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In WA./OR., a lot of my shots are past 30 yds., and I'm just not sure I will get enough pattern density out of my mod. left barrel by going to buffered/nickel loads. Maybe I should just buy another/different gun choked f/ic.

Has anyone tried jug choking as an alternative to having tubes installed? The thread about blowin tubes out has me nervous about considering that option.

Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Philadelphia, PA

I've jug choked a few guns. You do it with those hones, like brake cylinder hones, that Brownnels sells. It takes longer to do than you'd expect and you won't get much more than about one step tighter choke. Say you have .015" in your barrel, by the time you've made it .020" you'll be sick of the bloody hone. You can jug choke a cylinder barrel a bit tighter because you can eliminate the paralell section at the muzzle. A .006" constriction that ends right at the muzzle will give you nearly a modified choke, well more that IC anyway. It's surprising how much of an effect that kind of choke can have. I once made the mistake of rigging up an expandable reamer for jug choking. Fed it from the breech end until it reached the right spot, then opened it two thousands with a key and started to cut. It made a mess. Had to go back to honing anyway to clear up the rouhgness. If you have access to a lathe you can set the barells up on the saddle and the set of hones in the headstock so as to use the hand wheels to crank it back and forth. If you can set up stops on the ways it gets real easy.

Guest

Load some buffered nickle loads up and take them to the pattern board to see what they will do. A Modified choke should be capable of putting 62 - 67% of the shot charge into a 30 inch circle at 40 yards.

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1257 Location: Nebraska

I had a barrel jug-choked by Mike Orlen, it had been opened up to .003" and he put it back to about .015". When I got the gun back I compared three different shells in this barrel against a Cylinder barrel and found a 17 percent difference using the good shell. The "cheaper" shell that always patterns lighter than the choke indicates, was pretty close between the two barrels.

How much your barrel can be jug choked depends on the barrel itself, and I'd say there are no guarantees unless you find someone that offers such a thing.

No harm in buying another gun, either!

Guest

You should have a Sportsman Warehouse nearby you in Washington and they carry the West Coast Shot. Forget about using that "nickel" plated stuff and give this brand a test. This shot has the hardest rating for lead shot than almost any other brand out there. The shot is not cheap but you probably won't use too much if you're shooting only hunting loads. Of course, if you go one or two shot size larger will also tighten up your patterns.

Interesting. I wasn't aware that going a size or two larger tightens patterns. Why is that?

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

UDF,

Jug choking works but unless you know the wall thickness of your barrels there is no way of knowing how much additional choke can be added with jug choking.

I agree with the others about changing your pattern with shell selection. IMO cheap shells open up the pattern and good target loads tighten it up. The main reason is nice hard high antimony shot in good shells.

In addition high velocity opens up patterns and pellet size tightens them up, less deformation on the larger pellets makes them more ballistically consistent in flight.

So for the tightest patten, use a good target load at moderate velocity, ~1200 fps.

Never make a decision to alter a barrel based on what you think, or the perception of how a gun performs in the field, there are just too many variables. Only act on hard evidence.

Jeff

Member Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 258 Location: Nordern MN

As the guy who shot the choke tube out, I would say buy another gun . . . bring another one to the stable and forget the potential to screw up your gun! there are plenty of guns out there, so don't bother altering one. Gun shopping is part of the fun! And its kinda like golf - no one golfs with just one club!

NR

Yeah, I agree, it's not worth the risk. I'll just go the hard/buffered shot route, and save for another gun. I tried going after one recently but was outbid, and the gun I really want I can't afford (restored Lefever). The only problem with buying more guns is it takes $ away from hunting trips. Sure is fun though!

Do you reload UDF? If so, try this. Use an SP16 wad for a 1-1/8 ounce load. Get a short length of 1/2" dia. hard wood dowel and place the wad petals over the dowel. Tape around the petals with two winds of Scotch Magic tape or generic 1/2 way up their length. Now just load like you normally do with the hardest #5 shot you can get and the slowest powder that will give you about 1250 FPS with pressures at or under 9K psi. Make sure your crimps are very well formed and even. Use once fired hulls to ensure this.

This technique will often and another 10 to 15% more density to your patterns out of a modified barrel with average constriction. However, some guns do not like it either, especially any with slightly rough or scarred up bores that put spin on the wad as it travels up thr bore. Smooth bore walls is best here.

Member Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 425 Location: Maine

Friend has a 16g model 12 marked "MOD", and measures .012 constriction. Did some patterning, and found that RGL 6's gave IC patterns, while B&P 5's gave Imp. Mod patterns.
The scotch tape thing seem interesting, I'll have to try it!
https://www.bandpusa.com/Shopping/index.php?cPath=1_10_12

16gg, yes I do reload. Thanks for the tip! It makes sense. I'll give it a try soon with the hard 5's I have after I get some buffer.

Guest

You didn't mention the age of your double and the amount of pressure that it can handle. When you buffer your shot, it can significantly increase the chamber pressure to the danger point esp. with older guns. As I said before, I would pick up a bag of #5 West Coast shot and try a few loads @ 1200 fps with moderate pressure. If you really feel that you need to go with buffering, I would review some reliable handload receipes to ensure you are within the safe limits...

Good luck...

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2350 Location: West MI

[quote="UncleDanFan"]Interesting. I wasn't aware that going a size or two larger tightens patterns. Why is that?[/quote]

i'm reasonably sure it has to do with mass, inertia and kinetic energy. larger mass will hold a staighter line than less given the same outside influences. which vehicle will hold a line better given the same windy & bumpy road a vw bug driven by a skinny kid (#10 shot) or a fully loaded kenworth after the driver stopped at a buffet (00 buck)? also its easier to influence the direction of something while that something is slowing down. if both drivers took their foot off the go peddle and hands off the wheel at the same time which would have traveled further and be less off line? i know my tungsten water foul loads hold tighter long range patterns than the steel loads for this very reason.

thats why i use camry's (#8 & 7's) close work and pick-up's and suv's (#6 & 5's) for follow up's Laughing

also, i agree with some of the posts on this thread that suggest experimenting with components before removing metal in the barrel. what if the thing banana peels on you? theres my 2 cents worth, take care mike

Putz, the mass explanation makes sense. Thanks.

Terry, I have a new Uggie, so I'm not too concerned with pressure, within reasonable limits of course.