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Old March 14, 2011, 05:59 PM   #1
alabama
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What choke for slugs?

I have a benelli nova 12 g with a 26 inch barrel with the screw in chokes. I have never fired a slug in my life. I dont know much about slugs. Will someone teach me about the different kinds and what kind of barrel and choke you shoot them in? Thanks.
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Old March 14, 2011, 06:17 PM   #2
Dfariswheel
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Most slug shooters use the Improved Cylinder choke for both slugs and buckshot.

The slugs that are most used in SMOOTH bores are the various brands of rifled slugs.

The sabot slugs have a plastic jacket or sabot over a smaller lead slug, and are intended to be shot from dedicated slug guns that have rifled barrels.

For best results, do some experimenting. Buy as many different brands of rifled slugs as you can and shoot them for accuracy.
If you want to really get into it, you can also experiment with different chokes.
You can safely shoot slugs and buckshot through any standard choke from Cylinder Bore to Full.
Where things get "iffy" is in shooting them through specialty "Extra Full" chokes.

Best suggestion, start out with the Improved Cylinder. It'll probably be the best.
For slugs, try as many as you can, but you'll probably have the best results with premium American made slugs.

For the best accuracy, you'll need some sort of iron sights or an optical sight.
Most slug shooters get very good groups at 100 yards with a smooth bore gun and sights.
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Old March 14, 2011, 07:50 PM   #3
GDCooper
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Quote:
Where things get "iffy" is in shooting them through specialty "Extra Full" chokes.

Oh my, with all due respect I'd say trying to shoot a slug through an extra full or even a full choke is WAY beyond "iffy". Blow up the gun and pick parts out of your body beyond iffy. MAYBE it wouldn't blow up, but I wouldn't want to be near anyone who decided to test it.

Improved cylinder maximum, skeet or cylinder better if you're going to shoot rifled slugs. Or better, buy a rifled choke and shoot saboted slugs, for greater range and accuracy (not necessary for home defense use).
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Old March 14, 2011, 08:20 PM   #4
Edward429451
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I do not believe it is possible to blow up a shotgun with a slug and a full choke. Supposedly, 12 ga slugs are .72 caliber but I've never been able to mike 72 with a slug. .69 is more like it.

The SG makers know that people would inadvertantly put slugs into thier full chokes and are way ahead of you. If SG's would KB from slug/full choke combos then it would be common knowledge, and everyone would know one person who KB'd thier SG with a slug.

I've never heard of a slug KB'ing a full choke but it may still not be the best choice accuracywise.
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Old March 14, 2011, 09:10 PM   #5
alabama
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Thanks for the info guys. Im learning.
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Old March 14, 2011, 09:34 PM   #6
mo84
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you should use a improved choke as mentioned. As for useing a full choke, I have shot them through my 410 without any problems if that counts for anything. going to the range with different slugs would be a good idea.
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Old March 14, 2011, 10:36 PM   #7
Doc Intrepid
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alabama,

If you want to use slugs for hunting, and particularly if you were intending to purchase a slug barrel that either mounts a scope or has fixed rifle sights, you might want to look at getting an actual rifled slug barrel.

Benelli offers a 24" rifled slug barrel on their website, (and of course you might find it somewhere else also,) and the rifled barrel probably will offer you the best accuracy with slugs for your particular shotgun. As a bonus, different scopes, red dot sights, and other options can be mounted on the rifled slug barrels. Here is a link:

http://www.benelliusa.com/parts_and_...es/barrels.php

Best,

Doc
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Old March 15, 2011, 11:34 AM   #8
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IM is my most accurate followed by IC. Some guns I can and will use the built in light full choke but not with a screw in full choke and as a general rule don't like shooting slugs through any full choke. Never never never in an extra full or super full. If you have a choice go with IM.
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