Federal Flight Control thru a modified choke tube?

[314159]

Would using a FFC load through a shotgun barrel with a modified choke tube significantly degrade pattern quality?

As I recall, the FFC loads are designed for cylinder or improved cylinder choked shotguns.

Long ago, before FFC was invented, I patterned a lot of buckshot loads. The tightest/most uniform patterns were with a modified tube, at least in my 11-87 barrel.

If one wanted to primarily use FFC but optimize for off brand loads, will the extra choke interfere with the FFC wad's action?

Of course accuracy with slug loads would have to be considered too...

[Spartan1980]

My experience with shotguns is that every barrel will want something different, to paraphrase it.

You are correct that in theory a cylinder barrel will be best with FFC. But, that's definitely not carved in granite. I had a 590A1 with it's cylinder bore shoot FFC lights out awesome. I also had a Benelli that acted completely "normal" with FFC, (the tighter the choke, the tighter the pattern up to modified when it stated opening back up). I could tell no difference at all with how it behaved compared to normal shot loads in that gun and it never shot as tight as the 590. My Browning Auto 5 is cylinder (because I cut about 8" off it's barrel) and it doesn't shoot FFC as well as the 590 did either.

You just gotta blast some targets and see what you have.

[314159]

Yeah, in my heart I know you're right.

Just trying to save myself time and money if this is routinely acknowledged as a bad idea.

[Norville]

Yeah, in my heart I know you're right.

Just trying to save myself time and money if this is routinely acknowledged as a bad idea.

It’s probably a bad idea, but until you send a few rounds through your barrel you won’t be sure.

[TCinVA]

Would using a FFC load through a shotgun barrel with a modified choke tube significantly degrade pattern quality?

It depends.

There's such a wide variation in the specifications of chokes and how barrels are manufactured it's nothing more than a wild guess as to what your gun will experience.

In general, though, the FFC buckshot was sold to police departments for reliable patterning in cylinder bores.

More restrictive bores might help or hurt depending. At some point the more restrictive bore specs will compress the wad and make it work less effectively. At the most restrictive ends it may strip the wad off the shot column altogether before it leaves the gun, defeating the whole point.

The only way to know in your situation is to do some testing.

[Hambo]

The only way to know in your situation is to do some testing.

Which you need to do either way, so do it. IMO and IME you don't need to send a lot of FC downrange to know if it's great or not in your particular gun.