I have seen a few fellows say, "When using a shotgun for home defense, with buckshot, Modified Choke is best, because it will give the best patterns. Besides, Cylinder Bore spreads too much."

Is this true? Let's see.

I measured three of my shotguns today.

One is my Mossberg Maverick that I sawed off to around 19.5 inches.

It therefore has no choke at all, and is a true Cylinder Bore, or Open Bore.

This type of bore is very common in defensive shotguns.

It should measure .73 inches, and indeed does.

The next is my Remington 870, which is marked "Cyl", or Cylinder Bore.

It should measure .73 also, but it was a little tighter, and measured .724.

The third is a Remington Special Field, which has interchangeable screw-in chokes.

I put the Modified choke in it.