Anybody have any idea what the best choke is for shooting rifled slugs (410 gauge). Have an older 22LR/410 that I am going to modify and use as a "bug out" weapon. Any thoughts out there?

Savage O/U? Handy. Having owned one of the 22/410 versions... I feel like the 22rf/20 gauge is quite a bit more versitile - I think they still make the Camper model, which is handy for packing. The only one I have at present is the 223/20 - OK for coyote calling and maybe turkey and it has a 1-12 twist 223, so no heavy weight bullets :-( Shoots slugs like a dream, but over all it's a bit hefty.<br><br>Back to your question - as far as I know, 410s are normally choked full and dedicated slug barrels are normaly cylinder (no choke). Since there is so little shot in even a 3" 410 shell, I would imagine that opening up the choke would thin the pattern out too much - I would leave it alone, especially since 410 slugs are very wimpy - I believe you would lose more versitility with shot than you could ever hope to gain with the slugs. If it will keep slugs on a paper plate at 50 yards, that should be good enough.<br><br>Again, if you have not already purchased the weapon, I strongly suggest the 22/20 gauge instead - it's a heck of a lot more capable, especially with 3" magnums, and you can drop all the way down to really light upland game loads that hardly kick. I think those are normally choked modified on the Savages, although I could be mistaken - and I think the Camper is probably IC, which would be my choice anyway.<br><br>Hope that helps.<br><br>Tom<br><br>

The best choke for shooting .410 slugs is a RC (Rifled Choke). This is a long tube (compared to the regular ones) that is rifled. The RC isn't as good as a fully rifled barrel, but in my experience will generally keep 3 shots on a paper plate at 80 yds. RC tubes for .410s can be hard to find and you didn't specify what kind of gun you're shooting, so you may find that option difficult. Two caveats: You need rifle sights to get the most out of the RC tube, and you shouldn't shoot regular shot cartridges through the rifled tube (especially with steel shot).<br><br>Another option might be to find some Brenneke slugs for the gun. These work fine through an IC tube, though you won't get as much distance or accuracy as with the RC. Brenneke slugs have the rifling on the slug. The biggest problem with this is, at least around here, they are rarer than hen's teeth. I haven't seen any in years.<br><br>Still another option is to find a barrel insert for the .410 barrel. This will allow you to shoot regular cartridges through your shotgun.<br><br>As Tom said, a 20 ga. or even a 12ga, for that matter, gives you more options, includind all off the ones I mentioned above.<br><br>Good luck.<br>Ade

I just read my last post, and I need to clarify something.<br><br> BRENNEKE SLUGS SHOULD NOT BE FIRED THROUGH AN RC TUBE!!!!!!<br><br>It occured to me that one of my sentences in the last post could be construed as having said that it was ok, or maybe even preferable, to fire Brenneke slugs through a RC tube. It is not.<br><br>Ade

Well, as Ayers pointed out, most 410s are full choked. I've fired 12 and 20ga slugs from choked barrels up to improved modified, so I'd cautiously hazard a guess that it might be safe to do so from a modern 410 of good construction, in good repair, that has been looked over by a gunsmith. (Yes, I'm covering my tailfeathers here.) It's just an issue of finding rifled slugs in .410, and I don't think I've seen them in any catalogs for years. There are ways of improving slugs, but I won't go into them here for legal reasons, and they do a LOT of meat damage (think a big Glaser).<br><br>For what purpose are you thinking of using the 410? The slugs, in my experince, are horrible. I tried using them once, and that is the only deer that I've shot that didn't drop within 20 feet of where it had been when I hit it, and it was a text book placement. <br><br>A lot of 410s can be configured to fire the .45 Colt round, which has a much better rep on medium game, but you get into legal issues that may interfere with the effectiveness of the already paltry shot charge. T/C get around it by using a screw-in extra-full choke, but I've seen pictures of the results of accidentally forgetting to remove that before firing a solid slug, and it wasn't pretty. <br><br>I'm not sure if they are available, but the possiblity of adapters for, say, .223 having beenmade does exist dimensionally. Only problem is that .410 has such low chamber pressures that it may not be safe to make them. .223 is pretty low pressure, as is .30-30 (which is better on deer, I'm just not sure if it is dimesionally compatable).<br><br>Honestly, IMHO, the 410 is an expert's small game weapon, becuase of how little payload involved, or a point-blank absolute last ditch personal defense item from a boot gun. It's best use may be as a trade in for an inexpensive break action rifle, like the H&R Handi-gun. (It isn't a Contender or and Encore, but you can find them for not much more than the cost of a carbine-length Contender barrel.) I'm rather fond of the .357 mag for that purpose, up to small-medium game, and .44 mag for medium-large game. <br><br>If anyone knows of someone who makes a .454 Cusell barrel for the H&R Handi-gun, I would drop the cash for that in a heartbeat, becuase that is perfectly suitable for medium deer and will discourage a bear, while lower pressure .45 Colt loads are suitable down to rabbit. Just need to keep which loading is which straight. <br><br>Another idea would be a repeating .22, like any of the 10/22 clones (AMT made a good one, that was cheaper than dirt and looked to be pretty well made, never fired it), or those of the little Browning, which breaks down into a package not much bigger around than your forearm, and about as long.