Basics for newbie shotgunner

[Rickdakin]

I was looking for info on using 12 ga with slugs for black bear and deer . A local dealer told me it would be dangerous to use a full choke . He recommended open bore (no chokes) as best rig. I thought a full choke would increase accuracy out to 90 or 100 meters

Any advice appreciated folks

[tinhorse]

That is quite a poke for a slug. Is it a rifled shotgun you're using? I see accuracy being a bit of an issue. Just my thought on that distance.

[sparkes3]

get a shotgun with both a waterfowl barrel with different chokes and a rifled barrel foe sabot slugs
I use a Mossberg 835 and have the best of both worlds with the two barrels.

[BigD_83]

Just happened to have my Mossberg owners manual in front of me and they only specify that slugs should not be used at extra full or tighter constrictions. However, I don't see using a full choke giving you much advantage over a cylinder bore, and it's certainly not going to help you hit anything at the yardage you are talking. As has already been mentioned, a rifled barrel and a sabot slug are the way to go for your longer shots.

[albravo2]

Choke keeps a bunch of pellets in a smaller group when they leave the barrel, hence when they get further away they are still closer together.

A slug does not have the same reaction. It stays together because it is one big lead piece. As I understand it, the problem with a full choke and a slug is there may be unnecessary restriction at the muzzle.

Put another way, a slug may be slightly larger than the opening of a full choke which will effect its flight.

Rifled slug barrel is the way to go.

[hoochie]

as stated by others, chokes are for shot.
I have never thought of a shotgun as being a 100yard tool, and most shots would be done under 50 yards. A rifled barrel would be far more advantageous than a choke. However; if you have the rifled barrel on there it is essentially a rifle, and you don't have the advantage of the smooth bore. A smooth bore would allow you to shot whatever you choose, but distance will be limited.

[Foxton Gundogs]

We shot a pile of slugs out of our full choke back in the day with no Ill effects. I concur that 50 yds. is the optimum range for the average shotgun and slug. I have however seen shotguns with rifled slug barrel and a good grade sabot shell that will reach out to 100 yds fairly accurately

[Mulehahn]

A full choke won't cause any harm, but it won't help anything either. I personally would never shoot a shotgun with no choke at all, I would worry too much about damaging the threads. For certain shotguns you can buy a rifle choke that can help a little but I just use a modified.

[Rickdakin]

Thanks guys, havent purchased shotgun as yey but thinking pump 12 ga. And dealers told me some come with interchangeable chokes ( ie: rifled chokes that improve accuracy. Haven't been shown any with full rifled barrels like the Ithaca deerslayers had though. ��

[Rickdakin]

We shot a pile of slugs out of our full choke back in the day with no Ill effects. I concur that 50 yds. is the optimum range for the average shotgun and slug. I have however seen shotguns with rifled slug barrel and a good grade sabot shell that will reach out to 100 yds fairly accurately

thanks Jim