Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
I have a kicks gobblin thunder that I can feel long streaks in like shot has gouged it. It still seems to pattern good. At what time should it be replaced?
How do you know when a choke tube is worn out?
- Thread starter Dultimatpredator
- Start date
bamacrowkiller
New member
I think GC is spot on. Just dont believe that would happen with the wads that are used now. Know it wouldnt with lead shot.
Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
Yes, I've cleaned it.I've shot Rem HD Bb and T through it. Wonder if it made the grooves? After a few shots of this stuff it always rattles the choke tube loose.definitely grooved from the rear to the front like shot streaks...feels like a grooved brake rotor in spots.
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calling4life
New member
Send it back
Choke tube should need replacing when your barrel does, which is to say, never, unless perhaps you're Tom Knapp.
And most companies will tell you, their turkey chokes are absolutely not for steel shot, and especially massive pellets like T shot. If you did want to fire steel through them you'd want to shoot something like 3, 4, or 5 shot.
I'm dealing with finding a choke tube company that makes a super tight choke I can shoot steel through right now, I ran a Terror chokes (now gone for all intents and purposes) .655 in my 12 gauge, x-full waterfowl chokes are usually .690'ish territory, sometimes you find them to .675. That is to say, I was running an extremely tight choke. I spoke with the President of Terror chokes at the time, he said, shoot 3 shot or smaller in that .655 and you should be fine running steel. Loved it. Now run a citori 20 gauge and think I've found someone who will play ball on providing a super tight choke for steel shot.
So, depending upon the materials they use, yes, you could have ruined your choke shooting improper shot through it. However, like I noted, I would send it back with a note, "I've been using this choke for x years, it has developed what appear to be channels running through it, it isn't performing as it originally did, please replace with a product that works."
Or something of that nature
It's probably your fault for neglecting the true use and manufactures intent of the tube, but as they say, "anything not overkill, is underkill," and they should have used better steel/treatment.
You may want to check the threads and end of your barrel as well, because if that choke expanded, your barrel went with it, and you may need a different tube now.
Choke tube should need replacing when your barrel does, which is to say, never, unless perhaps you're Tom Knapp.
And most companies will tell you, their turkey chokes are absolutely not for steel shot, and especially massive pellets like T shot. If you did want to fire steel through them you'd want to shoot something like 3, 4, or 5 shot.
I'm dealing with finding a choke tube company that makes a super tight choke I can shoot steel through right now, I ran a Terror chokes (now gone for all intents and purposes) .655 in my 12 gauge, x-full waterfowl chokes are usually .690'ish territory, sometimes you find them to .675. That is to say, I was running an extremely tight choke. I spoke with the President of Terror chokes at the time, he said, shoot 3 shot or smaller in that .655 and you should be fine running steel. Loved it. Now run a citori 20 gauge and think I've found someone who will play ball on providing a super tight choke for steel shot.
So, depending upon the materials they use, yes, you could have ruined your choke shooting improper shot through it. However, like I noted, I would send it back with a note, "I've been using this choke for x years, it has developed what appear to be channels running through it, it isn't performing as it originally did, please replace with a product that works."
Or something of that nature
It's probably your fault for neglecting the true use and manufactures intent of the tube, but as they say, "anything not overkill, is underkill," and they should have used better steel/treatment.
You may want to check the threads and end of your barrel as well, because if that choke expanded, your barrel went with it, and you may need a different tube now.
GC
Well-known member
What shotgun and choke constriction?
From an initial purchase of 250 shells of Remington HD-BB shells I have exactly 28 left. Counting the 10 round boxes of the stuff shot before I made the bulk buy I'm very confident I have near 300 rounds of HD shot through my Benelli/Kicks combination. I've also shot more than a few boxes of Dead Coyote through that same choke and a good bit of the Hevi13 turkey loads. It's smooth as a babies butt and cleans as easy and pretty as any other of my other chokes. If your choke is clean but badly scored I think somethings abnormal. Send it back to Kick's with a letter explaining the situation and see what they tell you.
Rattles the choke tube loose might be an indication of a problem. That's not normal. Maybe there's a bad stacking of misaligned tolerances and the choke skirt isn't seating firmly allowing the wad to grab and the shot to exit too early scoring the choke. Where is the scoring inside the choke tube?
From an initial purchase of 250 shells of Remington HD-BB shells I have exactly 28 left. Counting the 10 round boxes of the stuff shot before I made the bulk buy I'm very confident I have near 300 rounds of HD shot through my Benelli/Kicks combination. I've also shot more than a few boxes of Dead Coyote through that same choke and a good bit of the Hevi13 turkey loads. It's smooth as a babies butt and cleans as easy and pretty as any other of my other chokes. If your choke is clean but badly scored I think somethings abnormal. Send it back to Kick's with a letter explaining the situation and see what they tell you.
Rattles the choke tube loose might be an indication of a problem. That's not normal. Maybe there's a bad stacking of misaligned tolerances and the choke skirt isn't seating firmly allowing the wad to grab and the shot to exit too early scoring the choke. Where is the scoring inside the choke tube?
Based on my reading of the manual with my last shotgun, using steel shot through anything tighter than a modified choke may damage the choke. Has any of the ammo used been steel shot? Per my manual, a modified choke with steel shot shoots like a full choke with lead shot. Possibly you have used the wrong shot in a turkey choke and damaged the choke.
Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
The scoring is in the smooth part before the porting. Never used steel or dead coyote through it. Just the above and lead number four buck.
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LARUEminati
Active member
Although not visiually appealing, im wondering if those scratches would have any effect on your performance? If it were me i'd still reach out to kicks because that wear doesnt seem normal, and kicks makes some good stuff. It's either a failure in the bar stock they machined it from or defects in the coating. If it were tool marks you would have noticed it earlier. Maybe some dirt or debree got in there while you were shooting?
The light gouges are likely are no where near as extreme as the tripple step inside my patternmaster code black and thats one of the best patterning chokes ive tried with T shot and turkey loads. I know thats not really relevent but it does show that the wad can take alot of interuption without detremental effects to the pattern.
The light gouges are likely are no where near as extreme as the tripple step inside my patternmaster code black and thats one of the best patterning chokes ive tried with T shot and turkey loads. I know thats not really relevent but it does show that the wad can take alot of interuption without detremental effects to the pattern.
Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
I emailed Kicks since it has a lifetime warranty to see if I can send it back for an inspection. I just removed it to clean the inside with a brass brush and gun scrub. I looked through it after cleaning. It looks like "bb burn outs" going through it and also scratches like shot scratched it when fired through it.My kicks .680 is as smooth as glass on the inside compaired to this one.
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GC
Well-known member
Living on a farm gave lots of opportunities aside from hunting a lot. Feral cats, dogs, coons, possums, skunks, groundhogs, crows, foxes, bobcats and coyotes have all succumbed to the HD-BB. Two Benelli M1's got a pretty steady diet of the stuff. The Tactical Model was stoked with half dozen of the HD-BB's at all times on the farm. Inside fifty yards it is pure murder. My nickname for the Tac Model is "Ruthless." The Camo Turkey Benelli (called Ol' Havoc) is my primary predator & turkey hunting gun. Besides my own two Benelli's I also patterned my sons Benelli Vinci with the HD-BB's. It has been an interesting and informative experience in shotgun loads, choke constrictions, patterning and overall killing effectiveness. The HD-BB killed considerably more effectively and decisively than either lead BB or No. Four Buck. Having only 28 of those left troubles me...
Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
I have seven left...5 T's and 2 BB's. Its giving me an ulcer. Remington needs to start production again. Ive bugged them on this a lot lately.
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bamacrowkiller
New member
Please let us know what kicks says. Still dont understand how the shot in a wad could set up a wear pattern in the choke. I looked in all my chokes that have had no. 2 steel shot in them and cant find any linear grooves.Hope they resolve this for you.
I have a new in the package Goblin' Thunder right here. Says "... Kick's not responsible for damage resulting from the use of HeviShot, Hevi13 or steel shot with a Gobblin' Thunder tube."
I reckon Rem. HD falls in the above category.
I'm going to use HTL in it anyway. But if it ruins it, I figure that's on me.
- DAA
I reckon Rem. HD falls in the above category.
I'm going to use HTL in it anyway. But if it ruins it, I figure that's on me.
- DAA
GC
Well-known member
That warning is actually due to the owner of Kick's getting pizzed with Environ-Metal over a business deal. Environ-Metal has been pretty unreliable. They have a bad track record of developing a load and getting it on the market, guys will go through the trouble and expense to pattern their guns with the new load and seek out the perfect choke (expensive and time consuming endeavor) and then with no warning Environ-Metal will change something important in the load like the wad, ect. and now the damm load patterns differently. They also once had a bad batch of Hevi Shot in the Dead Coyote load that was too brittle which caused it to break up into a grey powder or dust upon impact with hard hide, muscle or bone. It's documented that guys had to really burn a coyote up to kill it and upon skinning found broken up pellets far too shallow to penetrate to the vitals. Environ turned a deaf ear and refused to reimburse or issue a recall for the faulty shells.
BTW, the Remington HD shot is more malleable than the Hevi Shot. It's more choke friendly.
BTW, the Remington HD shot is more malleable than the Hevi Shot. It's more choke friendly.
GC
Well-known member
The pellets with the bad metallurgy were easy to tell. Squeezing a pellet with a pair of pliers and moderate pressure would shatter the pellet like a little glass ball. That was years ago, I'm sure they've fixed that issue by now. The company knows how to develop a load, no doubt about it. I use the Hevi 13 3-2-6 turkey load and it patterns lights out from my guns and knocks gobblers stiff.
TripleDeuce660
Active member
a choke backing out is bad. You should always tighten a choke firmly with a choke wrench and not just finger tight. If this doe not solve it you may try 1 drop PURPLE lock tight or some people use a couple wraps of teflon tape. Some people use the blue locktight but I would start with purple, which is the lowest strength. You can basically only buy purple online, don't even bother trying to find it in a store.
Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
My email response from kicks....
The 17-4 stainless should not have any wear issues.if you are using the Remington HD shot,Remington dose not recommend using anything tighter than a modified choke. Kicks dose not recommend using steel or tungsten shot in GT choke tubes. Also federal heavy shot with flight contol wads. The GT .670 is way too tight for steel and tongsten shot. Send the choke back with a note saying you want it replaced if you would like.
The 17-4 stainless should not have any wear issues.if you are using the Remington HD shot,Remington dose not recommend using anything tighter than a modified choke. Kicks dose not recommend using steel or tungsten shot in GT choke tubes. Also federal heavy shot with flight contol wads. The GT .670 is way too tight for steel and tongsten shot. Send the choke back with a note saying you want it replaced if you would like.
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