chokes

[fishkid]

what aftermarket chokes do you use while duck or goose hunting. I use a briley duck choke now but might be looking for something a little tighter. The duck choke is considered a light mod but yet it holds a tighter pattern then my remington mod choke does at further distances. I did a little reading on patternmasters and the other big name stuff and came upon a smaller company call drake killer. They custom build the chokes for the specific bore size of your gun. it seems like they have done alot of experimenting with their chokes, different guns, and bore sizes. once you get a choke they tell you what shells to use with it to give you the best preformance. I have not found too many people upset with them at all so i was leaning towards one of their chokes.

[Maxxed Out]

My buddy has a drake killer. I think their main claim is that their chokes pattern best with cheaper loads. At least that's what was told to me by him.

I mainly shoot black cloud mid range by carlson choke tubes. It's been devastating on honkers for the last two years.

I will say though it is not a good option for me for ducks. I went through a full day then a half morning of some of the most miserable shooting I've ever experienced. The only other feeling I can liken it to is a having a terrible day on the golf course and wanting to throw your clubs in the water. When I reached the breaking point I took out my mid range and put in my modified factory choke for my Super Vinci and it was game on. So I would caution you about going tighter for ducks, it's not always the answer.

[uwleagle]

I use an extended range patternmastern when hunting snow geeese. When shooting ducks and honkers I use my modified factory choke. Most of those shots are under 25 yards and would probably either miss or blow the bird apart with my pattern master choke in.

[Shane Z]

I agree with uwleagle 100%. IMO alot of these aftermarket chokes are hyped up..I've used Patternmaster for nearly 8 years now and will be switching over to the HEVI-Shots chokes starting the 2012 season. When decoying ducks or even early season honkers, your factory mod should be more than enough to get the job done. The only exception I have using an extended range choke is for late season honkers and snow geese.

If you do a lot of pass shooting, then Drake killer or an extended range choke may be your best choice.

[fishkid]

are those hevi shot chokes specifically made for hevi shot? and all other ammo wont pattern well through it?

[HNTNBUX]

I feel like the odd man out in this discussion. I bring two guns, one with an improved cylinder factory choke and the other I think is a Carlson decoy choke for my "long range" shooting. I shoot 3" 4's out of the improved cylinder and 3 1/2 3's out of the decoy choke. I don't shoot enough geese to worry about anything other than throwing some BB's in when I hear the honking.

I most likely shoot shorter distances than others based on what I have seen on the water and you will never see me shoot a box of shells in a day. Just the way I like to do it.

[Maxxed Out]

I can't speak specifically to the hevi shot chokes but the Carlson chokes are made to adapt to the flight stopper wad. That said they are supposed to pattern any shot just as good.

As far as decoying geese I've yet to meet a hunter that shoots 100% on the year no matter how close they are or shoots every goose for the year at 25 yards and under. You may call the shot at 25 yards or closer, but if you miss with your first shot or it's windy, geese can be 45-50 yards from you in a flash. That's when the extended range chokes make a difference.

And yes people do miss a shocking amount of shots at 25 yards and under. I witness it every weekend in the fall...

[Hookmaster]

For me shooting birds 25 yds or less, the improved cylinder is in the gun.

[TylerS]

From what I understand about aftermarket chokes like Patternmasters (which have those little nubs in the choke to briefly stop the wad) it's that you eliminate shot string. You get a much more consistent, dense pattern this way than with factory or customary chokes.

I use a short range Patternmaster and absolutely love it. I have it in from early season goose to late season roosters. Never switch it out from September to January. Heck, it hasn't left my barrel since I bought it! The benefit of the short range is you get a much wider pattern than most patternmaster chokes people use, plus the added benefit of having no shot string. I've definitely seen my cripple-to-kill ration improve greatly since putting one in. And I shoot $9 boxes of el-cheep-o steel for waterfowl and $5 boxes of lead for upland.

[Shane Z]

No they are not specifically made for HEVI-Shot..Carlson's chokes actually makes the Hevi-Shot chokes. The only difference is that the HEVI Shot chokes have a set of rings inside the choke tube to help retard the wad, which I think would help any load to minimize shot string. I dont want to get into technicalities here...Anyways. As far as chokes go, use your head when buying one...ie. you probably dont need an extended range choke if your shooting birds within 10-25 yards. PM me if you'd like to talk more about shells and chokes.

[Gordie]

I have shot several different types of chokes and I always seem to go back to my factory mod in my Browning and Stoger. When I had the Remington and Browning 10 ga's I used extra full Paternmasters and I could really tell the difference when shooting geese.

My Remington 870's are using only factory chokes and they have not let me down either but I bought a older 870 magnum Wingmaster that is getting cut for chokes as I type this and I know it will not be able to use factory chokes so I am really waiting to see what this will shoot like. I will give this gun to my son so it will be intresting to find out what choke he will like for it.

[Maxxed Out]

I've definitely seen my cripple-to-kill ration improve greatly since putting one in.

This statement couldn't be more true from my experience.

[Brain_Melt]

I use two different chokes. I use a Kicks mid range choke for the early season and a Carlsons black cloud long range in the late season. My reason for this is because I noticed that the Kicks chokes patterns better with the cheaper 3" shells shooting 4shot out to 35 yards... better than the factory mod I got with my gun.

I use the Carlsons black cloud choke because I use black cloud shells when the birds start putting on the armor. I find it patterns very well with black cloud louds obviously.... But heavy Steel patterns very well also with this choke.

[Gordie]

Here is what I found with Joeys new turkey gun.

I had a Benelli Nova police special barrel cut for chokes well I had a Carlson full same as a factory full installed and at thirty yards with a Remington Express mag 2 3/4 my pattern was the size of a basketball .

This gun has a 18" barrel very impressed with it.

[dan z]

Love my mid range extended Carlson for Kent fast steel that I've been throwing through the past few seasons, benelli nova. every gun is different so you gotta try and try again

Good luck.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Here is what I found with Joeys new turkey gun.

I had a Benelli Nova police special barrel cut for chokes well I had a Carlson full same as a factory full installed and at thirty yards with a Remington Express mag 2 3/4 my pattern was the size of a basketball .

This gun has a 18" barrel very impressed with it.

Sounds like that setup would be a fun predator rig. Ever pattern any buck or lead BB with it?

[Gordie]

Sounds like that setup would be a fun predator rig. Ever pattern any buck or lead BB with it?

This will be the next patterning I do on tis weapon is buck shot as I hope to use this for predator hunting also.

[skee0025]

As far as patterning goes, I have never done it but as I understand it dont you shoot at an already defined circle then count the pellets inside the circle? I ask this because I just looked up drake killer chokes and in the photos they use to show the effectiveness of their chokes they state that they shot the target, then went out and put what they thought was a 30 inch circle around the area with the maximum number of hits. Seems kinda sketchy to me.

"I shot 3 of each at 50 yards and then drew a 30" circle around what I thought was the center mass of the pattern."

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Some guys draw a 30" circle around the pattern after they shoot, some do it before. both serve different purposes I guess. I draw the circle first and aim for the center. Personally I think the circle before the fact is the better way to go, but there is no right or wrong way to do it. I used to be all about pellet counts and percentages, now I just want to make sure that a load I like is patterning consistent box to box, lot to lot.

If I remember my camera next time I go to the range I'll snap some pics...got a few boxes of federal flight control buckshot and low recoil slugs I need to put on paper through my bedside gun.

[skee0025]

It just seems to that it would defeat the purpose of patterning in the first place. One would think that you would be seeing which round puts more hits on your target area, not just seeing how tight the grouping is. You may end up with more "hits" on paper but less on the duck you are trying to hit in the first place. It would be like sighting in a rifle then drawing your ten ring around your shots and saying your getting a 1 inch group in the center at 100 yards. I guess i just don't get it and I wouldn't risk spending the money on a choke that uses this as a method to show the effectiveness of their product.

[dietdew]

It just seems to that it would defeat the purpose of patterning in the first place. One would think that you would be seeing which round puts more hits on your target area' date=' not just seeing how tight the grouping is. You may end up with more "hits" on paper but less on the duck you are trying to hit in the first place. It would be like sighting in a rifle then drawing your ten ring around your shots and saying your getting a 1 inch group in the center at 100 yards. I guess i just don't get it and I wouldn't risk spending the money on a choke that uses this as a method to show the effectiveness of their product. [/quote/']

The circle is drawn after due to shooter error. If you are not aiming dead center every time you might be shooting to much to one side of the circle. Since a shotgun isnt sighted in like a rifle drawing the circle after takes shooter error out of the equation and focuses only on the pattern. Does that make sence? Its hard to explain via internet.