Overbored barrels

[matty70]

Tried searching this topic but no real luck I asked a question about it in another thread but its not getting any play and I don't want to hijack the OP so...

I'm thinking about the 835 Ulti and its overbored to 10ga dimensions. From what Mossberg says its done to alow better pellet expansion in the barrel for less felt recoil and better patterns. My question is why over bore when you end up choking the shot down with 12ga chokes anyway??? or is it that the barrel uses 10ga choke with a 10ga equivalent barrel with a 12ga receiver?Seems like a marketing gimick to me Is overboring reall that much of a bennefit or would I do just as well with a 535?

[fishdart]

The bore and muzzle are at 10 gauge which was designed into the 835 as it was the first gun built for the 3.50" shell. This was during the earlier days of steel shot. Since steel doesn't compress elastically like lead, it was done to provide more consistent patterning with large shot size and payload. I'm sure it was a workable angle. Iirc it uses a standard browning pattern 10 gauge choke tube.

Steel shot and overall shell tehnology has improved greatly since then....so is it still that important? I don't know myself. I only shoot standard 3" waterfowl loads in typical 12 bored guns.

-ben

[jgh176]

I have an 835, and my understanding is that the overbored barrels lead to greater speed, which in turn leads to more consistent and better patterning. So no, the 12ga choke tube won't "undo" what the overbored barrel has done, because it's by virtue of the overbored barrel that the shot passes through the choke tube faster, leading to better patterning.