Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns After Market Choke Tubes...Worth the cost?

Got a new O/U recently and need a couple more choke tubes. I've researched and think I understand why the extended and ported-extended tubes are better than the factory tubes. My question is how much better are they and is that worth the extra money? For my gun tru-lock chokes are $18 for the "factory style" $36 for the extended and $46 for the exended-ported.

I know the only scientific answer to this question is to buy the chokes and pattern them in my gun with various loads then measure the results. But this could get pretty $$ in a hurry and I'm hoping somebody out there can help me out?

Probably makes zero difference on your O/U because the extended tubes would get in each other's way... You are likely stuck with perfectly functional flush-mount factory tubes...
art

I use extended tubes on my Beretta O/U's. Not because I wanted them that way, but because that's what showed up when I ordered from Etchen.

Extended tubes will work fine on an O/U. Most serious competitiors use extended chokes on their stack barrels.

As far as advantages, I think the only REAL advantage is that they are a bit easier to install and remove. Beyond that, if it makes you feel good, then they're working.

CAS
My experience runs to my Citoris and the extended tubes I tried to use in them... One of my 101s does not have factory tubes, but they could not install full size tubes in it...
art

Interesting,

There's at least 25 guys at the range where I shoot that run Citoris with extended tubes.

Browning even shows a Citori with extended tubes on their website:

All the guys I know run extended also - changing chokes with the fingers beats any type of wrench IMO.

Our family has run extended on an Ultra Sporter, Lightning Clays, 425, K-80 and pards on Kolar. No problems.

I shoot Comp-n-chokes in my Russian Baikal. I don't know that the ports help with recoil, but they throw an awesome, uniform pattern.

Weagle

Can you give me an idea of how much better they pattern than the factory tubes? In your opinion were they worth the $$?

With good target loads (win aa or rem sts) my gun patterned well with the factory chokes, but the cheap promo loads threw patterns with big holes. With the Comp-n-Chokes installed the promo loads threw patterns as good as the high dollar loads: nice and even with no big gaps or clusters of shot.

The chokes are about $50 each, but I figure I save a few bucks shooting the cheap shells and also break an extra bird or two, so they are worth it to me.

Weagle

although they look cool and are easier to change then fluch chokes that is not the real reason for extended tubes. what the extended tube does is span the constriction of the shot over alonger distance thus the idea is the compressionthrough the choke will be more gradual thus the pattern will be more even. thsi is even more true for the faster loads that are notorious for blowing holes int he pattern. my field guns (SBE, beretta 687) and trap guns (beretta 686 sporting clays, browning superposed) all run extended chokes by briley or angleport

I don't know but I think the big advantage with extended chokes is that you can check them with your hand to see that they are tight.
They maybe an advantage on tight chokes like turkey x-full.
Other than that I think they look cool <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />