Modified choke ok for slugs?

[F. Vaccaro]

Thought I'd ask here, would a modified choke be ok for rifle slugs? It's a screw in choke tube & I don't have an IC tube, an older win 1400.

 

[Trogon]

My smoothbore Remington 870 Express actually shoots most Foster slugs best with the Modified choke tube installed. Fire away!

 

[Hunt anything]

I’ve shot a few deer with slugs out of an old fixed choked model 12 feather weight. It is choked modified and did a good job.

 

[BeeMaa]

I would say it depends. Manufactures do not agree on what nominal cylinder (CYL) bore diameter is.

For instance on 12 bore measuring diameter of a CYL choke...
Browning Cynergy is .740".
Beretta A400 is .733".
Benelli SBE3 is .725".

Starting at CYL and going to FULL, they generally go down in .005" or .010" increments, but there are some in-between ones like light-mod (LM) and skeet (SKT). What this means is that a MOD for one shotgun could be FULL or CYL in another.

Best thing to do is read the instruction manual for your particular shotgun AND read the instructions on the packaging of the slugs you intend to use and follow them.

There are some slugs that are reportedly safe to shoot in a FULL choke, although I've never tried it.

Personally, if I intend on shooting slugs out of a shotgun on the regular (ie straight-wall state), I'd get a shotgun with a rifled barrel and shoot sabot slugs. Something like a Savage 220, put a scope on it and shoot 275 grain Federal Sabots out of it because of the increased range and accuracy.

 

[IvW]

I have shot slugs(Brenneke originals) through 1/2, 3/4 and full choke on many occations through 3 different shotguns never had any issues. These however are fixed choked guns not screw in chokes

 

[Elkeater]

I have definitely shot slugs through old fixed full choke guns. And yes I’ve shot slugs out of a modified choke as well

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Thanks everyone, I've actually shot 00 Buck with a mod. choke and had tight groups. Slugs I wasn't sure of. I've got some Breneke slugs & I hear they are good for bear. I keep a shotgun in camp while elk hunting.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

There are certain manufacturers of shotguns (such as Beretta, Westley Richards, Holland & Holland, W.W Greener, Merkel, Kreighoff, AYA, Lebeau Courally and Savage amongst others) who forbid the shooting of slugs through any choke tighter than improved cylinder.

If you ask Winchester now, they will tell you that any choke tighter than improved cylinder is unsafe for use with slugs or even buckshot. I actually did ask them this question two years ago.

My recommendation is to find a good improved cylinder choke tube, although in all likelihood… you’ll most probably be fine running a few slugs out of the modified choke tube.

From an accuracy standpoint, vintage Winchester catalogs also suggest that the most accurate results with their foster style slugs are obtained out of an improved cylinder choke.

 

[Hunt anything]

Depending on regulations and if slugs are the only option I would probably just buy a rifled barrel.

 

[BonUm16]

I’d start with an IC tube if planning to use Brenneke slugs. If memory serves, most are composed of “harder” lead than a typical Foster type slug.

Fairly certain the 1400 uses “Winchokes” which, I believe, are compatible with Browning’s standard “Invector” chokes. Post a pic of your mod choke and I’ll check if I have a spare IC Invector. Not sure if I do but am happy to check as I’m down to one 12ga Invector choked Browning and may have an unused IC in my stash.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

I’d start with an IC tube if planning to use Brenneke slugs. If memory serves, most are composed of “harder” lead than a typical Foster type slug.

Fairly certain the 1400 uses “Winchokes” which, I believe, are compatible with Browning’s standard “Invector” chokes. Post a pic of your mod choke and I’ll check if I have a spare IC Invector. Not sure if I do but am happy to check as I’m down to one 12ga Invector choked Browning and may have an unused IC in my stash.

I'm not picture litterate. My choke is the one that sticks out above the bore & is knurled. If it's not too tight you can change them with your fingers.
Thanks .

 

[BonUm16]

I'm not picture litterate. My choke is the one that sticks out above the bore & is knurled. If it's not too tight you can change them with your fingers.
Thanks .

Ok. My brother had a Win 1200 that had the same style tubes with the knurled end. I assume yours look like one of these two?

I did look through my loose tubes but found only the one IC Invector, no spares. My guess is you could find an IC tube of the style you have on EBay or GB for a reasonable price. I’m 95% certain that an Invector choke is the same thread pattern minus the knurled end. You’d be welcome to try one of mine if you were just a bit closer to the east coast.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

Ok. My brother had a Win 1200 that had the same style tubes with the knurled end. I assume yours look like one of these two?

View attachment 681843


I did look through my loose tubes but found only the one IC Invector, no spares. My guess is you could find an IC tube of the style you have on EBay or GB for a reasonable price. I’m 95% certain that an Invector choke is the same thread pattern minus the knurled end. You’d be welcome to try one of mine if you were just a bit closer to the east coast.

Thanks, that looks like the ones.

 

[TnKen]

Most foster slugs are made undersized and soft so they would not damage a tight choked barrel.

 

[BonUm16]

From BrennekeUSA…

 

[HankBuck]

Thought I'd ask here, would a modified choke be ok for rifle slugs? It's a screw in choke tube & I don't have an IC tube, an older win 1400.

@F. Vaccaro - mod choke should be fine for “lead” rifled slugs regarding Safe-to-shoot. You would need to test on a target to determine if accurate enough for your needs.
Rifled leads slugs compress when going down a barrel - similar to a load of shot. I would think Full chokes would also be safe to shoot but accuracy might be affected and I am uncertain of what the Long Term affect would be if many rounds were fired?? Perhaps someone on the form has more ballistic expertise, my comments are based only on my limited experience and what a few other hunters have done.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

From BrennekeUSA…

View attachment 681943

Thanks, that's kind of what I thought.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thought I'd ask here, would a modified choke be ok for rifle slugs? It's a screw in choke tube & I don't have an IC tube, an older win 1400.

@F. Vaccaro
The Forster style rifles slugs are designed to shoot even in a full choke.
In my bolt action 12 bore I have a fixed modified choke and that thing is a 3" three shit group at 100 with magnum slugs.
My other push button 5 shot is set with a modified chicken because it gave me the best accuracy 5 shot into 3.5" at 50. More than enough for close in hog busting.
Bob

 

[spike.t]

@F. Vaccaro
The Forster style rifles slugs are designed to shoot even in a full choke.
In my bolt action 12 bore I have a fixed modified choke and that thing is a 3" three shit group at 100 with magnum slugs.
My other push button 5 shot is set with a modified chicken because it gave me the best accuracy 5 shot into 3.5" at 50. More than enough for close in hog busting.
Bob

3 inch group at a 100...no shit....

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@spike.t
No shit Sherlock.
That little Mossberg is a freak. I had my gunsmith out a Weaver rail on it to mount a 2MOA red dot.
Sighted it in 2" high at fifty yards and it is 4" low at 100.
Makes for one hell of a pig popper with those big S&B 3" magnum slugs. Problem is I had to put a magnum slip on recoil pad in it as those slugs really get your attention out of a 7# shotgun.
Bob