Shotgun Question

[Badlands Walker]

Think I'll just have to give that BP a try out!  Thanks for the info Kid!

[Badlands Walker]

Another dumb question on shotguns iffn' y'all don't mind!  What iffn' I took the "chokes" completely out of the barrels?

[The Arapaho Kid]

Badlands:  Take those chokes out iffen you can.  The purpose of a choke is to keep your shot bunched up and it will narrow down your spread pattern.  Iffen that happens.....missed targets.  I think the original purpose of the choke was to keep your shot bunched up, thereby getting more shot on target for a flying bird?  My scattergun came with no chokes and I can knock over three scattergun targets with a single blast.  In one shoot there was a four target stage.  I took them all out with one double blast...both barrels at once.  I did a hip shot on that one.  Kinda aimed at center mass and cut both barrels loose at once.  All four targets went down.   

So you don't wanta have those chokes in your scattergun.

[The Arapaho Kid]

Badlands:  Here's where I get my ammo.  They have BP ammo in rifle/pistol shells and scattergun rounds.  They are fairly cheap and the turn around time is good.  Check out this place.

http://www.ammodirect.com/index.htm

[Cuts Crooked]

WHOA!!!!!

Don't run that thang without the choke tubes in it!!!!!!!! Doing so will ruin the threads, and ultimately wreak any chance of a decent pattern! No to mention destroying any resale value the gun might have! It's even remotely possible to get some plastic wad hung in them threads, not likely but possible, creating a bore obstruction situation!!!!

If ya wanna shoot a gun with no choke then go purchase some cylinder bore choke tubes fer that thang, or take yer current set to a smith and have him ream/polish them out to cylinder bore....But fer Gawds sake, don' run it wifout em!

[Mustang Gregg]

Ya beat me to the draw, Cuts Crooked.
I wanted to say that!!!!

MG

[The Arapaho Kid]

WHOA!!!!!

Don't run that thang without the choke tubes in it!!!!!!!! Doing so will ruin the threads, and ultimately wreak any chance of a decent pattern! No to mention destroying any resale value the gun might have! It's even remotely possible to get some plastic wad hung in them threads, not likely but possible, creating a bore obstruction situation!!!!

If ya wanna shoot a gun with no choke then go purchase some cylinder bore choke tubes fer that thang, or take yer current set to a smith and have him ream/polish them out to cylinder bore....But fer Gawds sake, don' run it wifout em!

Dang!  I totally forgot about the threads in the bore, so Plan B would be.....Load up and fire at a large sheet of paper from about 20 feet and see where your shot is going and how big the pattern is.  As I recall most scattergun targets on the stages are about 15 to 20 feet away...give or take a few feet???  If you know how big your pattern is at a certain distance...that'll help you hit more targets. 

[Pukin Dog]

BP burns slower so there's less recoil with it and they make one helluva smoke cloud!

Where did you hear that from?  Fact is, BP is "extremely" fast burning.  Its an "explosive" Ain't no such thing as "slow burnin'" BP.

[The Arapaho Kid]

BP burns slower so there's less recoil with it and they make one helluva smoke cloud!

Where did you hear that from?  Fact is, BP is "extremely" fast burning.  Its an "explosive" Ain't no such thing as "slow burnin'" BP.

I have been told by several people that BP burns slower than smokeless and that's why there's less kick from them than smokeless rounds.

[Cuts Crooked]

PD,
Yup BP is slower than most smokeless powders. And incredible though it may seem...it also burns cooler! (the reason it seems to heat up guns so much more than smokeless is because of the longer "impulse time" of the burn which puts the burning materials in contact with the metal for a longer period.

Check with Bill Knight on this one! He explains it better than I do.

[Badlands Walker]

Yeah!  I didn't figure taken out the chokes all together was a good move!  I'll just go down & get me another F-choke & put er' in.

I assume the "F" means full choke? Wide open bore?

[Old Top]

Badlands,

I think full mean that it keeps the shot together to reach further, what you may want is IC (Improved Cylinder) which lets it spread a little faster for what we are doing in coyboy shooting, if I am wrong I am sure that we have others here tlhat will steer us in the right direction.

Old Top

[Doc Bonecutter]

The order of chokes from biggest pattern to smallest is

Open (or cylinder)
Skeet
Improved Cylinder
Modified
Improved Modified
Full
Extra Full or Turkey

For CAS usually bigger is better so a Cylinder or Skeet choke works best.

[Badlands Walker]

Man, now I'm really confused!

[Delmonico]

In reality choke is far more coplicated than most will admit.  The markings really mean how much constrition a choke has, the ammunition has as much to do with is as how much smaller the muzzle end is compared to the bore.  With the right ammo a gun can shoot much tighter or looser that what is printed on the barrel or choke.

The only real way to know anything about yer shotgun is to shoot it on paper and find out if it shoots to center and has they  type of pattern that is needed for the job to be done.  It has always amazed me when folks will spend time getting a rifle to shoot where they want but treat a shotgun like it is a water hose with a nozzle on the end.

Generally with lead shot as opposed to steel shot the full choke is 0.030 of an inch smaller than bore diameter.

Improved modified is 0.025 under bore bore diameter, modified choke is 0.020 under bore, improved  cylinder is 0.010 under bore diameter and skeet is 0.005 under bore diameter.

This is only true for guns set up for modern plastic shells with  plastic wadding.  Older guns built befrore plastic wadding generally shoot tighet with these shell than mark, chokes made for steel shot will shoot looser with plastic wadded lead shot.

Also the velocity of the shell and the hardness of the shot will affect the pattern.  Often iven the brand of wads and powder will affect the pattern.

Sorry if you don't test that shotgun on paper you have no idea if it does what you want.

I wish I had a dollar for everyone who complaimns about how their shotgun works but when you ask they ain't never shot it on paper.

[Badlands Walker]

I move up from confused to, now completely out in left field!

All these stats give me a headache!  I think I'll do as suggested & get me some paper targets!

What paper targets do you recommend?  25 feet, 50 feet, etc...

[Derby Younger]

BW:

Delmonico is right on the money. The problem is that some, a lot, most folks don't have access to a patterning board (paper). Sooo, if you're gonna shoot CAS, use Cylinder "C" or Improved Cylinder "IC". Anything else and you can have your choice of the other chokes depending on what you're aiming for or at.

Best,

Derby Younger
Duelist is Coolest

[Badlands Walker]

Would this target do the trick at say... 25 feet?

[Derby Younger]

Yep.

Keep ypur head on the stock and put the front bead on the center.

[Badlands Walker]

Much obliged pard!  I'll be out testin' the shotgun in the mornin'!