slugs in full choke

goosegunner · February 19, 2002, 12:24 PM

Why is it not recommended to fire slugs in full choke barrels, is it not safe or are just the accurasy bad.

SDC · February 19, 2002, 12:39 PM

If you fire a couple of slugs through a full-choked barrel, you won't HAVE a choked barrel anymore; when you try to force a chunk of lead through a hole that's smaller than that chunk of lead, something has to give somewhere, and that something is likely to be your barrel. It also raises pressures at the breech end. All in all, this is a VERY BAD IDEA.

Benjamin · February 19, 2002, 01:56 PM

Quote:

has to give somewhere, and that something is likely to be your barrel

If you're talking about lead slugs - no, it isn't.

Try this. Cut a slug load apart. Push in on the side of the slug with your thumb....if it's a Foster (Forester?) style, the wall is beginning to cave a bit. If it's a rifled slug, the vanes are deforming.

Now try pushing on your steel shotgun barrel with your thumb, using the same pressure........

Not much happening, is there?

I've fired over 200 cast slugs through a 28" full hcoke winchester 1200, my first shotgun. It's fine. It has done no appreciable damage to the barrel or any other portion of the firearm.

Lead is softer than the steel, and the lead will give way first.

Now, sabot slugs are different...... I have been told that the hard plastic collar will NOT swage down properly and is considerably more likely to harm the barrel. Don't shoot those through a full choke.

As to why it isn't recommended - more recoil than open chokes.
Sometimes it harms accuracy.

Bobshouse · February 19, 2002, 02:55 PM

Your right lead is softer and will give way first.

Then eventually the choke or barrel will give way from the repeated beatings of lead being resized.

When it eventually does give way, will it take you with it? Maybe a finger or an eye, or the guy standing next to you? Who knows.

To be safe, contact your shotgun or shotgun barrel manufacturer and ask them the question.

Most will tell you that it is not recommended to shoot slugs from a full choke, but please, don't take my advice or anyone else's on this board, get it straight from the manufacturer...could be less painful that way.

Bob

goosegunner · February 19, 2002, 04:09 PM

it will never be tested, it is not legal to use slugs in norway:barf:, I just read in the owners manual that it was not recommended to use slugs and I wanted to know why

Kernel · February 19, 2002, 04:48 PM

Ditto what Bob & SDC said. Conventional Wisdom says shooting slugs in a full choke barrel will, over time, ruin the choke. You may not even notice it unless you mic the barrel before and after, or spend some time on a pattern board shooting bird shot. Worse case scenario is you'll burst a barrel and go home wearing steel head gear.

Benjamin, unless your slugs are undersized I suspect your choke has already been "modified." You could pattern your gun now and see if it patterns "Full" or something else. The standard test is percentage of pellets in a 30" circle shot at 40yds. 70% is full, 60% is modified, 50% is improved, and 40% is considered cylinder bore. I've test a number of shotguns and many loads over the years using this method and, surprisingly, it's always proved valid... plus or minus a few percent. -- Kernel

Dave McC · February 19, 2002, 05:25 PM

A coupla things...

First, the markings on bbls are educated guesses. The only way to determine the actual amount of choke is to shoot patterns and count itty bitty little holes.Next closest way is to mike both bore and choke and find the difference.Sorry, but this is the real world.

The TB's bore is .733". The choke is .695, thus I have .038" choke, close to Extra Full.This shoots very tight, especially with trap loads.I'd probably have trouble hitting the right Zip Code with slugs,tho,and do NOT feel like experimenting.

The Forster style slug was designed to swage down going through ANY choke safely,tho not accurately. Its predecessor, the round, bore sized ball didn't swage down, and some bbls burst while others went to, uh, a more open pattern. The Forsters I've used over the last 30 years or so tend to "Like" the more open chokes anyway.

HTH....

stinger · February 19, 2002, 09:22 PM

if you are shooting slugs through a full choke, then you are braver (or dumber) than i am.

Zorro · February 20, 2002, 12:53 AM

What Dave Said.

A full Choke is only full when confirmed by testing.

I prefer a "Modified choke" with loads I test to pattern Full Choke.

February 19, 2002, 12:24 PM	#1
goosegunner Member Join Date: February 16, 2002 Location: norway Posts: 81	slugs in full choke Why is it not recommended to fire slugs in full choke barrels, is it not safe or are just the accurasy bad.

February 19, 2002, 12:39 PM	#2
SDC Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2001 Location: People's Republic of Kanada Posts: 1,652	If you fire a couple of slugs through a full-choked barrel, you won't HAVE a choked barrel anymore; when you try to force a chunk of lead through a hole that's smaller than that chunk of lead, something has to give somewhere, and that something is likely to be your barrel. It also raises pressures at the breech end. All in all, this is a VERY BAD IDEA. __________________ Gun control in Canada: making the streets safer for rapists, muggers, and other violent criminals since 1936.

February 19, 2002, 04:48 PM	#6
Kernel Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 1999 Location: Madison, WI.... "78 Square Miles Surrounded by Reality" Posts: 923	Ditto what Bob & SDC said. Conventional Wisdom says shooting slugs in a full choke barrel will, over time, ruin the choke. You may not even notice it unless you mic the barrel before and after, or spend some time on a pattern board shooting bird shot. Worse case scenario is you'll burst a barrel and go home wearing steel head gear. Benjamin, unless your slugs are undersized I suspect your choke has already been "modified." You could pattern your gun now and see if it patterns "Full" or something else. The standard test is percentage of pellets in a 30" circle shot at 40yds. 70% is full, 60% is modified, 50% is improved, and 40% is considered cylinder bore. I've test a number of shotguns and many loads over the years using this method and, surprisingly, it's always proved valid... plus or minus a few percent. -- Kernel __________________ "You can shoot down every MiG the Soviets employ, but if you return to base and the lead Soviet tank commander is eating breakfast in your snack bar, Jack, you've lost the war." — Anonymous A-10 Pilot, USAF

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February 19, 2002, 02:55 PM	#4
Bobshouse Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2000 Location: CalaBANALLGUNSifornia Posts: 336	Your right lead is softer and will give way first. Then eventually the choke or barrel will give way from the repeated beatings of lead being resized. When it eventually does give way, will it take you with it? Maybe a finger or an eye, or the guy standing next to you? Who knows. To be safe, contact your shotgun or shotgun barrel manufacturer and ask them the question. Most will tell you that it is not recommended to shoot slugs from a full choke, but please, don't take my advice or anyone else's on this board, get it straight from the manufacturer...could be less painful that way. Bob

February 19, 2002, 04:09 PM	#5
goosegunner Member Join Date: February 16, 2002 Location: norway Posts: 81	it will never be tested, it is not legal to use slugs in norway:barf:, I just read in the owners manual that it was not recommended to use slugs and I wanted to know why

February 19, 2002, 05:25 PM	#7
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	A coupla things... First, the markings on bbls are educated guesses. The only way to determine the actual amount of choke is to shoot patterns and count itty bitty little holes.Next closest way is to mike both bore and choke and find the difference.Sorry, but this is the real world. The TB's bore is .733". The choke is .695, thus I have .038" choke, close to Extra Full.This shoots very tight, especially with trap loads.I'd probably have trouble hitting the right Zip Code with slugs,tho,and do NOT feel like experimenting. The Forster style slug was designed to swage down going through ANY choke safely,tho not accurately. Its predecessor, the round, bore sized ball didn't swage down, and some bbls burst while others went to, uh, a more open pattern. The Forsters I've used over the last 30 years or so tend to "Like" the more open chokes anyway. HTH....

February 19, 2002, 09:22 PM	#8
stinger Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Location: west texas Posts: 772	if you are shooting slugs through a full choke, then you are braver (or dumber) than i am.

February 20, 2002, 12:53 AM	#9
Zorro Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2000 Posts: 1,072	What Dave Said. A full Choke is only full when confirmed by testing. I prefer a "Modified choke" with loads I test to pattern Full Choke.