Remington 870 rifled choke tubes

[Southern Shooter]

I am wanting to buy a rifled choke tube for a 12 gauge, 26" barrel, Remington 870. But, I need help...

1) Remington has a standard rifled choke tube and a extended rifled choke tube. How much longer is the extended choke tube and does it make that much of a difference over the standard rifled choke tube? How far out would these chokes help my 870 accurately deliver rifled and sabot slugs?

2) I was under the impression that tube rifling in a shotgun was for sabot slugs, only. But, reading the information from Remington, it says that the rifled choke tubes will even help stabalize rifled slugs. I did not think those would work well together. I was told that the rifling on the rifled slugs was in the opposite direction of the rifled choke tubes ( true or not? ).

 

[Dave McC]

The "Rifling" on the slugs just helps it swage down going through the choke.

I have the regular tube. Best slug from the bench goes into less 5" ETE at 100 yards. Dunno if the extended choke would improve that much.

FYI, a similar 870 with no choke at all shoots the same slug, KO Brenekke 1 oz, into about an inch more at that distance.

Each barrel and choke is a law unto itself. Test slugs until one shows the tightest groups, then buy plenty of that.

Sabots are more for fully rifled barrels. Choke tubes work with both "Rifled" slugs and Brenekkes.

 

[Southern Shooter]

few more questions...

Dave,

What exactly do you mean by "swage down going through the choke"?

So, you are shooting a group about 5" wide at 100 yards with the regular rifled choke tube? For your 870, what was the best slug from the bench?

If you are getting around 6" groups of KO Brenneke slugs at 100 yards from an 870 with no choke, I wonder what effect a rifled choke tube would have had on the grouping.

In your opinion, is $30 for a standard rifled choke tube worth it? Or, am I better off just experimenting with various slugs? If I invest in a rifled tube should I be looking into scoping the shotgun, also?

Thanks

 

[Dave McC]

The flanges we call rifling center the slug on the bore and reduce in diameter without making the slug lopsided as it exits the barrel.

Center to center, 5 three shot groups averaged about 4 1/4" at 100 yards through the rifled choke. For comparison's sake, a couple groups with an IC choke in place, nothing else changed, ran 6" ETE. YMMV.

Slug used was a KO Brenekke 1 oz. While not guaranteed to be the best grouper for you, it's a good one to try.

It's the only slug I've ever found that performs best in my two slug shooter 870s. It also groups around 2 1/2" at 50 yards from another 870 with just a bead.

Before buying that choke,which is priced a hair high, IMO, figure out what the average shot opp distance is.

Where I hunt, shots tend to be short. 32 yards is the average for the last decade or so. So while I use 100 yard accuracy as a criteria, whatever stays in a 6" saucer will do the job IF I do mine.

If you find that shots run frequently over 60 yards, a rifled tube starts to make sense. If you've been filling the freezer all these years shooting at bowhunting distance, a rifled tube is less than critical.

My style of hunting doesn't benefit from scoping. Yours may.

I also have my venison acquisition tools doubling as homeowner's insurance, and prefer to use them for deer set up as defensive weapons.

A deer gun is a very personal statement. Set yours up to use for your type of hunting. One fellow I know has a H&R with a fully rifled barrel. He tree hunts, never hunts on foot, and his shotgun is very good for sitting duck type shots. It's too heavy in the barrel for jumpshooting or still hunting. Fired from a rest, it's match accurate.

Another guy hunts in waders, walking the swamps and byways of the Eastern Shore. His Ithaca 37 is a quick, responsive tool for short time frame, close range opps.

HTH.....