Full choke lead

Proper choke for the job can depend on a number of items: How quick you are in general to respond to the flush; at what range are you typically shooting at the bird, are you using a dog and is the dog an experienced rooster-getter, what is the weather doing (strong winds), what gauge do you happen to be shooting at the time, the quality of your ammunition (Prairie Storm-Boss-Tungsten/Matrix quality or RemWin Game Loads) and are you shooting at wild vs. released birds are all factors that could play into your choice of choke. Last week in NW Iowa I was using IC choke in my Sweet 16 auto and was shooting Boss #5's. At 12-15 yards I blew a fist-sized hole in the bird....if centered at that distance almost any choke would damage the bird. Bottom Line: It Depends....
 
I have used Skt or IC for 15-20 years out of my BUL 12 gauge; mostly shoot 1 1/4 oz of #5 lead at 1220 fps. All season, into January. Last week I dropped 3-4 probably 50-60 yards, no going away shots, however. I did buy a LM tube, as tight as I’d go.
 
Wolfchief said:
Proper choke for the job can depend on a number of items: How quick you are in general to respond to the flush; at what range are you typically shooting at the bird, are you using a dog and is the dog an experienced rooster-getter, what is the weather doing (strong winds), what gauge do you happen to be shooting at the time, the quality of your ammunition (Prairie Storm-Boss-Tungsten/Matrix quality or RemWin Game Loads) and are you shooting at wild vs. released birds are all factors that could play into your choice of choke. Last week in NW Iowa I was using IC choke in my Sweet 16 auto and was shooting Boss #5's. At 12-15 yards I blew a fist-sized hole in the bird....if centered at that distance almost any choke would damage the bird. Bottom Line: It Depends....
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Wolfchief said:
Proper choke for the job can depend on a number of items: How quick you are in general to respond to the flush; at what range are you typically shooting at the bird, are you using a dog and is the dog an experienced rooster-getter, what is the weather doing (strong winds), what gauge do you happen to be shooting at the time, the quality of your ammunition (Prairie Storm-Boss-Tungsten/Matrix quality or RemWin Game Loads) and are you shooting at wild vs. released birds are all factors that could play into your choice of choke. Last week in NW Iowa I was using IC choke in my Sweet 16 auto and was shooting Boss #5's. At 12-15 yards I blew a fist-sized hole in the bird....if centered at that distance almost any choke would damage the bird. Bottom Line: It Depends....
Click to expand...
Released birds, expensive amo? HELL NO!!
 
benelli-banger said:
I have used Skt or IC for 15-20 years out of my BUL 12 gauge; mostly shoot 1 1/4 oz of #5 lead at 1220 fps. All season, into January. Last week I dropped 3-4 probably 50-60 yards, no going away shots, however. I did buy a LM tube, as tight as I’d go.
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IMP.CYL.cheap shells, high brass, that's what I'm used to, but I'm real quick on the draw. Nobody faster.
 
Wolfchief said:
Proper choke for the job can depend on a number of items: How quick you are in general to respond to the flush; at what range are you typically shooting at the bird, are you using a dog and is the dog an experienced rooster-getter, what is the weather doing (strong winds), what gauge do you happen to be shooting at the time, the quality of your ammunition (Prairie Storm-Boss-Tungsten/Matrix quality or RemWin Game Loads) and are you shooting at wild vs. released birds are all factors that could play into your choice of choke. Last week in NW Iowa I was using IC choke in my Sweet 16 auto and was shooting Boss #5's. At 12-15 yards I blew a fist-sized hole in the bird....if centered at that distance almost any choke would damage the bird. Bottom Line: It Depends....
Click to expand...
I'm really liking this 1958 sweet 16!! It's light, and feels good.Cycles flawlessly. It's only a 2 3/4 inch gun.I shot a big turkey with it the other day no problems.
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Everybody has a favorite. Running winchester sx4 in 12 (mod) and 20 (full) gauge behind springer spaniels. Usually, the 12 comes out for that yearly NODak trip. This year when we arrived the 12 was out. Windy 17 mph afternoon and within about 25 minutes I’d kicked up 3 birds. At least two I’d have sworn dropped dead on shot. Dang, saw right where they hit the ground but these buggers didn’t sit and wait for us. 5 dogs and no birds. couldn’t believe it. Buddies picked up a couple more over the next 20 minutes. Frustrated and after about 30 minutes more we were near the truck so I walked back and slid the 20 gauge out from the back. Mind you I’d bought the 20 in the spring and had been shooting almost exclusively at the trap and skeet range. during the next hour three more birds rose and the 20 took all three dead on shot.
both guns shoot almost identically on a pattern board so my best thought on this was the wind and the choke. I’ve knocked em dead for several years with a modified choke but I didn’t account for the weather. No shot was over 35 yards. Lesson learned.
 
Goosemaster said:
I prefer IC, but full does not wound birds very often. Ic will put more birds in the freezer imo.
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IC is all I use. Lead shot only.

I would never even consider going to a full choke for upland birds. The pattern is way too small. Plus almost all my shooting is at birds within about 30 yards and in the event that I did hit one, it would be hamburger.

I do obviously use a full choke for spring turkeys.
 
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Hunted for 30+yrs. with IC/IM. Like above I'd never hunt Phez with a full choke. Even with IC had a few oops over the yrs. To each his own, have a great season.
 
Mara5 said:
Hunted for 30+yrs. with IC/IM. Like above I'd never hunt Phez with a full choke. Even with IC had a few oops over the yrs. To each his own, have a great season.
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Wild birds in NODak were hittin the air in the winds. We had many shots exceeding 35 yards by the time they were high enough to take. you mention your using IM which is about as close as you can get to full choke. With about 7/8 ounce in the shell of a 20 ga- unless I’m shooting birds at 10-15 yards the pattern is sufficiently spread at anything over 25 yards Which is a fairly typical shot behind a flusher. The few times a bird has come up close it’s easy enough to wait for it to get some distance.
the hardest part was not finding the birds downed with what is normal range in calmer weather.
 
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Tuckr2 said:
Everybody has a favorite. Running winchester sx4 in 12 (mod) and 20 (full) gauge behind springer spaniels. Usually, the 12 comes out for that yearly NODak trip. This year when we arrived the 12 was out. Windy 17 mph afternoon and within about 25 minutes I’d kicked up 3 birds. At least two I’d have sworn dropped dead on shot. Dang, saw right where they hit the ground but these buggers didn’t sit and wait for us. 5 dogs and no birds. couldn’t believe it. Buddies picked up a couple more over the next 20 minutes. Frustrated and after about 30 minutes more we were near the truck so I walked back and slid the 20 gauge out from the back. Mind you I’d bought the 20 in the spring and had been shooting almost exclusively at the trap and skeet range. during the next hour three more birds rose and the 20 took all three dead on shot.
both guns shoot almost identically on a pattern board so my best thought on this was the wind and the choke. I’ve knocked em dead for several years with a modified choke but I didn’t account for the weather. No shot was over 35 yards. Lesson learned.
Click to expand...
Well done
 
I have always used a full choke, it is what my model 12 Winchester 16 gauge is and always has been. To me it is the perfect pheasant gun. After polling all the hunters that have hunted here this year, modified is the overwhelming choice.
 
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