What choke is in your gun?

benelli-banger said:
I try to shoot prior to the season…6,8,10 times…I think it helps me…I usually hunt with a few guys throughout the season who are good shots, and have decent dogs…many aren’t/dont…I like knowing that there are others in my gang that can stack ‘em up!
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It’s amazing how many there are that aren’t/don’t
 
I'm going to experiment w/ more open chokes after reading a few posts about that. Seems today's shells pattern better and have plenty of punch so as to allow that. Heading out tomorrow w/ cyl and skeet in o/u 12 loading lead 5s and 6s on phez. We'll see what happens.
 
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BritChaser said:
I'm going to experiment w/ more open chokes after reading a few posts about that. Seems today's shells pattern better and have plenty of punch so as to allow that. Heading out tomorrow w/ cyl and skeet in o/u 12 loading 5s and 6s on phez. We'll see what happens.
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please let us know how it goes! What size would you of normally used?
 
Bob Peters said:
No the cold doesn't make it defective in any way, but it can affect velocity. I'm with John on this one, I usually keep my ammo inside. The colder it is the more I lean this way.
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Haven’t had too many issues with cold, but have had issues with shells after being wet. Apparently not emptying the dog dish and using it for a shell holder isn’t a good idea!
 
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Chokes and pellet size are important but the alloy of your pellets makes a huge difference on long shots. The reason steel shot stinks is it loses it's energy fast after 30 yards no matter how fast they say it is on the box. The pellets are just too light. Lead is great out to 40 then drops off energy-wise .Bismuth and lead are comparable. Tungsten or TTS is the alloy you want if money was no object. Even the tiny #9 shot keeps it's energy out to 60 yards or more. That's why everybody is using it for turkey now. The problem is at $80 a box

If you hunted pheasants for a living and you were getting paid $500 bucks per bird killed, the load to use would be 12 gauge 3 inch Tungsten #9 shot
 
Gobbler said:
Chokes and pellet size are important but the alloy of your pellets makes a huge difference on long shots. The reason steel shot stinks is it loses it's energy fast after 30 yards no matter how fast they say it is on the box. The pellets are just too light. Lead is great out to 40 then drops off energy-wise .Bismuth and lead are comparable. Tungsten or TTS is the alloy you want if money was no object. Even the tiny #9 shot keeps it's energy out to 60 yards or more. That's why everybody is using it for turkey now. The problem is at $80 a box

If you hunted pheasants for a living and you were getting paid $500 bucks per bird killed, the load to use would be 12 gauge 3 inch Tungsten #9 shot
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True 3 inch 12 gauge TSS 9 would have like 550+ pellets. That would not be a fun bird to clean afterwards. Unless you actually were taking 70 yard shots.

I'm looking into running 1/2 oz tss 9 which is like a 1 1/8 oz of lead. Still more expensive but so low recoil I think it's gonna be a blast.
 
Glock said:
I just got done reading and article from pheasant forever and it discussed late season strategies. Most was common knowledge but one stuck out at me. He was discussing his gun and what he used. It was an over/under. He went on to say his favorite shells were #5 bismuth and #4 lead. But what caught my attention was that he said in one barrel he used a skeet choke and the other an improved. I was a little surprised by that considering the topic was late season. What do you all use? Follow up with that answer with telling me your typical shooting distance for late season.
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I have cyl and IC in right now, because my last hunt I was testing out tungsten and it patterns like a rifle.

I dont think i could hit a pheasant with skt or IC with any of the bismuth shells i have patterned, past about 20 yards. There would be holes the size of a basketball!
 
I love your idea of a 1/2 oz of TSS if you are reloading. Maybe a duplex of lead and tungsten. Yeah, you are right you would not want to eat the bird killed with #9 shot Tungsten.

I've heard turkey hunters use the comparison between lead and tungsten at 60 yds is like getting hit with a wiffle ball versus a hardball. Not that you would shoot at a pheasant at 60 but say you tip a wing on your first shot at 40 and you follow up it to keep the wounded bird from getting away to feed the coyotes...maybe that is where TSS might be worth the extra dough.
 
12 gauge with an IC choke using#6 lead all season for roosters. Didn't lose a single cripple this season. Most of my shots are within about 30 yards.

I would never even consider the use of a full choke at a flying target. The pattern is way too small. I use a full choke to hunt turkeys in the spring.
 
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IC. Typically shoot mid-level quality Federal #5s. The mid-level quality shells are not easy to find. Many stores and sites sell the low-end economy grade shells and Prairie Storm.

Federal has them on their own on-line store at times. When I see them I usually buy 5 boxes to a case.

Son and I shoot clays a lot during the off-season. Shot last week just before the cold set in.
 
Tough to beat an IC in a repeater or IC/Mod in a double over points. I'd be tempted to go straight modified in a repeater if hunting jumpy birds or behind a flusher.
 
My go to gun for over 30 yrs. was a Browning Liege, choked i/c & i/m. I shot copper sixes the entire season, and never had a problem. I hunted most of that time behind Dratht's in western Iowa/
 
I mostly shoot 1 oz steel 3s in 20 gauge Citori in improved cylinder and modified barrels.
This is my favorite gun for sporting clays and 71/2 lead shot.

When I go to spots likely to have ducks and geese, I shoot 1 1/8 oz steel 2s in 12 gauge Citori Skeet2 and modified chokes.
(Skeet 2 is between Improved Cylinder and Modified)
 
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