I've never done much shotgunning over the years, instead focusing my attention on rifles and hand guns. Recently I bought a new Trius foot operated trap, a few cases of clays, and 300 rounds of trap loads. Yesterday was my first time out in many years and I had a blast, breaking about 18 out of 25 in the first round. I was using an old Winchester model 97 I inherited from my grandfather. I also own a Remignton 870 Express with a fully rifled barrel, my deer gun. I would like to buy a shot barrel for the 870, both for trap shooting and to expand its use as a turkey/pheasant gun. It also makes more sense to upgrade this gun since it can handle 3" magnums whereas the old 97 cannot.
I'm looking at a 30" Remington vent rib barrel with the Rem-choke. It comes with an improved cylinder tube and a wrench. I see there are special skeet tubes availible as well. What is the difference in shot pattern from a full choke vs. an improved cylinder vs. the skeet tube? I don't know which tubes to start out with.

Full is tight vs. (remaining two are pretty open)

With a foot operated trap, I'd be using an improved cylinder. The clays will be close and the IC is an open choke. With a full choke, you have a much smaller, denser pattern. Really dusts them when it hits but ya gotta be on them. In the beginning, it is easier with an open choke. Use the tighter chokes as you get better.

If you ever take up trap seriously (with a trap house, etc.), I'd recommend a real trap gun.

Actually the barrel I'm looking at has a modified choke. The catalog lists it as improved, but after looking it up on their website and confirming it with the Remington part number it has the modified tube. I've always shot full, I'm assuming the modified is looser?
Does barrel length make any noticeable difference in performance? I'm thinking of going with a 28" instead for easier carrying.

I shoot modified for most everything, from clays to birds.

Modified is a looser choke than full. It means a pattern that is wider at shorter distances. The pattern is also, therefore, less dense at any given distance. I find it appropriate for most of the shooting I do - pheasants, bunnies, grouse.

If the distances were longer where I shoot, I'd want a full choke.

I've never noticed barrel length doing anything except add balance. Some guys like a long barrel. Mine are 28". All depends on what you are used to.

Couple of thoughts.

Barrel length. You basically have to add the length of the action to the length of the barrel to compare apples to apples. So a 30" barrel on a 3 pump is a 33" o/u barrel. Not something I would prefer to carry much in the field, and not exactly a bunny or quail gun...... If you plan to use it in the field much, and if you are of average height, a 28 or 26" should get your consideration.

Second, chokes. The way I think about it, Skeet up to about 20 yards, IC up to about 30 yards, Mod up to about 40 yards, and full over 40 yards. Depends a little on the load, but that's a rule of thumb I use. FWIW, Dutch.

The old Winchester 97 has a 30" barrel and it can be cumbersome for a field gun. My dad has an old Browning A-5 with a 28" and thats a much nicer handling gun. As far as clays, I operate the trap myself so they are usually flying directly in front and away from me as I shoot. I would guess most of them were pushing 40 yards when I fired and I didn't have much trouble hitting them with the full choke.
I think I'll order the 28" with the modified tube and get the full tube seperately. I want the full tube more for turkey hunting and I might use it for clays too.
Thanks everyone

rowdyredneck:

This old guy (77 soon) carried a Win.97 as a teenager. I have no recollection of what the choke was but I'm fairly sure the barrel length was 30". I became a fanatical ruff grouse hunter. I killed more ruffs with that shotgun than any other I ever have used. (Yeah, despite all the customary advice about barrel lengths and choke to shoot ruffs. That 97 fitted me as if custom made - a fact that I should have realized) Why did I get rid of it? I was 16 and wanted a "modern" shotgun so I traded it away. How well do you do with that 97? Hold on to it is my advice. (Oh, yeah, Dutch has the good dope on chokes for a new shotgun)

I have two model 97's actually. The one I usually shoot is a plain model 97 manufactured sometime in the 1920's which belonged to my grandfather. The other is an older circa 1897 manufactured model 1897 with a metal butt plate which belonged to my great grandfather. They both look virtually identical but the newer model 97 has a few more refinements. Both have 30" barrels with full chokes and both are in good condition although the older one has more wear in the action. They are really great guns and I wouldn't part with them for anything, they are family heirlooms. I grew up shooting the old 97, its taken several deer and turkeys since I've used it and it worked quite well with clays. I just want to make my 870 more useful by adding a shot barrel.
I should get the barrel tomorrow. I ordered a full tube as well and I might buy a turkey choke soon since that season is just around the corner.

With my inept shooting it doesn't matter much on choke or barrel used as hand launching right hand while holding the gun left is not going to run up a high score. However:

You can self launch with a foot trip of your own launcher and nail a boid with a 20 ga. 870 with no sight on a barrel which is cut off at 18" with pipe cutter and still has an untrimmed lip inside. But do get the shot off fast. Range, even if straight out and high, is an enemy.

Longer full choke barrels can nail a straight out bird even firing underneath it and letting the shot stream and bird settle together. If I get half of the outgoing birds under my primitive shooting circumstances I am doing well though I create additional problems in switching between guns and loads.

I note that around 1967 and later 26" was usual for skeet and I was told that 28" and longer barrels can now be used for that and the related variable target forms. I would be open minded and do things the "hard" way with IC or mod on 28". You can always open a fixed choke. Supposedly they shoot better than inserts but at least the maintenence is simple.

Rowdyredneck:

I never realized until reading your post that there were 97s made in the 1920s. Your mention of a metal butt plate told me that I did have the "circa 1897" one. Glad to hear that you're holding on to both.

The model was introduced in 1897 and was given the model number 1897 due to the date of its introduction. The "18" was later dropped and it became the standard model 97 and was produced up until the late 1950's. Other than the trusty old Remington 870 I can't think of any other pump shotgun that saw such a long production run. About the only differences between mine are the metal butt plate on the 1897 versus the wood plate on the 97. I'm not sure how long the metal plate was used. The newer 97 also has a metal cap on the slide handle and two buttons on the bottom of the reciever that when pressed together will quickly unload the magazine tube. They are really neat old guns and I enjoy shooting them.