Cutting Shotgun Barrels

[Steve]

If you have a cylinder bored shotgun you can add some choke, provided that the barrel has enough "meat" near the muzzle. It's called jug choking, and involves boring near the end of the barrel out a small amount but leaving the very end at the original diameter.

Chokes at the light end, IC / 1/4 up to Modified / 1/2 have the most effect, like many things it's a case of diminishing returns. I like to shoot game with 1/4 or 1/2 choke, they give nice patterns. Tight chokes can't fire full sized slugs, but rifled slugs will happily go through 1/4 choke, worth remembering if your country allows slug hunting. The UK doesn't, we can only get slugs on FAC for target shooting, and it's not easy.

Many years ago I remember Brenneke solid slugs, the ones with the felt wad screwed to the back, hitting playing cards at 50yds - pretty impressive for a smooth bore gun and would be great medicine for wild hogs or escaped domestic pigs.