. His targets will survive longer, and he will observe where he hits his target longer than he can when shooting birdshot from a C/IC choke or barrel.

My guess is that nearly no one uses chokes on their HD shotguns. At $90-$140 for choke installation by reputable people like Briley's, 1-800-331-5718, (because you don't want a botched poorly shooting barrel), it will take practice shooting a lot of birdshot rather than 00 buckshot before you recoup your choke installation money.

On the other hand, it might be worth it to still be able to see where you are hitting your targets after more rounds of birdshot through a full choke. It is called target practice for a reason, isn't it?

Another option would be to locate any used barrel already fitted for chokes for less than $90, and to restrict it just for target practice and hunting. If you do get chokes installed, just always remember to put the C/IC choke back in for your 00 buckshot HD load. Good luck and welcome to the Basement, 2340.
 
#18 ·
wfb18 said:
2340 said:
Hi Guys,
...I am considering a barrel that accepts choke tubes...Are there any benefits to changing over to a choke tube barrel from my fixed open? ...
Mike Honcho's post about his product testing, involving 2500 and 1700 rounds through a Remington 870 with RemChokes, could make an additional point. That is a business venture, so to keep down costs, I assume that several cases of birdshot were used.
You are somewhat correct. With the first product test I referenced, we were firing over a cotton field with a propped up pepper popper about 25 yards out simply trying to get as many rounds down range as fast as we could trying to induce a malfunction. The bulk of the rounds were made up of Remington game loads with some buck and slugs mixed in. However with the follower prototype the majority of the 1,700 rounds fired were buckshot and slugs of the more common types in use today for defense with the birdshot, (Winchester and Remington) being the minority of the ammo used. These too were at a popper about 25 yards out. Accuracy wasn't a consideration during either test. Though I do know how that particular gun patterns with Fed Tactical low-recoil 00 buck with both the CYL choke and IC choke installed. Which is why I have an IC choke installed in that gun. :)
 
#19 ·
Re: nearly no one uses chokes on HD shotguns - true for those with purpose-built guns that came with fixed chokes. ALOT of us may be using second barrels that came cut for choke tubes, or may have youth sized guns they bought for HD. These will typically use choke tubes, and sometimes the results may be suprising between ammo types and chokes. I wouldn't want to be using Federal and a cylinder bore in my particular gun, for instance. So I wouldn't automatically reccommend putting a cyl or IC choke back in, without knowing that's what your gun works best with. Easy enough (and fun) to do the homework and find out what's right for you!
 
#20 ·
From the other current thread:
wfb18 said:
... Chokes will tighten 00 buckshot patterns, but the soft deformed lead may no longer penetrate a BG the way it should... Using chokes to tighten 00 buckshot patterns yet also degrading its ability to penetrate and incapacitate a BG seems like a bad idea to me.
 
#21 ·
I called Benelli today and the tech said the choke on my m1s90 is close to IC with a very gradual constriction. I am guessing they elongated the cone to smooth out the flow so pellets won't deform as much. Besides the porting, are Vang Comp barrels similar by elongating the forcing cones?