smokepole70

Just wanted to hear from someone that has tried out a turkey choke using #4 buckshot. Currently my factory full 870 pump shotgun choke patterns good using 3 in Federal #4 buckshot. I mean, to me it holds a decent 18 inch pattern at 45 yards. A coworker gave me his Undertaker turkey choke to try and I wanted to try patterning it Monday. It is the .660 non-ported choke. Any input would be great!

Bernie P.

My 835 with the Ulti full choke .695 shoots the donut pattern with 4 buck.I get much better patterns using the .750 Mod.I do get great patterns using BB's with the Ufc.

smokepole70

that's kind of what I was thinking myself. I've had better luck with full choke .705 than modified choke with only #4 buck but modified any size larger, thanks

Nomercy448

In general, I use the following formula as a starting point for my MINIMUM choke diameter:

D = 2 x [ r / cos(30) + r ]

where D = minimum diameter of the choke, and r = radius of the shot (i.e. half of the shot diameter). This formula actually gives the diameter of the MINIMUM circle that 3 pellets laying in the same plane would fit into, i.e. 3 pellets touching in a triangle shape.

It's not PERFECT, but it has always worked for me. I pick a buckshot size, then pick a choke according to this formula, and bango, I have GREAT patterns, so why keep messing with it?

So, for example, 00buck has a diameter of 0.33".

D = 2 x [0.165/cos(30) + .165] = 0.711" diameter (not counting the thickness of the shotcup walls). So ultimately you need something in the 0.710"-0.720" diameter chokes for 00buckshot.

Now, for your example, #4 buck, with a diameter 0.24", you're looking at 0.517" diameter for 3 pellets to come out simultaneously, OR 0.579" for 4 pellets to come out simultaneously (use cos(45) instead of cos(30)).

If you're talking about #4 SHOT (not buckshot), then you're talking about a different dynamic (acting more like randomly packed micro shot, rather than tightly packed/organized macro BALLS), and you can use a VERY small choke (I use a 0.660" for turkey with 5shot, works fantastic).

Back calculating, I would expect #1 buckshot to pattern poorly in a 0.660", a #2 buckshot to be marginal (maybe lucky, maybe not), and #3 buckshot to be the max shot size for that choke.

So yes, you should be fine with a 0.660" choke for either 4 shot or #4 buckshot, but not much larger.

smokepole70

I really appreciate the formula info, that is really impressive to discuss the choke constriction in that much depth. The one load that amazes me the most is 3 inch remington 000 buck. It usually patterns better in a I/C choke with most of my 12 gauges. But, I got one old passed down Remington Wingmaster pump 12 gauge with a 30 inch fixed full choke that patterns 3 inch 000 buck better than the rest. It really dont make alot of sence.

Nomercy448

Ultimately, the formula is a guidepost. Like I said, it doesn't mean jack when it comes to tiny shot, it only really works for buckshot that the d/D (diameter of the shot over diameter of the choke) is fairly large.

The easy answer, rather than using the formula, is that d/D should be less than 0.46. For example: 00buck = 0.33" divided by 0.46 => minimum choke diameter of 0.717". OR, say for a 0.660" choke, the largest shot you can expect uniform patterns from would be 0.304" diameter (0.660" x 0.46 = 0.304"), so #1 MAYBE or #2 buck.

And again, none of that is accounting for the shotcup thickness.

The packing pattern is really important as well. Buffered 9pellet or 12pellet 00buck in 3.5" 12ga will generally have a more uniform and controlled packing pattern, so they may group better in a tighter choke than a 15pellet 00buck would. What this is talking about is how the pellets are stacked in the cup. That "cos(30)" term above is referencing 3 pellets arranged in a flat triangle leaving at the same time. If you can stack the pellets so they don't leave 3 at a time, and would only leave 1 or two at a time, basically you can shoot balls up to 50% of your choke diameter (rather than 46%), or even larger if they're leaving one at a time.

What I'd GUESS is happening out of your 30" full choke is that you're shot is rattling around down the tube and finding a "happy place" before it exits, so the 000 pellets aren't leaving 3 at a time.

The only real BAD effect of shooting oversized shot is that you'll generally get planing of a few pellets. At short ranges, this isn't usually noticeable, but down range, you'll start getting bigger and bigger holes in your patterns, rather than having uniformly distributed patterns. Does that mean the difference between a hit a miss on a coyote at 50yrds, not usually. Does it mean the coyote might run a little farther than it should have, yeah, maybe. Then again, sometimes even well hit dogs will make it a long dang ways before dropping.

The good news is, each pellet in a 00buck shell has about the same energy as a 22mag, so if you slap an 8-10" pattern on the ribs of a coyote at 50yrds, it's like you hit him with 12-15 22mag shots all at once... Pretty dang devastating...

smokepole70

Yea I am a fan of 00 buck in 3 inch. It seems to pattern all around best in most of my shotguns. Remington and Winchester. Federal is horrible in most of my shotguns but then I only buy unplated buckshot, maybe the plated in Federal is more impressive.

Bernie P.

My gun shoots Feds 3" copper plated/buffered 4 buck best of all 4 buck loads I've tried.

smokepole70

Bernie, Can I ask what choke restriction you have on this setup? I find all copper buckshot to pattern better with modified choke or maybe imp. modified. Full choke seems to make them rattle abit and not so dense.

Bernie P.

I use Mberg's Accu mag Mod.It's .750 and just a little recessed fit.I think I'm going to try one of the extended versions of the same constriction.The more gradual taper will hopefully improve the pattern a bit.