So guage SxS. Shotgun chokes

L

labsrule

Member
Hello all,

question on chokes on 20 guage I’m looking at. Finally getting ready for retirement gift to myself. Found a very nice renato gamba, London model. It has improved and full. I hunt South Dakota a few times a year and normally shoot a 20 over and under. Always wanted a nice gun for special hunts and for my son to have someday. friend Says to have the full opened up to a bit over modified. Any thoughts? Also we hunt preserves a few times a year but more of both in retirement
thanks in advance
 

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The one and only time that I used a full choke for pheasant hunting was a mistake.

One bird, centered in the shot pattern, was not worth picking up.
 
I think it was used for grouse. After the first shot miss the second shot usually has to go thru branches and the like. Idk. a very competent gunsmith locally charges 65 to open that barrel
 
I pheasant hunt with a Stevens 16 gauge SxS. It is not near as nice as your new gun.

It was originally choked modified and full.

I opened the chokes. It works very well for pheasants using either steel or bismuth shot.
 
John Singer said:
I pheasant hunt with a Stevens 16 gauge SxS. It is not near as nice as your new gun.

It was originally choked modified and full.

I opened the chokes. It works very well for pheasants using either steel or bismuth shot.
Click to expand...
Thank you
I’m going to talk to gunsmith this week
 
i use Skeet all season for pheasants...right up to the last day in SD...that gun is a 12 gauge benelli ultra light...out of a 20 gauge double, I would go skeet1/skeet2...in your case, I would leave the IC barrel as is, and go light modified or modified in the full barrel...probably light modified...
 
labs -- Here are a few of my pattern numbers to give you an idea of how some of my pheasant loads perform in my chokes. Probably hard to beat an IC/IM (~.008"/~.018") constriction 20ga for a general all around pheasant choke combo, lead or steel.

Patterns from a 20-gauge Browning Citori with 28" Invector-plus barrels and Briley flush chokes (patterns average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, in-shell pellet count average of five, and choke constriction from bore gauge).

20 GA 2 3/4" RELOAD (BLUE DOT)
1 oz #6 lead (233 pellets) @ 1200 fps
30 YARDS – SK (.005) / pattern 147 (63%)
30 YARDS – IC (.008) / pattern 168 (72%)
40 YARDS – M (.014) / pattern 146 (63%)
40 YARDS – IM (.017) / pattern 163 (70%)

20 GA 3" RELOAD (BLUE DOT)
1 1/8 oz #5 lead (190 pellets) @ 1220 fps
30 YARDS – SK (.005) / pattern 140 (74%)
30 YARDS – IC (.008) / pattern 149 (78%)
40 YARDS – M (.014) / pattern 138 (73%)
40 YARDS – IM (.017) / pattern 147 (77%)

20 GA 3" WINCHESTER DRYLOK SUPER-X STEEL LOAD
1 oz #3 steel (145 pellets) @ 1330 fps
30 YARDS – SK (.005) / pattern 114 (78%)
30 YARDS – IC (.008) / pattern 123 (85%)
40 YARDS – IM (.017) / pattern 106 (73%)
40 YARDS – LF (.020) / pattern 110 (76%)

20 GA 3" REMINGTON NITRO-STEEL MAGNUM LOAD
1 oz #2 steel (118 pellets) @ 1330 fps
30 YARDS – SK (.005) / pattern 101 (86%)
30 YARDS – IC (.008) / pattern 105 (89%)
40 YARDS – IM (.017) / pattern 99 (84%)
40 YARDS – LF (.020) / pattern 102 (86%)

Hope this helps, good luck!
 
Joe And benelli banger thank you for those details I,m thinking like you said leave the open one alone and light modified on the full one.
 
Have your gunsmith measure the choke constriction for each barrel first. He should have a bore gauge to do that. If the IC is close to .010 then leave it. I concur a combo of .010 (IC) and .015 (LM) would be pretty good combo for Pheasants.
 
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