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If you send Custom Gun Works your barrel, they’ll measure its exact inside bore diameter and custom-make a long-range Drakekiller choke tube designed specifically for your gun. Several companies, such as Carlson’s and Trulock, offer affordable, extended waterfowl chokes in various constrictions. Extended chokes have a longer parallel section in which to more gradually constrict the shot, resulting in more uniform patterns.
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Almost all aftermarket chokes are extended, as opposed to factory chokes, which fit flush with the muzzle. Outfitting your smoothbore with an aftermarket choke tube can also drastically improve its performance. Many of its new waterfowl models have ported barrels. Mossberg has become a leader in factory barrel porting. Again, be sure to have qualified experts do the work, such as Pro-Port or Ballistic Specialties. While less recoil is claimed, reduced muzzle rise is probably the real benefit of barrel porting, allowing you to get back on target quicker for faster follow-up shots. Many shotguns, such as Browning’s newer models, now come from the factory with lengthened forcing cones, as increasingly more manufacturers recognize the rewards this relatively minor modification offers.īarrel porting is another popular modification. Forcing cone lengthening might offer the most bang for the buck in terms of improved performance. Of course, you’ll want to have a qualified gunsmith perform the task, but the procedure is relatively affordable, often under $100 per barrel. I couldn’t be happier with the results and believe the longer forcing cone made an already good gun great. A year later, it topped that performance by felling three teal in flight with one shot. On opening day, the rejuvenated semi-auto dropped two teal on the wing with a single shot. So, off my Super Vinci went to Rob Roberts to have its forcing cone relieved. Having recently tested Benelli’s SBE II Performance Shop Waterfowl Edition, which has many upgrades done by noted gunsmith Rob Roberts including a lengthened and polished forcing cone, I reasoned that might be a good place to start. I didn’t want to do anything radical, though, like overboring. Related: Shotgun Choke Tubes Waterfowlers Should KnowĪfter making a less-than-ideal shot on a snow goose in which only one pellet struck the bird (albeit in the heart), I felt my Benelli Super Vinci’s barrel was in need of some tweaking. Lengthening the forcing cone so it has a longer, more gradual taper provides the shot charge a gentler, less abrupt transition into the main bore, resulting in less pellet deformation, fewer erratic flyers, and hopefully more even patterns downrange. In most barrels, there is a rather abrupt drop-off in this transition zone between the larger chamber and the smaller main bore. The forcing cone is the area of the bore just ahead of the chamber. One of the simplest shotgun modifications you make is having its forcing cone lengthened.
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Shotgun modifications: performance upgrades The following are some practical shotgun modifications that will not only enhance your favorite shotgun’s performance, but also make it more user-friendly. However, waterfowlers should also consider customizing their shotguns. The turkey and tactical crowds are notorious for tricking out their scatterguns with all sorts of fancy gadgets.
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