Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 88
Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
I purchased a Benelli Super Black Eagle II last year and had considered purchasing a Rifled Slug Barrel for deer hunting. My go to slug gun now is a Remington 870 Express with a Rifled Barrel. Unfortunately there aren't any aftermarket companies that make a Rifled Slug Barrel (or at least I haven't noticed any) formy Benelli SBEIIso I would be stuck purchasing it from a Benelli dealer. I will not fork out $500+ for a Rifled Slug Barrel. I have heard some good succes with guys using Rifled Choke Tubes in a smooth bore barrel and shooting Rifled Slugs. This seems to be a much more reasonable alternative. My other main use for my Benelli is Turkey Hunting. I would like to know what you guys think. I understand that if I use a Rifled Choke tube in my smooth bore barrel that I need to use Rifled Slugs, whereas if I were to shoot slugs through aRifled Slug barrel thatI wouldneed to use Sabot Slugs.
Those that have used a Rifled Choke Tube in a smooth bore barrel or know of someone that did what did you think? Any harm in using a Rifled Choke Tube in my Smooth Bore Barrel then turning around and using the same gun/barrel for Turkey Hunting? Any of you tried this with a SBEII. I would also like to know what Rifled Choke Tubes you like and with what slug combination.
Thanks Everyone
Those that have used a Rifled Choke Tube in a smooth bore barrel or know of someone that did what did you think? Any harm in using a Rifled Choke Tube in my Smooth Bore Barrel then turning around and using the same gun/barrel for Turkey Hunting? Any of you tried this with a SBEII. I would also like to know what Rifled Choke Tubes you like and with what slug combination.
Thanks Everyone
#2
RE: Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
Why bother? If you have an 870 slug....use that as your slug....and use youre benelli for birds....
I would think benelli or someone else would make a slug barrel.....those rifled chokes are worthless.
I would think benelli or someone else would make a slug barrel.....those rifled chokes are worthless.
#4
RE: Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
Here's a thought, stay with the smoothbore and shoot rifled slugs. The classic Foster style slug has slain many a critter, they're all I use, I just don't see the sense in fixing something that ain't broke.
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,445
RE: Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
I've never heard that rifled choke tubes require rifled slugs. My understanding is that they work best with sabots. I've never used one, but I've read that guys have pretty good results with rifled choke tubes and sabots.
#6
RE: Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
I used a rifled choke for years in my 870 before switching to a rifled barrel. I was told at the dealer you can shoot any type of slug out of a rifled barrel rifled or sabot you can shoot both out of a rifled choke but you need to stick with a rifled slug in a smooth barrel.
Good luck.
Good luck.
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,526
RE: Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
You can get nice accuracy with rifled choke tubes.I routinely get 3" groups at 100 yards with a Browning BPS 26" barrel and a rifled choke tube. On the other hand I get the same results with an Ithaca 37 22" smoothbore. It just depends on what kind of bullets you are using as well as how far you want to shoot.
Have fun with it, and experiment to find the right load.
Have fun with it, and experiment to find the right load.
#8
RE: Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
Back in the day I only had a smooth bore.....was shooting slugs through that that had rifling on them....which were supposedly better than classic style slugs, but my gun guy told me they were hardly any better, asked about a rifled choke....he said that does nothing either.....if you goto shoot sabots out of a rifle choke....that bullets only being stablized by max 6" of rifling...vs. 20-24"
So whether smooth bore or rifled choke.....neither will be anything compared to a fully rifled bore....also that bullet is flying without twist then suddenly hits the rifled choke....vs a rifled barrel twisting from the get go....
you can try one but I wouldn't expect much of an improvement....either live with what you have or try to get a rifled barrel...
I'm pretty certain you can find one for that model....otherwise ? might have to get a new one....I have a semi auto....but really in a slug gun I see less use for a semi auto compared to birds/semi auto.
A pump slug, or even a single shot woudl be ok.....so maybe a 870 w/ hastings etc...you can pick up used/cheap and be ahead....something to consider....
So whether smooth bore or rifled choke.....neither will be anything compared to a fully rifled bore....also that bullet is flying without twist then suddenly hits the rifled choke....vs a rifled barrel twisting from the get go....
you can try one but I wouldn't expect much of an improvement....either live with what you have or try to get a rifled barrel...
I'm pretty certain you can find one for that model....otherwise ? might have to get a new one....I have a semi auto....but really in a slug gun I see less use for a semi auto compared to birds/semi auto.
A pump slug, or even a single shot woudl be ok.....so maybe a 870 w/ hastings etc...you can pick up used/cheap and be ahead....something to consider....
#9
Spike
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 39
RE: Smooth Bore Barrel - Rifled Choke Tube?
I use a Carlson rifled choke and Remington Buckhammer Managed Recoil slugs and am very happy with the results. I believe many of the modern sabot slugs are designed for full rifled barrels. I know the full copper ones are.