Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 12 gauge Inv.+ #4 buck. Which tube??

Heading out later to pattern my Browning Gold with some #4 buck. Wanting a 30-40 yard pattern for close range songdogs and cats. Going to try it in regular full as well and maybe an Improved Modified if I don't like what I see with the tighter chokes. Am I able to run this through a turkey tube without damage to the choke?

3", forgot to mention.

Somewhere between about .050" - .060" constriction should give pretty good results with either lead number four buck or tungsten (not steel) shot from T-size down through BB.

a full choke on my benelli works the best for 4 buck. Interestingly enough, I tried a pattern master choke thinking that it would keep the pattern tighter. It didn't work well at all. The shot was too big I believe.

It's all about the constriction and if you want/need wad stripping mechanisms. Many Patternmaster chokes really aren't very tight in constriction, running in the improved modified range. What made Patternmaster a ground breaker back in the day is that they offered an extended choke with longer parallel sides and had wad stripping bumps incorporated into the design. Other manufacturers soon caught on and the race was on to see who could improve on what until we have a ton of options on the market today.

I shoot the the Carlson turkey choke, patters are 20" at 40 yards with Remingotn 3" 41 pellet #4 buck in the Rem 11/87 and the Rem 1100.

In my Beretta 390 and 391, I shoot the turkey choke also, patters are about the same with the Rem shells.

Full chokes in all the above open up the patterns significantly, but still good enough for coyotes at 40 yards.

I have patterned a lot of shotguns and various chokes over the years. Full to extra full, to turkey chokes produce the best patterns at 40 and 50 yards with #4 Buck. Problem is no one choke is ever the same. For instance you can get an extra flush mount, it will be different than a slightly exended, and that will be different than a long extended all bored from the same maker in Extra full. So, trial and error on the pattern board is necessary. A piece of news paper with a paper plate in the center is a good way to pattern, prop on something solid for your shooting so that you can see how your point of impact vs your point of aim varies(gun fit).

Good luck