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After-Market Choke Tube Question -- Less Recoil?

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TheLBLman

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". . . . ports that greatly reduce recoil . . . ."

REALLY?

How does porting reduce recoil?

Last year I purchased my first true modern "turkey" gun.
(Most of my turkeys have been killed in the past with shotguns most turkey hunters would laugh at --- but the turkeys didn't.)

Anyway, I did extensive pattern testing last year with a ported "Jellyhead" tube, as well as the factory extra-full tube which came with the gun. I never noticed any difference in the recoil, and no significant difference in the pattern densities.

In fact, I wound up just using the factory choke because it didn't stick out as far and didn't have a "shiny" finish like the "Jellyhead". I should have just said "no" and returned that "Jellyhead" tube, as no way was I hunting with such a "shiny" object stuck on the end of my barrel.
 
Less recoil? Not that I have ever been able to tell, but from what tubes I have tested, if anything at all, they lessen the muzzle jump just a bit (not enough to make a difference for me)

I think more then anything the porting helps strip the shot cup from the shot load, hence keeping the shot cup from interfering with the pattern a bit.
 
dont know about a specific tube, but porting helps reduce recoil because it allows some of the gas to escape without it producing as much force backwards

some guns are ported at the top so that the gun will not come up as much as it would if there were none

as far as shotguns are concerned, it probably doent make a whole lot of difference
 
Let's just say I have a 24-inch barrel, total length with the "factory" (non-ported) choke.

With this factory choke inserted, I have nothing but 2 inches of air (that's more gas "openings" than just gas "ports") in the next two inches beyond my barrel.

But if I insert this after-market "ported" tube, I now have 2 additional inches of steel tube, with some tiny gas "ports" in it. If gas "ports" reduce recoil, shouldn't "total air" be even better? :grin:
 
Wes Parrish said:
Let's just say I have a 24-inch barrel, total length with the "factory" (non-ported) choke.

With this factory choke inserted, I have nothing but 2 inches of air (that's more gas "openings" than just gas "ports") in the next two inches beyond my barrel.

But if I insert this after-market "ported" tube, I now have 2 additional inches of steel tube, with some tiny gas "ports" in it. If gas "ports" reduce recoil, shouldn't "total air" be even better? :grin:
Click to expand...

Your getting the picture. :grin:
 
Wes Parrish said:
Let's just say I have a 24-inch barrel, total length with the "factory" (non-ported) choke.

With this factory choke inserted, I have nothing but 2 inches of air (that's more gas "openings" than just gas "ports") in the next two inches beyond my barrel.

But if I insert this after-market "ported" tube, I now have 2 additional inches of steel tube, with some tiny gas "ports" in it. If gas "ports" reduce recoil, shouldn't "total air" be even better? :grin:
Click to expand...

because just as one above poster stated, that extra two inches of air is in the same direction as the load traveling down the barrel. the ported tube disperses the exhaust away from the direction of the load. i dont know about your ported tube but mine has big ports.

as far as being able to tell the difference, probably not. from a 3in mag 12 ga, your looking right at 50-60 ft/lbs of recoil. almost twice as much as a 338 mag and 3 times as much as a 30-06.

so if a tube offers 40 percent reduction in recoil you are still looking at 35 ft/lbs of recoil energy, still 3 ft/lbs more than a 338 shooting 250 gr bullets. it still kicks like the dickens.

in my mossy 500, you bet i can tell the difference with a ported tube. if you dont believe me, give me a call and ill let you shoot it.
 
i have a ported tube in my 535 and i cant tell the diffrence. maybe im just a whimp, but those 3 1/2's kick like a mule out of that gun.
 
showmehorns said:
I think more then anything the porting helps strip the shot cup from the shot load, hence keeping the shot cup from interfering with the pattern a bit.
Click to expand...
With some loads, like the Federal Flight Control, that may not be a good thing.

Last year I did quite a bit of pattern testing with
Federal's (with the Flight Control wads)
Winchester Supremes
Winchester Elite Extended Range

I experimented both with the factory extra-full (non-ported) choke as well as a Jellyhead ported choke.

I fired a minimum of 5 rounds with each load and each choke, experimenting with both #5 and #6 size shot. Some of my pattern testing results were a bit distorted, since I was simultaneously sighting in the scope and pattern testing. Also found my patterns would "move" a little when changing chokes and with different loads.

The most dense and most uniform patterns were achieved with the Federal loads in the factory choke. The Winchester Extended Range shells were almost identical in density, but not as uniform in the patterns. Winchester Supremes were not as dense, but more uniform patterns than the "extended" range version.

While I found little overall difference in the Jellyhead vs. the factory extra-full, the Winchester Supremes seemed to like the Jellyhead choke best, while the others loads gave me both denser and more uniform results with the factory extra-full.

Long story short, I then fired a total of 3 shells during turkey season and walked out with 3 longbeards (using the factory choke that came with the gun). Two were taken with the Federal load and one with the Winchester "extended". All were taken at under 30 yards (as have been the majority of my shooting opportunities at turkeys) ---- part of why I believe many turkey hunters would bring home more turkeys if they were NOT using such tightly choked turkey guns.

These "super" loads and super-tight chokes are a mixed blessing.
Like, is it worse to pass on a 45 - 50-yard shot, or to just flat miss a turkey's head at 15 yards? Unless you have an optical sight on your turkey gun, I think a baseball-size pattern at 15 yards may be more a liability than an asset, maybe still a liability with an optical sight.

I certainly believe I would have killed the same 3 longbeards last year with 3 shots, had I been using most any "squirrel" shell and most any shotgun with a factory "modified" or "full" choke. That said, a longer-range gun CAN be an asset, but it's certainly not a requirement for good turkey hunting results, and CAN even be a liability at closer ranges.
 
Wes Parrish said:
These "super" loads and super-tight chokes are a mixed blessing.
Click to expand...
Here is a patterning study I found pretty interesting:
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/turkey_loads.htm

Note the Federal Flite-Control Shells obtained the tightest patterns in this study, although they did not put the most pellets on the paper (fewer pellets per ounce due to their extra-high density?) They only tested the Federals in #5 shot size, but I wonder if they would have been top dog in #6 shot size?

Since these Federal "Heavyweights" are 30% heavier than lead (note "hevi-shot" is 10% heavier than lead), wouldn't a #6 Federal have more energy per pellet than a #5 "hevi-shot"???
 
Gravey said:
I don't think they make a choke with enough ports to help the 835 at all. She will kick your teeth out at the range but when a big Tom steps up it's like shooting a b.b. gun. Funny how that works, huh? :)
Click to expand...

I have to agree with you there. I have an 835 and it puts a whippun on me everytime I shoot that thing. I put a ported IC choke on it and still, kicks like a mean mule, but somehow when that Tom comes in.. poof! no problem.
 
I think it depends on the gun and the choke. I use a pure gold choke with a benelli super black eagle II, so with it's recoil system, I dont feel it much anyway, but with my old mossberg, an aftermarket choke definately reduced recoil. Supposedly, the gases come out of the ports faster, and that reduces recoil, but I have no idea how.
 

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