The original T/C Hotshot capsule was about twice as long as the Speer capsule, hence it held more shot. I think you will find that the lands/grooves in the choke are straight. This is to stop rotation of the shot charge and minimize spread. I have found #12 shot to give the best, most balanced pattern, but it is hard to find, and does not carry too much energy per pellet - great for snakes, not for squirrels/birds. three 000 buckshot is kinda neat too, in the Speer shot caps, but not too accurate at ranges over 25-30 ft.
Recently, I reamed an extra choke (for my .44 bbl) so there was no longer any rifling. What I wound up with was an 8" bbl with a .429 groove, a 3/4" comp chamber of about .480 (with two gas ports on either side of the front sight), and a smoothbore "barrel extension" about 1 1/4" long with an ID of about .440.
I was hoping this would work like a compensator, and... IT Does! Muzzle flip went from almost 90 degrees to about 45, and felt recoil was reduced perceptibly. This is totally subjective, but two other friends said they also felt a difference. This was tested with a hot-loaded 240 gr hard-cast, and a 300gr jhp. Groups remained comparable with the extension on or off.
Compensators seem to work better if pressures are kept up. thus you would feel less difference with lighter loads. I considered it a successful experiment, anyway. I may also add or enlarge ports later. BTW, I did keep a choke in original configuration, for shooting shot caps.
