17 replies to this topic

[Anthony]

I am not sure about my 391 chokes, up till now I have not reallyneeded to change as I have been out in pretty much the same weather conditions, I know what they are, but cannot determine the spread. I am not sure how you tell which ones which, full, 1/2 etc and which ones are the smaller spread etc. I am not sure about the star indication or the letters on each of the tubes what do they determine?
Thanks

[highdowns hunter]

Anthony
I asked the same question a few weeks ago and this is what I was told

1 notch ---- Full choke
2 notches -- 3/4 choke
3 notches -- 1/2 choke
4 notches -- 1/4 choke
5 notches -- improved cylinder
no notches --- skeet (true cylinder??) also may have 'sk' on the side of the choke


The above is correct for Beretta chokes
Hope this helps

[ernyha]

Anthony, i think all chokes use the same identification code and it is the more notches in the end or stars on the side, the more open the choke. My 391 chokes are:
5 notches= improved cylinder (most spread)
4 " = 1/4 "
3 " = 1/2 "
2 " = 3/4 "
1 " = Full choke ( tightest pattern)

Hope this helps. :ernyha

[markadams]

Not sure I agree with the opinion of the 5 notches.

I have a Beretta Silver Pigeon II which uses the standard chokes and 5 notches (stars) is Cylinder and no notches (stars) is Skeet.

Mark

[Anthony]

Thanks for all the replies, I am beginning to see how it works but still a little confused, all my chokes have the letters PB and SP on them and their differences are as follows
Letter F and one star
Letter 1M and 2 stars
Letter M and 3 stars
Letter 1C and 4 stars
Letters CL with ***** (4stars closer together)

can anyone help and recomend which I use in what weather conditions and what each one is. Thanks very much

[flightline]

Anthony,
They`re all basically standard markings, as follows:
F=full=1 star-the most consricted choke which keeps the shot together in the tightest pattern-good for distance but not close to unless you want to blow the bird to bits or miss a lot
IM=Improved Modified=2stars=3/4choke
M=Modified=3stars=1/2choke
IC=Improved Cylinder=4stars=1/4choke
CL=Cylinder=5stars=true cylinder(skeet?) or no choke at all, used for skeet shooting at fast, close clays or by some pigeon shooters for closer shots where you don`t want to miss or damage the bird too much.
So you progress through adding stars from tight patterns at a distance to fuller and fuller patterning as you add stars or notches. Suggest you:
read a good shotgun book to learn more
use a code like the one above in your choke box and carry it with you in your gunslip in the outside pocket.
When shooting from a hide most pigeon shooters will use anything from cylinder up to about 1/2 choke-though not everyone will agree, especially those who regularly kill birds at distances of 60 yards or more, who will use more choke. There`s also a lot of debate on choke v shot size. And all this assumes you`re using lead shot!

[ernyha]

Anthony, firstly the P.B. is the maker Pietro Beretta.

The letters on your chokes stand for: F=Full choke.
IM= Improved modified (3/4)
M= Modified (1/2)
IC= Improved cylinder (1/4)
C = Cylinder (Open)

As regards which ones you use is a personal preferance, if the pigeons are decoying nicely, i use the 4 notch(1/4) but if they are coming in to the rotor and then flying off i often use the 3 notch (1/2) for the longer shots.
I repeat that this is my personal preferance and others will rush to give you theirs.

[Buzzer]

well put Flightline........1/2 choke or modified would be about the right choke for pigeon shooting....its the only choke that I use and kill pigeon,and at some long ranges...but like Flightline has said every one will not agree, find the one that ya like to start with.... 1/4 choke would be a good choke to start with.... maybe ?

All the best

Buzzer

[Anthony]

Thanks again for your excellent help
I was using the M 3 star choke the other day and found it was really powerfull on the decoying birds and found long distance shots much harder to hit anything, I was with a local expert on pigeons, and he thought the gun was fully choked it was so devastating on the birds. Maybe I should give the 1/4 a go so as to increase my likelihood of hitting at longer ranges.

[markadams]

My personal opinion is that you are more likely to hit distance targets with a tighter choke rather than an open one.

With a tight choke the shot starts off very close together and spreads out the further it goes, giving less holes in the pattern at long distances.

With an open choke the shot starts spreading as soon as it leaves the barrell, so at long distances the pattern would contain some large gaps (less pellets will hit the bird, maybe none).

In summary, open choke for short range birds and tight choke for distance birds.

I use 1/4 and 1/2 chokes which seems to cover most birds but then I miss more than I hit.

[flightline]

I think markadams is right. For longer birds use a tighter choke. As Buzzer has said, anything up to a 1/2, which you have already used, unless the range is too far for anyone but a really top shot to attempt. With tighter chokes it`s often a case of a hit or a clean miss, especially at longer ranges. It may not be the choking which is the issue. These birds can be hard to hit and it will all come right with experience.

[berettaboy]

I stand corrected. 5 notches is indeed cylinder not improved cylinder. look here for more info....


http://www.beretta.c...SidebySides.pdf

Regards
BB

[gasman]

Well, 5 notches on a Browning is Skeet......

But in my experience if I am shooting at woodies but not dropping them I need a tighter choke rather than a more open one. If I'm missing clays likewise the first thing I do is put in half or 3/4 choke to try and work out where I am.

[TwinTop]

What chokes would you recommend for sport clays?

At the moment I'm using skeet for the first barrel and IC for the second working on the theory that the first clay will be nearer...

Still bloody miss - aww well...

[henry d]

What chokes would you recommend for sport clays?

At the moment I'm using skeet for the first barrel and IC for the second working on the theory that the first clay will be nearer...

Still bloody miss - aww well...

You may have to wait a while for gasman to reply, he was last here on - 2nd September 2003 - 09:41 PM

[bignoel]

Anthony
I asked the same question a few weeks ago and this is what I was told

1 notch ---- Full choke
2 notches -- 3/4 choke
3 notches -- 1/2 choke
4 notches -- 1/4 choke
5 notches -- improved cylinder
no notches --- skeet (true cylinder??) also may have 'sk' on the side of the choke


The above is correct for Beretta chokes
Hope this helps

great bit of info saves me asking now .well done

[alexm]

Here is a table I posted a couple of months back:

http://forums.pigeon...mp;#entry432153

The main confusion is usually about the 5 notches being labelled 'Cyl' and the no notches being labelled 'Skeet'... 'Cyl' is the European name for what in English terms is really 'Improved Cylinder' and the 'Skeet' choke is the European name for 'True Cylinder'.

Proof here:

http://forums.pigeon...mp;#entry437728

Edited by alexm, 26 April 2008 - 06:47 AM.

[webber]

1/4 & 1/2 should do for sporting.

webber