shotgun chokes.......which one for slugs??

what exactly are the differences between an improved cylinder and a modified choke??? my mossberg 88 maverick 88 with field barrel(like the 500, but all black and synthetic stock) has the original modified choke, and i have shot slugs from it with zero problems. but some people are telling me that i shouldnt shoot slugs with a modified choke............i should use an improved cylinder. whats with the improved cylinder?? will slugs group better or have a bit more distance with the ic choke, or will it be ok to keep on using the modified?? keep in mind that i shoot buckshot too, and with the modified choke, even bird shot keeps a decent pattern a good ways out.

 

yeah......i couldnt come up with an engine question.

like i said, i havent had any problems with the modified choke and slugs, but i have heard different things from different people, so i aint too sure.

 

I own a Mossberg 500 and my advice would be to spend the money on a slug barrel. They are thicker to handle the extra lead from the slug and rifled to give it that nice spiral for a more acurate shot.

 

i had thought hard about that, but my only problem with that setup would be using buckshot, which i use regularly with slugs also. more or less, where i hunt is a few decent open spaces and densely wooded for the most part, which makes having slugs and buckshot very handy.

 

bump...........because i posted this way early this morning.

 

cool.......kinda what i was needing to know. it is odd though that of all the times i have shot a slug with the modified choke, nothing has ever went wrong. i know i wouldnt ever run a full choke though with the slug......that would definitely be a no no!!

 

With a sabot type slug you could probably use a mod. choke with no problem. On a conventional type slug I wouldn't go any tighter than a Imp. cyl. smooth bore choke. I understand that most rifled chokes are no tighter than imp.cyl..

My Benelli's don't even recommend steel shot in imp. mod. or full choke tubes.

 

Not sure if this was already covered... and I'm only partially knowledged in this area.

My husband and I shoot trap/skeet from time to time. We both have Berretta o/u shotguns. We have different chokes that you screw on the ends of the barrell. Each choke has a different outter diameter - which affects the distance/spread of the shot. A smaller diameter choke will allow the shot to go farther with a narrower spread. For close-up trap/skeet shots...you wanna use the widest choke for a wider spread but they don't go as far.

Depending on your skill level and what the shooting range is like.... will determine what chokes you run. I normally run with the widest choke in mine cuz I need ALL the help I can get when I'm shooting.

 

My Beretta’s are the M1-S90's but same applies. As far a steel shot and slugs go. The reason you want to run the most open bore choke, as in cyl. or imp. cyl. is that the constriction of the choke insert can't take the abuse of trying to squeeze the singular 1.5 oz. piece of lead or the toughness of the steel shot down as it leaves the barrel. It might work for a while but would eventually fatigue and fail. You can use whatever bore choke for the lead shot, which I'm sure is what you and your husband use for trap. The reason being that the lead shot can easier be deformed to the chosen pattern desired by choke selection without damage.