Author Topic: DIY Jug Choking  (Read 2806 times)

Offline Nhgrants

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DIY Jug Choking
« on: January 16, 2021, 05:56:51 PM »
I have read many of old posts here and learned quite a bit about this topic.
I bring it up again as Im interested to hear if any on has recently jug choked a barrel themselves.

In some of the old posts the photos are no longer available.  I would like to seewhat some of the custom made reamers look like.  Also i have read that this might be done with a brake cylinder hone.  Has anyone done this?

Thanks

Offline Daryl

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2021, 09:24:27 PM »
Yes - it worked great, but wasn't done recently. :D
I used the one with small, short 1/2" stones, not the hone with balls.
I used the same tool for changing/altering chokes on a pair of shotguns.
I should note here, that after the stones wore out, I replaced them with strips of emery
contact glued on the "pads" of the arms of the tool.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2021, 01:26:39 AM by Daryl »
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Robby

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2021, 05:21:21 PM »
I have done a few with this tool.
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/shotgun-tools/barrel-hones-accessories/shotgun-barrel-hone-prod7930.aspx
It takes more time than the old time reaming tool but it isn't caliber specific.
Robby
molon labe
We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. A. Lincoln

Offline Daryl

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2021, 09:49:45 PM »
That's the one I used as well. 
When I choked a rifle barrel, that was done with lead laps.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline mtmannh

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2021, 05:48:40 AM »
Having done several , proper tools are just part of the process. Brake hones would work, though it will be a laborious process. Honing fluids are critical for finish. Then you need measuring instrument.
But, before you just go honing away, there are critical dimensions for both depth and length and set- back from muzzle. If you are fortunate to find some old sources from the day when all shotguns were jug choked, you will find those dimensions.

Offline L. Akers

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2021, 04:49:46 PM »
Nhgrants,  before you go reaming willy-nilly, why do you think you need to jug your barrel?  Many patterning problems can be corrected by using the proper powder/wad/shot combination determined by experimentation. Ie, I found in my shotgun a filler wad of 1/2 thickness evened my patterns substantially.  V. M. Starr used two over-powder wads and no filler wad.  Buy or make some (a bunch) of patterning targets and determine how your gun is patterning.  Experiment with different powder/wad/shot combinations. If you do start reaming (honing), ream a very small amount and go shoot several patterning targets to see what is happening.  You can go too far with jugging.  The choking of a barrel should involve a whole lot of shooting and a little bit of reaming.  Go slow and good luck.

Offline Nhgrants

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2021, 12:55:11 PM »
Thanks for the comments.  I have tried several loaf combinations but did not find one that gave me confidence for turkeys beyond 20 yards. I would like to achieve an acceptable pattern of #5 shot at 30 yards with my  44" Colrain 16 gauge without modifying the bore.

Offline Metalshaper

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2021, 04:42:42 PM »
24" x 8' Howa lathe in my buddies high school shop ( donated from an industry nearby ) inserted boring bar held in the tool post.
Zero'd on the ID and using the cross slide feed, fed outward till he said "OK"... The travel with the carriage was approximately the height of
his shot column/wads in the 16 gauge-ish barrel.  Pre and post patterning showed he gained about a 22-25% increase in shot concentration.

Not sure if we did it right, but Marlow was happy with it.. and took a Turkey the next season with it, if I'm not mistaken?

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

Offline Longknife

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2021, 05:13:27 PM »
There was an article in the late 80's. early 90's on how to make a jug choking tool. I made one following that guide but there were some obvious problems with the design so I modified it a little and it worked great. I believe in my experience with jug choking the "jug" and the "choke" should each be the length of your shot and wad column. This tool works like a long reamer and will not do armory steel or gun barrel steel. I'll see if I can get some pics up and a description.,,,, Ed


Ed Hamberg

Offline Nhgrants

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2021, 02:04:58 PM »
Are there any tips or tricks that you can share regarding using a hone to create the
jug choke? Thanks

















« Last Edit: January 22, 2021, 03:30:15 PM by Dennis Glazener »

Offline 577SXS

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2021, 03:26:20 PM »
Doing a jug choke with a hone only would take a long time.  You could be removing .040 or so for a full choke. Best way is to set up in a lathe bore it out then polish it with hone.

Offline 577SXS

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2021, 03:33:09 PM »
NHGrants, Have you tried smaller shot in the smooth bore you have now? I use #7s and they will kill a turkey at 30 yards no problem. To me smaller shot is better because you put more pellets in the head. My loads I use a 1/8" hard card then a lubed 1/2" fiber wad then shot and an thin over shot wad. I've gotten excellent patterns with cylinder bore guns.

I do have a jug choked gun that is a turkey killing machine.

Offline Longknife

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2021, 05:05:03 PM »
The jug choke I do measure ,,,Imp 8-10,,,,Mod 16-18,,,full 24-25. I have never tried more than 25 as it produces excellent patterns. It would take quite a while to hone that much out. The trick jug choking is that the jug needs to have slow taper going into the jug and a faster taper into the choke. Not saying it couldn't be done, you would just have to be very cautious,  get plenty of extra stones, honing oil and pull the hone and check jug often, Do you have an instrument to check to jug as you hone? ...Ed 
Ed Hamberg

Offline Robby

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2021, 05:25:24 PM »
I use inside dividers.


Robby
molon labe
We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. A. Lincoln

Offline Daryl

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Re: DIY Jug Choking
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2021, 09:07:27 PM »
The stones wore out on the hone quite quickly.  I used Browning honing oil, meant for sharpening knives, I assume. I think about any thin oil
would do.  I did go through a lot of pads with 320 emery strips glued on, though. It took a while, with lots of checking. When I figured I had
about .005", I stopped and patterned it using a hard card on the powder, then a .410 shot-cup filled with 7 1/2 shot, then thin "B" wad. It patterned
more evenly than my daughter's modern .410. My barrel was a .44 cal. smoothbore made from a piece of "seamless" octagonal tubing. Broke 10 straight
with it. It worked.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V