Best Choke for Buckshot

[DAR]

I have a Rem 11-87 supermag and I need a choke. Mainly for buckshot. I thought about trying a Pattern Master but hate to spend 100 bucks on a choke when I could get same results with a cheaper one. I would like to hear from someone who has a similar shotgun and tried some different chokes. Thanks

[PawPaw]

You won't know until you try it in your shotgun. AND, all buckshot is not the same. I shoot a standard Modified choke in my Rem 870 and last week was given some Federal Premium with the Flite Control wad. This is a standard 9 pellet 2 3/4" 00 buck load.

There were 18 of us on the line with a variety of police shotguns. All of us were issued Federal Premium for qualifications and at 25 yards that shell was putting the nine buckshot into roughly 6 inches. Plus, we were getting wad holes in the paper targets. Devastating.

But, you won't know how any load patterns until you shoot it through your gun. I'd hold off buying aftermarket chokes until you put some ammo through your gun.

[TheNatureBoy]

Call Remington customer service. They could point you. Also, if you know anyone else who has the same shotgun, find out what works for them.

[columbia_shotguneer]

You can't go wrong in most shotguns using a modified choke with larger buckshot sizes normally. That is normally, I found out of quite a few shotguns that a full choke patterns terribly with anything other than #4 buckshot. Some folks, including my uncle, have had really good results using a full choke and #1's and 4's. Modified patterned pretty good, consistantly in 4 or 5 guns I have shot over the years with all buckshot sizes out to 40 yards or so, except #4 buck. Pattern your gun with whichever choke you choose with different size buckshot or the other option is to buy a handful of chokes with a particular buckshot size you feel you'd like to try.

[DAR]

Thanks for the replies. Has anyone used a pattern master choke with 3 1/2 inch buckshot?

[hogdogs]

with 3 1/2 inch buckshot?

I just wince at the thought...

Brent

[PawPaw]

with 3 1/2 inch buckshot?

I don't use any 3 1/2 inch shells. The vast majority (99%) of my shooting is done with 2 3/4 inch shells. Once in a while I might use a 3 inch. I've never pulled the trigger on a 3.5 inch.

[shortwave]

I've never pulled the trigger on a 3.5 inch

PawPaw,

I have and IMO, unless you're a recoil junky, your not missing much.

[SHR970]

The Pattern Master delivers on its claim to extremely tight patterns with larger shot. If you are looking for real dense patterns, this is the choke you want.

Out of my 835, I have put over 90 pellts of steel BB onto a 8 1/2 X 11 piece of paper consistently at 30 yards. The Federal load I was using claims 98 pellets in the load.

I have also put 15 pellets of OO Buck into 18" with the Remington offering out of the same gun.

If you intend to use a more standard choke, look at Improved Cyl. or Mod. those are your best bets. Take three of the same make model gun, with the same chokes and loads and you will likely find that one will not like the combination. Each shotgun is a law unto itself......that's just they way they are.

[columbia_shotguneer]

In many posts pertaining to patterning buckshot, I've heard good things about patternmaster chokes, only a few owners were putting them down but far more people were shutting him/her up afterwards(maybe the shareholders). That being said, I don't think I'd personally ever buy a golden choke with a high price tag to gamble with or I should say without personally witnessing it in the field.

[oneounceload]

What choke came with your gun?

And 3-1/2" buckshot? REALLY?......Do you live in Jurassic Park?.....

[SHR970]

In many posts pertaining to patterning buckshot, I've heard good things about patternmaster chokes, only a few owners were putting them down but far more people were shutting him/her up afterwards(maybe the shareholders). That being said, I don't think I'd personally ever buy a golden choke with a high price tag to gamble with or I should say without personally witnessing it in the field.

And how about the cost of Briley tubes or Browning Invector Plus? How about any of the XX Full offerings for Turkey? They pretty much all come with a high price tag.

And 3-1/2" buckshot? REALLY?......Do you live in Jurassic Park?

Not much different than those who insist on using 3" mag.s for HD. out of a tactical tommy gun. I doubt many of them ever lit off one at night out of their 18" barrel and watched the bright orange beach ball come out the other end.

Personally, I ran patterns of various offerings in different lengths, shot sizes, payloads, etc. to find out how my gun performed in patterning, muzzle flash, recoil, and shot recovery.

But then again, I still have 25 rounds of the original BRI sabot slugs.

[Lee Lapin]

Back in the day, I was experimenting with 3" Federal Premium 000 at 100 yards, using a Pattern Master choke tube. Didn't have a 3.5" gun and so never tried the Roman candle shells. My 18" 870 that had the forcing cone done when the choke tube was installed at Pattern Master would put 30-40% of the big pellets into a GI E type silhouette at a measured 100 yards regularly. This was with the target placed in the middle of a cut-down refrigerator box so fliers could be found too. I never tried it at any shorter ranges, I was checking the possibilities way out there.

Before long I found out I could get better patterns with the then available version of Estate SWAT 00 buck in the 2.75" reduced recoil load, using a plain old $10 RemChoke MOD tube. At 25 yards that load would pattern into a 3x5" index card.

That was the end of my playing around with expensive choke tubes. When Federal came out with their FliteControl buckshot loads a few years back, I quit bothering with choke tubes altogether. A plain CYL bore barrel shooting FliteControl loads will do as well as any barrel I ever had set up with choke tubes and an extended forcing cone.

I'd suggest spending a few $ on some Federal FliteControl loads to experiment with before spending $100 on a choke tube...

lpl

[columbia_shotguneer]

And how about the cost of Briley tubes or Browning Invector Plus? How about any of the XX Full offerings for Turkey? They pretty much all come with a high price tag.

Agreed, I am not partial to a fixed choke or a cheaper factory/aftermarket non ported/extended choke myself, there's less expensive screw in chokes than others, if that's what you were referring to.

[DAR]

My shotgun came with the modified choke in it. I have shot some 3" shells in it but not really tried to pattern the gun yet. My main use for the gun is hunting coyote and deer.

[Dave McC]

Before spending all that money on a boutique choke tube, here's what I'd do....

Like Lee says, try to get some premium buck loads, including that Federal one and pattern away.

Instead of a $100 tube, spend something less on a lengthened forcing cone from a good smith. One 870 barrel I had done went from 20-24" patterns at 25 yards to 16-20" with the same ammo.That's a 2" cone, the superlong 4-5" versions may do even better with big pellets.

That cone will improve ALL tubes' performance,so maybe the ones you have will reach the standards you have set.

[columbia_shotguneer]

Previous post, very good info, follow this and give or take a few more pertaining to putting the time and effort(not necessarily money), but money(smith) does help out with things, into finding out what your finished gun and buckshot round/s can put the pellets into a circle, square, etc. that is within limits and reason. Run on sentences are my downside, I apologize.

[RMcL]

"Instead of a $100 tube, spend something less on a lengthened forcing cone from a good smith." Dave McC

Current Remington SuperMag barrels already have long forcing cones.

[RMcL]

In my experience with Remington 870's (nominal .730" bore), any quality extended full choke with a long parallel section and exit diameters between .700" and .690" will work well with Federal Premium 00B, and Dixie Tri-Ball Buckshot.

Published Exit diameters run:

TruLock Full choke: .700"
Briley Full choke: .695"
Buckkicker Full choke: .695"

With conventional Small Buckshot like 00B (.33"/54 grains) don't settle for less than a 100% ten inch pattern at 25 yards if you want a killing pattern at longer distances.

With Big Buckshot (Dixie Tri-Ball, .60"/315 grains), I have found full choke patterns at 40 yards in the 3-5" range are the norm.

To your question:
Pattern test your current choke tube with several premium buckshot loads.
If you are not satisfied with your patterns I suggest you try an extended full choke with premium buckshot loads.

[RMcL]

...like the PatternMaster and others of the type, defeat the purpose of Federal's Flite-Control wad.

[Rugerismisticness]

Thanks for answering that. I have a 870Supermag that I was cleaning the other day; I thought "wow those are some long forcing cones". I've never patterned it with buck, but I might just have to.

[Lee Lapin]

"Wad stripper" chokes like the PatternMaster and others of the type, defeat the purpose of Federal's Flite-Control wad.

And some other loads too. I tried my then-favorite Estate SWAT 00 load through the Patternmaster a few times, with less than satisfactory results. This load had a very deep one-piece shot cup and a lot of buffering between pellets. They'd string patterns about 4" wide and 24" long at 25 yards, and tilted in unpredictable directions to boot. Seemed to me the shot cup wouldn't leave the choke evenly, and would scatter the shot in a long narrow pattern as a result.

lpl

[RMcL]

...can ruin patterns! Heavy loads combined with short barrels can exhibit high muzzle pressure which in turn can distort the gas seal causing the wad release shot unevenly.

I have tested heavy buckshot loads that would pattern tightly from a 26" barrel and blow patterns with a 20" barrel using the same load and choke tube. The culprit was excessive muzzle pressure unevenly flaring the wad gas seal causing the wad to tip or yaw on exit.

[columbia_shotguneer]

...can ruin patterns! Heavy loads combined with short barrels can exhibit high muzzle pressure which in turn can distort the gas seal causing the wad release shot unevenly.

I have tested heavy buckshot loads that would pattern tightly from a 26" barrel and blow patterns with a 20" barrel using the same load and choke tube. The culprit was excessive muzzle pressure unevenly flaring the wad gas seal causing the wad to tip or yaw on exit.

That being said, I've never shot any low recoil shells of any kind out of my shotguns, but would low recoil buckshot hold tighter patterns, due to lesser pressures? Very curious to find out this info.

[RMcL]

"...would low recoil buckshot hold tighter patterns, due to lesser pressures?"

Not neccessarily. For example 9 pellets of 00B run 1 1/8th ounce. Full power and reduced velocity 1 1/8th ounce loads will both use fast burning powders resulting in relatively low muzzle pressure even in 18" barrels.