shotgun choke question

Raptor77

God didn’t stop the bullets… You missed
Minuteman
Mar 11, 2020
88
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OHIO
I don't know a lot about shotgun chokes. I inherited a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 pump action from my uncle. It came with four chokes and I measured the bore with calipers and they are also marked. They are; improved cylinder .721", modified .711", full .698" and extra full .685. I think I understand that the smaller the choke, the tighter the group/spread. My question is witch is the smallest that I can safely fire a slug through?

Thanks for your help
 
Mostly agree with @RPN because not every shotgun was made with a removable choke. Back when it was fairly common to buy a barrel with the choke you wanted.

I avoid running slugs through full chokes or tighter because the old guys before I was old said it might bulge the barrel ... probably only applies to really old guns anymore.
 
My question is witch is the smallest that I can safely fire a slug through?
One or two slugs --> any choke. Steady diet of slugs, best to go with improved cylinder... or get a dedicated slug barrel.

The old traditional hollow-base slugs leave a lot of crud in the barrel. Make sure you remove the choke (whichever one you use) and clean threads lest the think become very difficult to remove. I learned this the hard way - with skeet loads in a dedicated skeet o/u shotgun with skeet chokes.
 
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