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Federal heavyweights and kicks

Started by VAarrowslinger, April 13, 2014, 08:04:44 AM

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VAarrowslinger

I read on the 10 ga forum that a kicks choke and the federal hws are the stuff! Anyone use a kick in 12ga with the fed hws? What would be the difference ? Especially in a 835 or 935 since it has a bore size similar to a 10 gauge?

Skeeterbait

Are they using the ported Kicks or the unported vortex version made for flight control wads?  The difference is they are shooting a 10 ga wad in a 10 ga bore and the 835 is shooting a 12 ga wad in a 10 ga bore.  Could be very different.  I haven't tried the Kicks but I did try the unported Pure Gold tempest choke that was supposed to be for flight control wads in my 835 and 935 and the results were awful.  Less than 100 shot in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards with the #7.   All you can do is try it and see what happens.

drenalinld

It may pattern great but is risky. HW is 58-60 on Rockwell scale. Kicks chokes are not even close to being that hard. It can split the choke and even the barrel.

Longshanks

I shoot Fed HW 7's through a Hastings nonported .665. Great hunting pattern. It will put em down. Using kicks and Flight control wads is using two opposite designs together. Flight control wads are designed to stay with the shot longer and kicks chokes are designed to strip the wads. That could go very wrong especially with some of the hardest/heaviest shot on the market.

Rockhound

As far as I know I'm the first to try the 10 gauge/kicks and #7 combo and it is a winner.I've shot TSS out of my kicks as well. I can't answer your question about 12 gauge.

I can tell you that kicks are made from the same 17-4 heat treated stainless that all the other choke companies use so to say they are a weaker choke is pure ignorance. And if you email the company owner he will indeed tell you those shells are safe with his chokes.

Rockhound

Quote from: drenalinld on April 13, 2014, 10:16:50 AM
It may pattern great but is risky. HW is 58-60 on Rockwell scale. Kicks chokes are not even close to being that hard. It can split the choke and even the barrel.

There is no choke being or ever has been made that is close the that hard. If you wanna choke that hard its gonna have tobe made out of tungsten as well

drenalinld

I worded that poorly. Certainly didn't mean to imply other chokes are as hard as tungsten. Probably more about thickness and ports making it weaker than hardness. There are tons of different grades of 17-4. Maybe they all use the same. I was in Sylvania, GA last week and stopped by the Kicks and Comp-n-Choke shop. The owner/designer of gobbling thunder's son was adamant that you should not shoot HW or Hevi through their chokes. It is pretty clear on their website. I have heard others say that about e-mail. I don't know why they would contradict themselves. I know plenty do shoot tungsten shot through them and do not doubt they pattern great. I can look at a Kicks vs a Pure Gold or a Rhino and see it is thinner.

bawana

I shoot HW #7 in my 870 SM, I have a ported Kicks .660 that just didn't pattern very well or very consistent. I'm now using the Truelock .650 non ported and getting very acceptable (180+) patterns.

Skeeterbait

The issue with flight control wads and ported chokes is not so much about the hardness of the shot as it is about the fins on the wad.  Those fins are turned backwards and face forward as the wad travels down the barrel.  Only after exiting the barrel do they flip around to face to the rear.  In a ported choke, the ends of those fins pointed forward lodge in the ports striking them with quite a lot of force and causing a lot of stress.  This combined with the inability of the shot to compress creates a lot of pressure.  At a minimum it tears the ends of the fins up causing them not to function as designed.  You may well get a good pattern anyway as your stripping the wad like a conventional wad would be stripped in a ported choke, but the wad isn't performing as intended.  At worst case, there is fear it may cause some ported chokes to crack.


As far a KICKS historically saying not to shoot Hevi in their chokes, it could be that the size and distribution of the ports leaves less metal between the ports.  They are made of the same quality steel as most all chokes.  Then again it could be insurance liability reasons or who knows what that has caused them to take that stance in the past.  For a while they were saying Win XRHD was OK but Hevi was not.  I read somewhere that that may have been because Win used a thicker, better quality wad.  Fact is I know of many people who shoot HTL in conventional wads in KICKS chokes and never heard of an incident.

VAarrowslinger