Which choke sizes should a guy own?

[BLACKJACK]

My 30 year old 870 has the straight modified barrel on it, no choke tubes. My 1187 came with improved, modified, and full choke tubes. I use it with the modified choke on everything, never have patterned it, but I've shot a lot of pheasants with it. The modified tube is staying in forever. If a pheasant gets up close its wait, wait, wait kaboom so you don't blow it up.

[tacklejunkie]

I just have a 20 gauge for my walk in the woods and it's a fixed IC choke.

Never had a problem getting a grouse dinner with that

[carpshooterdeluxe]

More like drive about 100 less miles.

I realize a $20 choke is on the cheap side, but not when you need a couple of them.

Buy a patternmaster long range or extended range if your gun is the super mag and be done with it. the only time my PM ever leaves my gun is to put the slug choke in. I shoot everything from pigeons, huns, pheasants, ducks, geese, snows, fox, and yotes with the patternmaster. after patterning piles and piles of different loads, i know what loads pattern tight (good to know for geese and predators) and what loads pattern more open (great for early season roosters, sporting clays). I'm not a huge fan of aftermarket chokes, as out of 9 shotguns, i only own 4 aftermarket chokes, but I am very glad i bought the patternmaster. Honestly, I've found that i like it the most when pheasant hunting. It really performs well with many different lead loads.

[jeep guy]

I have a 870 magnum and i have a full and modified choke. i use the modified at the begining of seasons but end up using the full towards the middle and end of seasons. I hunt grouse and waterfowl.

[lawdog]

I shoot 99.5% of my shotgunning with a straight modified choke, maybe higher than that actually... Pheasants, ducks and geese all shot routinely with modified choke. I have very occasionally gone to full choke on very wild late season roosters but otherwise its always modified.