to cut off the choke or not...?????

[brown-trout]

Ok...ive got that pardner youth shotgun in 20.....i want to use it as my daughters first deer (slug) gun.....any benefit to cutting off 4" of barrel in order to remove the modified choke??
if i did that would it pattern OK for her, at least well enough to take the occasional  rabbit or squirrel...
barrel is currently 22"

thanks, brown trout

[savageT]

browntrout,
I'm at a loss here......what do you want to do?  You say it is a 20 ga.slug gun w/ improved culinder choke....Why don't you take it out and test the pattern at say 20 yds. and see what you get before you do anything with it?  The IC choke is perfect for field use and close in squirrel hunting.  Usually, you destroy any patterning by removing the choke!

Jim

[DaveH]

SavageT

I'm at a loss here......what do you want to do? You say it is a 20 ga.slug gun w/ improved culinder choke....

I see where he said it was a mod choke 20 ga youth model ??  
The only thing I would say is cutting four inches out of a 22 inches barrel will make it too short federal laws ?
If its a Mod choke take it out and test fire some cheap rifled slugs through it see how it does it should shoot slug fine with a mod choke.  The only draw back would be the bead sight.  What knid of area are you going to be hunting ? ie.. open feilds or thick woodland ?

[gwhilikerz]

My advice would be "don't cut it until you try it" I have found Winchester cheap slugs work real good in my pardner. MSP ret likes the Brenneke-Rotweil  i think. Each gun seems to prefer different slugs. Get as may brands as you can find and test them. Then you will know whether to cut the barrel. But as it is already only 22" take care to stay withing the law when cutting.

[MSP Ret]

Do not cut it just to get rid of the modified chokeuntil you try it. Contrary to popular belief a modified choke shoots most slugs just fine in a smoothbore. Try it before you do anything to it. It will much more versatile if you leave it as it is and may even shoot slugs better that way. My smoothbore shoots most foster style slugs fine with a modified choke tube installed....<><.... :grin:

[Gowge]

Ok...ive got that pardner youth shotgun in 20...  any benefit to cutting off 4" of barrel in order to remove the modified choke??
if i did that would it pattern OK for her, at least well enough to take the occasional  rabbit or squirrel...    barrel is currently 22"
thanks, brown trout

Leave It Alone![/size]    :wink:

The experts & engineers at H&R/NEF know a lot more about building guns that work than most of us...  I agree with everyone else that has suggested you shoot the gun first and see if she can keep the slugs on a paper plate at fairly close range.   It's EASY to aim at the bright bottom of a plate and a 20ga slug makes a pretty impressive hole - plenty big enough for her to see.  After she shoots a few slugs in the plate, reward her by lettin' her shoot an old milk jug full of water.    Whatever you do, encourage her to hang in there and keep trying.    

There's a lot more goin' on than just checkin' how a gun shoots - this is special time for a father & child to do something together.  Remember to bring a camera and take some photos for the scrap book.    Get some before & after pics.  Let her pose with HER SHOTGUN and let her know how proud you are.   NEVER show any disappointment - always tell her "It's OK.   You're doing fine.  We'll work on it and you'll do better.  It just takes practice."     Repeat that to yourself a few times while she's shooting, too!   :wink:

If you decide that a 20ga slug load is too much recoil and too heavy for her to shoot, you can always get a friend who reloads 20ga to load up some round balls for you.    It's quite easy to load a round lead musket ball into a 20ga shotcup with some fiber wads stacked under the ball to bring it up to the top of the cup - close it off with the ball showing on a roll crimp and go shoot it.    The shotcup will open up and release the single ball no problem.  

A lotta' kids take their first big game with just such a load - not just deer, but HOGS too.

The whole procedure is outlined by Ross Seyfried on Page 40 - Rifle's Handloader Magazine April 2004 issue.    You can order the back issue online, no problem.    Lots cheaper than sawing off the barrel of your shotgun!  


The good news, is you can do the same thing in a 12ga smoothbore by going to a single, large  .69 caliber round ball with appropriate loading components.    IF you cast the round balls yourself in bullet alloy so they're hard, the penetration is very impressive and velocity is high.  

GOOD LUCK!  

[WNY_Whitetailer]

Don't cut it...Send that receiver, stock and forearm back the H&R/NEF for the 20GA Tracker II barrel.  $58 plus shipping $10 and a fitting charge $15.  So for $83 you can have an extremely accurate slug thrower...

[H&R BANG]

My 20 gauge 22" modified choke barrel will shoot Remington and Winchester slugs into a 6" group at 50 yards. I have replaced the front sight with a fiber optic Truglo "Fat Bead" ($10.60 at Natchez), I did have to retap the screw hole (3-56 thread - taps available at Natchez). I have a synthetic stock on the gun, total weight 5 lbs 1 oz. Yes it does kick! You may want to add weight to the gun (lead shot in the stock).

[Mohawk]

MSP Ret is exactly right. My old Topper 58 with modified choke shoots slugs well, for what it is. The hog I killed didn't know the difference. The 50 yd. group of five shots all touched each other, except you need some pretty good hold-over which should not be relavent to the choke. Don't cut it. And FWIW, my buddy uses a Pardner 20ga, modified choke on hogs and works the same as far as accuracy.

[Markus]

Is she shooting the gun now? I was talking to a dealer the other day and he had a neat little youth model 20 ga that he said had been returned 3 times because the recoil was to harsh for the intended youth. Definitely have her pput enough rounds down range that both you and she are comfortable with her abilities. I wouldn't cut it either. I shot my 1st couple deer with a 20ga modified with a 28"barrel.

[brown-trout]

it should be fine, from what ive read so far.
to reduce recoil here is what i have done:

lengthened forcing cone, added a pound of lead shot to stock, added a pad to raise comb of stock and ported the barrel.  will probably hang  an SVL recoil pad on it.

it is being drilled & tapped for a red dot scope.

I realize that is a lot for a hundred dollar gun, but it will probably be used by both of my kids ( 5 and 10 years old), so its a long term investment (lmao!!)
thanks to all who  replied

[Leftoverdj]

I agree with everyone else. Shoot it first.

Don't cut it.  If you can lengthen the forcing cone, you can lap out the choke. All it takes is a drill, a choke gauge, and a brake cylinder hone. If you still want a more open choke after you have tried it as is, PM me and I'll explain a bit more.