Choke preference

[Red Leg]

I’ll take your bet anytime. Zero chance you would beat any serious shooter with fixed choke. That’s not being mean Red, you’re a good dude. But that’s silly. Like saying you would kill as many buffalo with a 30-06. Yes it could be done. And it would be silly and not the correct tool for the job.

Serious shooter? Really? I am a very, very serious and experienced "shooter." I hunt or shoot far more feather than fur. That includes tens of thousands of upland game, similar numbers of wildfowl, and decades of skeet and clays - much of it competitively. Read what I said. Give me a IM or Full single barrel gun, and neither I nor any other experienced shot will lose a turkey, goose, or duck to anyone spinning a choke tube wrench. I'll obviously change loads.

In fairness, it is not an issue for me because I haven't used a shotgun with one barrel in decades - I like having an ideal option with either trigger. That option thing is impossible with an inbound mallard and choke tube wrench.

This is the sort of driven - not tower shoot (as in high, fast, and far) - in which I and like thinkers participate regularly (this one three weeks ago). These were very experienced "shooters" with quality guns, and not a single barrel or choke tube anywhere on the shoot. Not many birds made it through. All of those using 12 bores were using 1 or 1 1/8 ounce loads of number 6.

Keep it simple. Most of this nonsense is marketing to get your money, not more game.

 

[Daisy]

Serious shooter? Really? I am a very, very serious and experienced "shooter." I hunt or shoot far more feather than fur. That includes tens of thousands of upland game, similar numbers of wildfowl, and decades of skeet and clays - much of it competitively. Read what I said. Give me a IM or Full single barrel gun, and neither I nor any other experienced shot will lose a turkey, goose, or duck to anyone spinning a choke tube wrench. I'll obviously change loads.

In fairness, it is not an issue for me because I haven't used a shotgun with one barrel in decades - I like having an ideal option with either trigger. That option thing is impossible with an inbound mallard and choke tube wrench.

This is the sort of driven - not tower shoot (as in high, fast, and far) - in which I and like thinkers participate regularly (this one three weeks ago). These were very experienced "shooters" with quality guns, and not a single barrel or choke tube anywhere on the shoot. Not many birds made it through. All of those using 12 bores were using 1 or 1 1/8 ounce loads of number 6.

Keep it simple. Most of this nonsense is marketing to get your money, not more game.

View attachment 582658

I’ll take your advice on Africa! Not on winged game. I too have shot thousands upon thousands.

You would likely do well against a novice shooter. Someone with equal experience, the man with the right tool for the job would win anytime! Competition shooters could outshoot 99 percent of people with any shotgun, but they spend tons on chokes and guns to take on other experienced shooters. Why is that?

It’s all semantics on the internet. Let’s get together and shoot some birds! I’m always game. Beer to the winner (or cash if you prefer!). But we are all on the same team. I just find it funny again people here talk incessantly on right caliber, optic, practice, shoes for African hunting. Then say don’t worry about a choke for birds. Haha

I will say I have lots of nice over unders, but when I shoot with my meat hunting friends it’s semi autos all the way. My fave now is benelli ethos cordoba edition 28 gauge. Now that comes with custom chokes!

 

[Daisy]

Serious shooter? Really? I am a very, very serious and experienced "shooter." I hunt or shoot far more feather than fur. That includes tens of thousands of upland game, similar numbers of wildfowl, and decades of skeet and clays - much of it competitively. Read what I said. Give me a IM or Full single barrel gun, and neither I nor any other experienced shot will lose a turkey, goose, or duck to anyone spinning a choke tube wrench. I'll obviously change loads.

In fairness, it is not an issue for me because I haven't used a shotgun with one barrel in decades - I like having an ideal option with either trigger. That option thing is impossible with an inbound mallard and choke tube wrench.

This is the sort of driven - not tower shoot (as in high, fast, and far) - in which I and like thinkers participate regularly (this one three weeks ago). These were very experienced "shooters" with quality guns, and not a single barrel or choke tube anywhere on the shoot. Not many birds made it through. All of those using 12 bores were using 1 or 1 1/8 ounce loads of number 6.

Keep it simple. Most of this nonsense is marketing to get your money, not more game.

View attachment 582658

Love the pic btw. You’re my kind of dude. Giving you a hard time. It’s mainly the shooter not the gun.

 

[Red Leg]

I’ll take your advice on Africa! Not on winged game. I too have shot thousands upon thousands.

You would likely do well against a novice shooter. Someone with equal experience, the man with the right tool for the job would win anytime!

It’s all semantics on the internet. Let’s get together and shoot some birds! I’m always game. Beer to the winner (or cash if you prefer!). But we are all on the same team. I just find it funny again people here talk incessantly on right caliber, optic, practice, shoes for African hunting. Then say don’t worry about a choke for birds. Haha

I'll do well against a novice "shooter." Thanks, I am confident that you would as well. Let's find a pigeon ring to shoot for that beer.

But let me type this slowly. I never said not to worry about choke. I said give me the same choked gun for turkey and wildfowl and I won't lose a bird because of choke. I obviously also won't take a waterfowl gun out for quail.

 

[Daisy]

I'll do well against a novice "shooter." Thanks, I am confident that you would as well. Let's find a pigeon ring to shoot for that beer.

But let me type this slowly. I never said not to worry about choke. I said give me the same choked gun for turkey and wildfowl and I won't lose a bird because of choke. I obviously also won't take a waterfowl gun out for quail.

I know you would! I bet you’re a damn good shot.

Honestly I mainly use over under when I do need different chokes for varying shots like a tower shoot. When meat hunting I pick the best one for the bird and blast away.

I keep my grandfathers Remington 870 in the trunk of my Tahoe at all times. I have a predator choke in it and I’ve pulled it out and wore out some birds. So you’re right more than me.

 

[rookhawk]

Love the pic btw. You’re my kind of dude. Giving you a hard time. It’s mainly the shooter not the gun.

Nonsense. It’s the gun and the cigar. Choke is a distant 3rd.

 

[rookhawk]

My 12 year old thinks we’re all nuts. He claims you don’t care about your choke or gun at all if your dog holds point so you can shoot them all at 5 paces.

 

[Red Leg]

Nonsense. It’s the gun and the cigar. Choke is a distant 3rd.

View attachment 582672

I am more Continental in dress and will trade that post shoot cigar for two fingers of Maison Surrene, but yes!

 

[WAB]

With all respect, I have to disagree. Unless you have one shotgun for each and every pursuit, multiple chokes with multiple loads make sense. Especially if you want to conserve meat damage.

IMO...
Turkey - 12 bore with XF choke and Federal TSS 3.5" 7 shot
Goose - 12 bore with FULL choke and Federal TSS 3" BB/7 shot
Duck - 12 bore with IM choke and Federal TSS 3" 3/9 shot
Upland - 12 bore (because I don't have a 20) with MOD choke and Prairie Storm 3" 6 shot
Dove - 12 bore with CYL or IC choke and 2 3/4" 8 shot (target/clays ammo)

Above all is practice. Going to the clays range to improve your skills so that when you hit the hunting grounds your success is all but assured.

EDIT - Upland and dove would most likely be hunted with and O/U or SxS so having two different chokes would make sense. I also have a friend who is going to use his O/U for turkey this year with a CYL and XF chokes for varying distances.

I have a duck/turkey gun that alternates between a duck and a turkey choke (those would be the applications I would see falling outside my general statement). Everything else is shot with IC/IC. Changing shot and wads is more than enough to adjust to any upland scenario.

Years ago, I believe it was Gary Phillips that won the US sporting clays nationals without changing a choke. I believe he shot 1/4 chokes. Pretty hilarious when you go to a clays tournament and see all the guys spinning chokes in and out!

I got quite a lesson on this on the Holland & Holland high tower. The top deck is 130’ and throws over a valley. The targets are so high they look like aspirin. We were smashing them with 7/8 oz loads and IC.

 

[Red Leg]

I have a duck/turkey gun that alternates between a duck and a turkey choke (those would be the applications I would see falling outside my general statement). Everything else is shot with IC/IC. Changing shot and wads is more than enough to adjust to any upland scenario.

Years ago, I believe it was Gary Phillips that won the US sporting clays nationals without changing a choke. I believe he shot 1/4 chokes. Pretty hilarious when you go to a clays tournament and see all the guys spinning chokes in and out!

I got quite a lesson on this on the Holland & Holland high tower. The top deck is 130’ and throws over a valley. The targets are so high they look like aspirin. We were smashing them with 7/8 oz loads and IC.

We had a group who shot traditional guns at the Prince William County clays range every weekend and typically of the half dozen regulars four or so would show up. Guns ranged among all the best pre-war makers with the vast majority being SxS's. Those guys were disconsolate if they didn't break a 94. We often would have a couple of swells added if only four. Their initial expressions were always interesting when they saw our collection of SxS's. By the second fifty, the fury with which those choke tube wrenches were turning was awe inspiring.

 

[503]

Beemaa is correct. Chokes matter. There's a reason that after they came out in the late 50s fixed Chokes became more or less obsolete.

I've had many factory Chokes pattern like shit with good ammo. Put in a quality after market Choke, problem solved.

I'm sure fixed Chokes will work, but if you're serious about patterning your gun and knowing the best ammo/range to shoot then being able to change Chokes depending on what you're doing matters a great deal.

Cheers

503

 

[D-Orcutt]

I would classify myself as a duck hunter that hunted Africa and got hooked, hunting flooded timber in Arkansas vs hunting the Arkansas river I change chokes. I feel like brands are less important than the type of choke. I have used pattern master Carso

 

[WAB]

I should add that the traditional English game load is 1 1/16 oz of English 6’s. Those are 7’s (not 7 1/2’s) in our lingo. Those fellows kill birds stone dead at eye watering distances with that load out of light SxS 12’s with fixed chokes, typically at 1/4 and 1/2.

When I shot competitively, I did not change chokes. I carried different loads to use on different targets. My main load was the federal paper hulled internationals in 8 1/2’s. My distance and rabbit loads were handicap trap 7 1/2’s. I kept a box of spreader loads for tight fast birds. I was able to compete at a high level with this approach.

 

[Daisy]

Look good shoot good right?

 

[Pheroze]

I really like Trulock chokes. I found a noticeable difference over the stock Browning ones that came with the new A5.

This has given me a lot to think about. Bismuth allows one to use a full choke again, so I guess I will have to get back into the shotgun market. Sigh.

You know I hold you in great respect, but when I was a kid my first shotgun was a Ted Williams 20 with a magical polychoke on the end. I spent much of my youth wasting my time twisting the silly thing until one day I shot it off the end of the barrel when I had loosened it too much (thank a benevolent God). My next gun was a fixed choke Model 12.

What you describe above is to me the adult version of the same thing. I think @WAB is exactly correct. I would wager serious money that I can take the same gun with the same choke and shoot someone of equal skill bird for bird on the first three on your list and not lose one due to the "wrong" choke. In my experience, it is the load that matters.

I can take at least half a dozen guns in three different bores off the rack and deal with the bottom two without worrying about different chokes.

I am curious about the three-inch load for upland game?!? Is that some sort of steel shot? The toughest upland shooting I have done is mid to late season sharptail grouse. They launch out there a ways and drive like a box bird. 1 1/8 ounces of number 6 from a modified/full gun is perfection.

 

[BeeMaa]

I really like Trulock chokes. I found a noticeable difference over the stock Browning ones that came with the new A5.

This has given me a lot to think about. Bismuth allows one to use a full choke again, so I guess I will have to get back into the shotgun market. Sigh.

I've had incredibly inconsistent measurements from factory chokes from the likes of Browning, Beretta and Benelli to name a few. This is in stark contrast to the aftermarket like Carlson's, Briley and Müller which have all been spot on down to 0.001". Some manufacturers have gone to using aftermarket chokes as their stock option. My Blaser F3 came with Briley chokes and was the first shotgun I bought that didn't need an aftermarket upgrade.

It amazes me that some top tier companies think that their customers won't check or don't care about such things.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Honestly, the best choke is a fixed choke. With modern cartridges, the need for interchangeable chokes is highly questionable for most applications.

Funny you should mention that. I have ALL the different chokes for my Remington semi auto shotguns. The ONLY choke I have ever used (since steel shot was required for waterfowl) is modified and a super full turkey choke. When lead shot was still allowed for waterfowl, I did use a full choke a couple of times, but over decoys, the modified was still the best choice.

 

[fourfive8]

Carlson chokes for cz shotduns

 

[fourfive8]

Dang, timed-out before finishing edit?? Oh well

No expert here, but I've good luck with Carlson chokes in a couple of CZ guns. Patterns seem true to rating and as consistent as any for all the various types of ammo tested.

If I had to choose only one type of gun for every type of hunting, except maybe bobwhites at 10 ft! , I think I'd choose a 20 ga, two trigger SxS, auto ejector, fixed choke IM-IM. Even though I learned on a 16 ga, two trigger SxS manual eject, fixed choke IC-M

Oh and one thing not brought up by all the experts trying to out brag each other in this thread is the forcing cone transition out of the chamber. When I get serious with a shotgun I shallow the forcing cone angle with a reamer. Not hard to do by hand with a centering forcing cone reamer with T handle.

 

[sureshot375]

This brand or that brand I don’t think makes much difference.

Best chokes I’ve ever bought were angle port chokes that matched the bore on my shotgun. There is actually a fair amount of variation is 12ga bore size. Having chokes match your actual bore makes a lot of sense to me.