2 3/4" 00 buck 9 pellet Maximum Choke

7.62x39Lover

Hi Guys!

What is the tightest choke that can safely be used on a 12 gage shotgun shooting standard velocity 2.75" 9 pellet 00 buck out of a 20" barrel?

I have been told that one can go as tight as modified and no further without facing serious risks.

Does improved cylinder offer a significant benefit over cylinder?

Your thoughts please.

rufe-snow

I tried patterning a full choke Rossi coach gun at 25 yards, with 00 buck. Only could get a couple of random hits, 3 at the most one time.

I don't know what kind of risks you're worrying about? The buckshot are packed in a undersized wad with plastic granules around them. So that they will go through any choke without damage.

To my way of thinking, if you're anticipating using a short barreled shotgun at over 20 yds. For personal protection. You would be better served with a short magnum, 1 1/2 oz. load of BB's, rather than buck.

charliemeyer007

I think you can safely shoot lead 00 threw any choke in a modern steel barrel. Pattern, that's another story. Best answer is found using your gun and ammo of choice at the distance you are interested in shooting.

So are they cast 00 of hard or soft lead vs. factory tower dropped/swaged? Buffered and plated factory loads. Reloads with plastic one piece wads or nitro card/felt wads.

What kind of choke, normal tapered or jug.

I only load 12 pellets in a one piece wad. My favorite choke tube is marked Skeet #2.

I don't shoot much 00 these days. Lyman cast sabot slugs or #4 buckshot from a Lee gang mold.

5mmgunguy

I use improved cylinder for best pattern at 25 yards. Full will not pattern well at all.

Hawk Carse

My trap gun's Improved Modified barrel is a good buckshot shooter. Not a real handy riot or woods gun, but the choke is fine.
A store here once got a big lot of PD tradein Winchester riot guns. The few full chokes sold out fast, too fast for me to get one.

fordsix

deformation of buck thru a tight chock results in flyers,,only good for crowd control[;)]

waltermoe

I am looking at a very old box of Remington #4 buck that I bought back in 1973 and this is what it says on the back of the box. For Deer
use #000 #00 #0 and #4buck Any chock, but best results with full choke. For Black bear #000 #00 #0 any chock, best results with full choke. Now as for shooting at a deer or black bear with buck shot I don't think I would want to do that, but that's what it says, slugs I would say no problem, but buck shot your only going to hurt the deer and more than likely piss the bear off. Bottom line your not going to hurt anything using a full choke but you will get better results pattern wise using #4 buck or as stated earlier BB shot.

MG1890

Full choke is safe. Probably even an extra full tube is safe. There is plenty of room in the shot column to "give" diameter, unlike a solid slug.

deerhide

Buckshot use. Years ago I used 00 and #4 buck (SSG and AAA are the Canadian designations)for hunting, mostly deer. I found the 9 'big ones' went best out of a cylinder bore, the small ones (37 twenty-two cal.)didn't seem to care. Don't ever think buckshot will only 'hurt' deer. Even at 50 yards, point it at their ribs and you got liver for supper.

11b6r

If it were unsafe to fire buckshot thru a full choke, there would be a mountain of blown up shotguns out there. Full will typically give you a crappy pattern, but not unsafe.

Same applies to rifled slugs. With the exception of an Extra Full Choke (turkey hunters) you can remove a rifled slug from a shell, drop it in the breech, and it will fall out the muzzle.