Another 870 with Sumtoy choke thread

[Shellwaster]

I picked up a compact 870 20 gauge the other week and immediately ordered a Sumtoy 562-5 intended for the Federal Heavy Weight #7. In the meantime I performed a deep cleaning on the barrel just as Clark recommends. The choke arrived in short order and I took advantage of the beautiful February we are having in Georgia.
I can't say I'm overly impressed with the numbers or the pattern but I suppose it'll get the job done.
First is the 3" Heavy Weight - 110 in a 10" circle at 40 yards on a clean barrel.
The second is 2-3/4" TSS #9 - 190 in a 10" circle at 40 yards. Unfortunately my source for TSS loads has, well dried up so to speak.
The third is 3" Heavy Weight - 225 in a 10" circle at 25 yards.

Any thoughts on what's caused low numbers with HW 7's or the gaps in the pattern?

[wvnut3]

Pattern and numbers will be affected if any oil was left in the choke or barrel after cleaning. You can even go as far as swabbing out with denatured alcohol , although i never do. I just deep clean and run bore snake through my weatherby. My remington 11-87 i not only deep cleaned i also polished the barrel and it provided better patterns and numbers.Lee

[SumToy]

Pattern and numbers will be affected if any oil was left in the choke or barrel after cleaning. You can even go as far as swabbing out with denatured alcohol , although i never do. I just deep clean and run bore snake through my weatherby. My remington 11-87 i not only deep cleaned i also polished the barrel and it provided better patterns and numbers.Lee

yup get ALL the oil out.  I have always said try it before you mess with the barrel.  If it dont work then play with the barrel. 

[Tom Foolery]

Oil in my barrel with make gaps in the pattern.  After a cleaning or polishing I run an alcohol patch or two and then fire a couple low brass rounds, brush, dry patch and pattern.  Both my guns are much more even and consistent.  It's a little more work but the results are much better.

[Shellwaster]

The barrel was free from oil as I ran a bore snake through it after I deep cleaned it. What I didn't do was remove any oil or lube from the choke. It arrived Thursday and like a kid at Christmas I unwrapped the bubble wrap and screwed it into the barrel.
Could an oiled choke cause gaps in a pattern such as these and lower numbers as others are getting with the same setup?
Either way the choke has since been cleaned.

[nyhunter]

had the same issue with my 870 and Fed. HW shells, I to deep cleaned and run a bore snake down the barrel. Once i re cleaned and used denatured alcohol the numbers and pattern consistency came way up. I do not use a bore snake anymore.

[SumToy]

Bore snake will not get oil out.   You need denatured alcohol to get the junk out the barrel. 

[Shellwaster]

Thanks for the directions on swabbing the barrel with alcohol. While the grill was heating up I proceeded with cleaning the barrel and choke then swabbing with alcohol.

[AUTiger]

So after deep cleaning just run a patch with denatured alcohol down the barrel?  Is there anything you need to do again before you shoot it like run a patch down the barrel or after you do the alcohol patch is it good to go?

[BowBendr]

I dry brush the bore 4 or 5 passes with a bronze brush of appropriate gauge.
Then I swab the barrel the same amount with a bore mop dampened really well (not soppy wet) with denatured alcohol.
The DA evaporates really quick and the bore stays consistent.  Those fcw's are nasty.

[tnturkeykiller]

And it could be it just likes a dirty barrel I have a 835 that will not shoot with a clean barrel