Shotgun forcing cone??

D

DanAdair

New member
I've heard and read a few places now, that lengthening a forcing cone on a shotgun barrel can really help patterning with Buckshot.

Any truth to this? I couldn't find much on this site or others on the subject... Anyone done their homework and wish to share with the group?

Any smiths that specialize in this sort of thing? I would like to get a mid-rib bead put on my 870 barrel as well.
 
The forcing cone is supposed to allow the pressure to gradually increase instead of a quick spike. This reduces the shot "set back" that turns the shot on the bottom of the shot column into squares that fly off to who knows where.

I had my 1100's forcing cone lengthened, and it shot buck shot loads very tight for a standard full choke barrel, I killed a lot of yotes with it.

My 11/87 has not had the forcing cone lengthened and it patterns unreal with a Hastings Turkey choke.

I can't say that it is worth the money or not. Brownell's sells the reamer and you can do it yourself instead of paying someone else.

I started molding my own #4 buck out of straight linotype, then straight wheel weights which shoot holes straight through yotes like they are swiss cheese which kinda did away with a lot of BS. Super hard buck shot does not deform on the bottom of the shot column, which is why the HEavy Shot is so successful that you hear about.
 
I should be getting started on loading my own very soon, and I've got my eyes on BPIs Nickle plated linotype #4 buck (and I'll try some F buck as well) What are you using for wads and powder thats working for you?

I just found Mike Orlens PDF file on the net, sounds like for 35 bucks, its worth a try. From what I gather, it won't hurt patterns any (even with harder shot)

My goal is the tightest patterns possible on the planet, at the farthest possible yardages.

Have you ever ran the same load out of both guns over a chronograph? I'm kind of curious if forcing cone mods make velocities fall off??
 
lenghtened forcing cones do work ---I also found Trulock choke tubes to be the best----money back if not satisfied
 
I have talked to mike several times when having him do work for me, he has always said forcing cone lengthening is great for big shot sizes like buckshot. I personally would get the super forcing cone and try it out.
 
Dan, I use the BP-12 wad(slit two times with slits 3/4 the way down the wad) with a BP gas seal, 36.5g of Blue dot, in a 3" rem hull, 1 5/8 oz of #4 buck at 1300 fps.

Those super hard buckshot sounds like 22 rim fires bouncing off the ground.

You can go to 2 oz in the 3" hull, but the velocity is between 1050 fps and 1100 fps, and you can sure tell it on how it hits. About 1175 fps-1200 fps is all you can get with the 1 7/8 oz load and have dense patterns.

In a 3" mag, the 1 1/2 oz to 1 3/4 oz is where you get the best ballance of speed with dense patterns in my experience.

The turkey loads that I have chrono'd have been very slow, but then again, how much speed do you need to penetrate a bird's skull at 25 yards???
 
Thanks all... Sounds like Mike will get some of my hard earned money on payday. Pretty much all my 12 gauge does is shoot buckshot.

Any other 'smiths that guys use around here for shotgun related work?

Ackleyman, thanks for the info on your load. You ever try out the Turkey Ranger wad from BPI? I spent too much time looking through their catalog, if you can't tell...
 
Every shotgun I own has had the forcing cone lengthened. On some shotguns the forcing cone is only 5/8" to 3/4" long. So it is a sharp lip that the shot and wad hit leaving the chamber while entering the barrel. When you have the forcing cone lengthened the wad and shot go through a gradual taper to enter the barrel. Most of the good trap, skeet and sporting clays shooters are shooting shotguns with longer forcing cones.
 
Mike is the man, you could spend more money elsewhere but you will not get better work! I have probably sent him about 12 barrels for diffrent work none have come back less than satisfactory. He will also make you any constriction choke you want for about $22. Send him your barrel with confidence.
 
Back
Top