Got My Rifled Choke Tube Today!

[longbow]

Hahaha! Good news and bad news all at once!

So my rifled choke tube arrived. Yay! It is a Carlson's 12 ga. "extended" choke tube. Not very extended in my opinion but that's okay. I didn't realize it came with a choke tube wrench but it did. Since I didn't know I ordered a Carlson's T-handle choke tube wrench because I have read that these things can tighten severely when shooting hard slugs.

So I open the package and see the flat metal choke tube wrench and another little box with the T-handle wrench in it. I check out the flat metal wrench and it barely picks up on the inside edges of the choke tube slots so I'm thinking not much good for a tight choke tube. Then I check the T-handle choke tube wrench. It appears to be quite beefy and well made, except... the lugs on it are too big for the slots in the choke tube!

Now remember, this is a Carlson's choke tube and Carlson's choke tube wrench!

Oh well, it only cost $12.99 CDN so not worth sending back. I may try to set up and mill out the choke tube slots a bit with my slitting saw but I do not have a milling machine, just a small old lathe. Alternately I may make my own T-handle wrench which is probably the safer bet.

The rifling is pretty shallow at 0.005" I think (Carlson's says "0.010" constriction) and that it is suitable for slugs, sabot slugs, Foster slugs, buckshot and about everything else.

Not to get that choke tube adaptor onto my barrel and try this thing out!

For those that don't know (I didn't until recently) Brownells sells choke tube adaptors for silver soldering onto barrels that aren't tapped. These things run about $20 US so not expensive and fitting them is pretty easy if you have a lathe but even paying for machining it is much simpler and cheaper than having a barrel reamed and tapped.

Having a barrel reamed and tapped runs about $185 then you have to buy a rifled choke tube. For that money you can buy a new rifled barrel... or pretty close anyway, and it will have cantilever for scope or rifle sights which a typical smoothy barrel won't.

Anyway, I'll see how this adaptor works and and get that rifled choke tube in service. After watching the Taofledermaus video slo-mo of Lyman and Moose Minies being perfectly stabilized by rifled choke tubes I am optimistic about this!

I'm also making a smoothsided copy of the Moose Moulds mould for the "wadcutter" 535 gr. .69 Minie for use in a shotcup. I have full bore slugs to try too.

We'll see how this goes! My Slugster may be wearing a rifled choke tube soon!

Longbow

[gpidaho]

Longbow: Always nice to add something new to the mix. I have that same Carlson choke but have only a few rounds fired through it. I'll be watching as you give it a test. Hope it's a help for both of us. Gp

[longbow]

gp I have to say I have been a skeptic as I have read very mixed reviews on rifled choke tubes. However, after watching those Taofledermaus videos I decided I better try one out!

The choke tube looks very well made, though I am a bit disappointed that the T-handle wrench doesn't fit!

I do worry about the choke tube tightening up because they don't have much shoulder to them but we'll see. Apparently if Never-Seeze is "liberally" applied to the threads they are easier to remove after shooting.

Also, rifling is very shallow but again, it seemed to work well enough in the Taofledermaus videos. The two Minies and other slugs were very obviously stable and rotating well in slo-mo. I wonder if they own shares in rifled choke tube production? I'm sold... for now anyway! There's a sucker born every minute!

Longbow

[fastdadio]

I too, bought a Carlson's rifled choke. Although not the extended one. Also for the express purpose of pursuing round ball accuracy. Fitted to my Weatherby PA-459, 20 ga. I first bought 15 Federal sabot slugs. All the reviews I read about this combo were mixed. And so were my results. Of the 15 shots, 5 each at 3 targets from about 35 yds. My average group was about 7" if we discount the 4 fliers, 3 of which were key holes. Not good enough for me. I have a shopping list of supplies based on my reading here and will be lurking along with you folks.

[Petander]

Carlson's wrench won't fit Carlson's tube...wow. I just received an Aimtech Rib Rider mount for 870, excellent workmanship but it doesn't fit my 870 rib.

I'm following this with great interest,having very good luck with Carlson's rifled choke and my "Econony Round Ball" in 20 gauge. I just ordered more trap ammo to convert.

They chokes do tighten up. I use Hi Tek Aqualube, the slipperiest thing that ever slipped on Earth. A big difference.

[longbow]

Yes, quite a surprise! The flat metal wrench that came with the tube fits but like I said, it really doesn't seem to pick up much at the corners of the slot/ likely non issue with regular choke tubes but for rifled choke tubes that tighten with firing I wanted a bit more oomph so ordered the Carlson's T-handle wrench. It is a nicely made wrench but the lugs are about 25% larger than the slots in the tube!

In the past I have been a real skeptic of rifled choke tubes for two main reasons: the rifling is very shallow; the twist is much faster than a round ball or square slug needs. And a third reason ~ I don't have any guns threaded for choke tubes! However, the Brownells silver solder adaptor takes care of that pretty easy.

After your success and after watching the Taofledermaus videos I couldn't not try this! If it works well (or well enough) I'll be a happy camper. If it doesn't work... well not much lost and I can still go fully rifled barrel if I decide to part with some money.

I would be very happy if I can get 0.678" or 0.690" RB's in shotcups to perform well out past 60/70m... maybe to 100m? I do like round balls!

I also have several slugs that would be interesting if they worked better through the rifled choke tube.

Carlson's advertises 0.730" groove diameter which surprises me but then so does Colonial. I would have figured they'd go for a thou or two below nominal 0.729" bore to ensure snug fit through the choke tube. I'm guessing your 20 ga. is made to similar sizing. But again, you've had good success so that and the Taofledermaus video were the clinchers for me!

Anyway, I hope I am as successful as you have been!

Longbow

[gpidaho]

Longdow: Keep an eye out on evilbay. I was casually looking over the shotgun barrels there yesterday and a rifled barrel for a Mossberg 500 was up, only one hour left and bids at just $60 + 20 shipping. I'll have to look and see what it ended up going for but I almost tossed out a bid and I don't even own a Mossy. Gp

[CastingFool]

Since my deer shotgun did not have threads for a choke, I went on a different route. bought a 24" fully rifled barrel from a friend. I just wanted to extend my range. Once I installed it, I have never regretted it. Last season, I shot a buck at 88 steps away. Originally used sabot slugs, which were very accurate but expensive. A few years back, I switched back to foster slugs and they work great.

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Longbow, I'm happy for you.

Regards,
Ajay

[longbow]

Gp I see quite a few used barrels in the States. Not so much in Canada. They can't be shipped from the States to Canada though... not easily anyway!

There are a couple used barrels at Ellwood Epps in Ontario. Both just over $200 CDN.

I'll try the choke tube first. If it doesn't work I'll probably buy a fully rifled barrel.

Longbow

[longbow]

Thanks Ajay!

[gpidaho]

LB: Yes, I suspected it wouldn't be an easy cross border thing. I wish I could come across an extra barrel for my 391 Urika but the rifled barrels for those a kind of rare. I am going to run some buckshot through it next time out. That break barrel Stevens is so light that it's a little rough in the recoil dept. with the Blue Dot buck loads. Gp

[Apocalypse]

... Not so much in Canada. They can't be shipped from the States to Canada though... not easily anyway!...

I've still got one in Canada I don't want (no hunter here), but its for an 870. Guess that defeats your purpose if you have to buy another shotgun.

[Petander]

I've still got one in Canada I don't want (no hunter here), but its for an 870. Guess that defeats your purpose if you have to buy another shotgun.

But that's a very good reason to buy a shotgun. Used 870's are not expensive even out here where I live. A friend sold his 20 gauge for 200€, without me knowing...

[longbow]

I got my Slugster for a pretty good price (I think anyway) and a guy can always use an extra shotgun but... I think I am making the move to Mossberg so want to try to "standardize". I already have a Browning BPS with buck and slug barrel, a cut down Cooey single shot for slugs, 3 other Cooey single shots, a discarded but not dead American made side by I will try to get shootiing again (I can't recall the name at the moment), a W.C. Scott & Son 10 ga. Damascus side by in need of TLC and now my Mossberg Slugster. I really don't need to diversify and get a Remington 870 at this point!

I will say that before Randy talked me into the Slugster, I was looking seriously at an 870 with smoothbore slug barrel but with rifled choke tube installed and scope/scope mount all installed, for a very nice price. I wasn't convinced that it was worth the money without a fully rifled barrel though. Now I wonder... but really I can't complain. I like the Mossberg Slugster a lot and shortly it will have a rifled choke tube installed so... I'm doing okay there. If the rifled choke tube doesn't tickle my fancy then I'll finally break down and buy a fully rifled barrel I think. Too much talking, not enough doing. Its time to do!

Longbow

[W.R.Buchanan]

Just Do IT! Dang it!

I found out something about my Rifled Barrel when I tried to mount it the other day. It is .100 bigger in diameter than the 18" smoothbore barrel. It has noticeably thicker walls, probably in anticipation of higher pressure slug rounds. It's also chambered 2.75 & 3.00".

The problem I ran into is my Magpul Fore End won't accept the extra diameter. It has a slider with two points sticking up on either side of the barrel to prevent the fore end from cocking to one side which binds the action bars. The gun is smoother with the Magpul Fore End and there is another Washer for use on a M590 which has the larger barrel dia, so it might work. I'll see soon.

So I may have to put the stock fore end back on any time I want to shoot it.

Just finished a big Navy Job tonight so I have free time now.

Randy