Remington Ventilator

[Gman]

For those of you that use the factory Rem Ventilator tube who shoot copper plated lead in the 12 bore, what 3" shells patterned the best for you?  I'm pretty sure that it is .655 diameter & might be too tight for 4's or 5's.  My 870 Super Mag didn't do well with the Rem Duplex 4x6 shells, but shot the Active 3" nickle plated lead pretty decent. I have a good bit of Federal 5's & Winchester 4's & 5's that I'm going to try next with the Ventilator but like I said, it might be too tight for the larger diameter shot.   I'm shooting @ 40 yards max by the way.

[Happy]

Just shooting off the cuff here, but you're probably a bit tight for the #4 and #5 shot. In my experience, a .665 choke is usually pretty good with #6 shot and a more open choke around .670-.675 is good for the #4's and #5's. That's just what I have witnessed over the years as a general rule.

[Gman]

Thanks for the input Happy. I have to agree with you, & I might break down & buy a .670 from someone.

[Ohiowoodchuck]

If I remember right when I shot this choke it liked the 3" Winchester supremes in 6's. Also federal used to make a 3" load of 7.5's for Turkey hunting, it shot them really well. Never did hunt with 7.5's though. It was always a debate if you were actually killing the Turkey or just knocking him out with them.

[WildTigerTrout]

My Rem 870 SM with the Rem Ventilator tube patterns the best with the vintage Federal Premium 3" 2 Oz. 7.5 shot.  Also did well with the Win. Supreme HV 3" 1.75 oz. of #6 shot.  I never shot anything bigger than 6 shot through this choke as it is pretty tight at . 655 inch.  Those 7.5 Federals were and are really NASTY!

[Ohiowoodchuck]

Try them Federal 7.5's with a .640 Hastings and if my memory serves right it would put a softball sized hole in the paper at 30 yards.

[Gman]

Try them Federal 7.5's with a .640 Hastings and if my memory serves right it would put a softball sized hole in the paper at 30 yards.

Very ironic that you mentioned the Hastings .640.   I have that exact tube & even tho' I never shot Federal 7.5's thru it, I can tell you that it does NOT pattern Rem Duplex 4x6 shot worth a crap.

[Ohiowoodchuck]

I don't remember them duplex loads or anything Remington offered back then shooting good. They was the army green hull with the black brass on them right?  I think I still have some that I inherited from my dad after his passing.

[Ranman]

Mine  shot well with the black box Winchester 3" #5

[Gman]

Mine  shot well with the black box Winchester 3" #5

Are you referring to the "Ventilator" tube?

[tnanh]

I have a Ventilator choke that is my favorite 12 gauge Remington choke. So much so that I bought 2 more and gave them to my sons. They have improved patterns with any lead 5 or 6 3 inch load I have shot them through. Winchester Supreme 5 and 6 performed better with that choke than they did with any other choke I shot. Best I remember consistent 130- 140 pattern with a 21 inch 870.

[chipper]

If I remember right when I shot this choke it liked the 3" Winchester supremes in 6's. Also federal used to make a 3" load of 7.5's for Turkey hunting, it shot them really well. Never did hunt with 7.5's though. It was always a debate if you were actually killing the Turkey or just knocking him out with them.

Mine was the same till I went to Hevi-shot, it shot the old whites superbly and wasn't to bad with the old Winchester extended range both in 6 shot.

[1iagobblergetter]

I would try #6's & smaller...

[Ohiowoodchuck]

The old white hevi shot shells were probably the best shooting shells ever. Something happened when Remington got involved or bought them out. I got some of the Remington hevi shot shells and they were somewhat disappointing and then they came back in the gold shell. A little better but not as great as the old whites.

[chipper]

The old whites were loaded by Poly Wad and Jay Menefee in hevi shot in the first year they were loaded and loved to be choked for some reason, I've still got two full boxes of them and they were a true 13 gr/cc shot, afterwards Remington loaded them till Hevi moved to in house production and then everybody had to chase lot numbers every year because they changed components from year to year and dropped density to 12 gr/cc, after a couple years of chasing lot numbers I dusted off the reloading equipment and started loading TSS. The old whites were bad medicine on turkeys though.