Chokemeister

That's what I thought. Van Cleef would have kicked Eastwood's butt anyhoo if he didn't have to also watch Tuco.. ;-)

Not really. But consternation was felt over the very strange noise the 28g Gamebore White Gold fibre carts were making when I was firing them. The noise was very different, a very short, higher pitched sharp crack, you know, like the dubbed gun noises in the Spaghetti Westerns when Lee Van Cleef's gun always sounded meaner than good-guy Eastwoods? All 4 shooters' heads turned, it was that noticeable. A more experienced shot suggested the powder charge was getting past the fibre wad which are no good in an overbored barrel, and could burn the shot and send a load of fused shot down the line dangerously (like a melted shot 'slug') Anyone heard of this? Is this so?

You may be right, but if it's indeed placebo effect, then it works well for my simple brain... I simply shoot better with one. Especially on AT, where the extreme hard right clays are already miles away unless the second shot is taken instantly.

The effect isn't huge, but they do reduce recoil. Even though some of the gasses escape 360 degrees around before the main shot charge leaves the muzzle (which in this case is the choke itself), that unavoidably means less gas forces (divided by time) during the instant the shot charge normally emerges from the muzzle. I value the reduced muzzle flip far more than any admittedly small difference in shoulder recoil. Psychological? A Placebo Effect" I don't know, but I shoot better with them, that's why I buy them time after time. Just like an expensive gun with a 'K' at the start of the name, you don't NEED one, but...

Because the back force is reduced all around, meaning that if gas energy is dissipated around the ports, that same portion of gas energy as it accelerates into the air won't be pushing back at you. Muzzle flip is indeed reduced. Physics, no need to roll eyes mate.

Extended chokes constrict the shot load less violently than doing the same constriction over a shorter length such as with a shorter flush choke, meaning less crushed and deformed pellets and hence a better pattern. Deformed pellets tend to be aerodynamically unsettled and land as fliers way outside the normal pattern. A ported choke, is effectively a ported muzzle. Ported muzzles are industry standard in firearms from handguns to shotguns, used for many many years for reducing muzzle jump and felt recoil. With shotgunning, I find a small increase in the speed I can get off an accurate second shot, as there is less muzzle flip with a good ported choke. I accept some people would neither feel the difference in recoil, nor be fast enough to make use of any reduced muzzle flip. I have no info on ability for a ported choke to open a plastic wad. I use premium cartridges, and often at the pattern plate, I find many plastic wads have not even opened at all, yet I still have first-class patterns. I wouldn't worry about that and I doubt we will see hi-speed film confirmation any time soon. In summary, they are not gimmicks, extended chokes are proven to be better for patterns, and a good ported choke will lessen felt recoil and reduce muzzle flip, this is laws-of-physics stuff and can't be argued with, not even over a pint I do find them harder to clean, but I don't mind extra effort for knowing I get the best pattern and the fastest muzzle recovery for a second shot. I dip the chokes with the ports end in a small jar of bore cleaner for 20 minutes, then a quick scrub with an old phosphor-bronze brush and they're like new again.

Gone!

Ticket number were up into the 500,000s last time I looked, over half-a-million sold. yet the 1st 3 prizes were 101243, 123712 and 120283 - a linear spread of just 22,469 in over half a million tickets? What's the chances of that? Am I reading it right? Better buy early next time

Lancashire up near't Moors

Sorry no, unless someone else correct me, Optima Plus, is different from both Optima, and Optima-HP. As I said in another thread, Beretta do like to confuse us

Selling all my Beretta kit, I just have Guerini. One more call for the custom Briley Spectrum Mach-1 choke, in Beretta Optima fit, in Extended and Ported, X-Full (Extra-Full) 12 gauge. This is the choke in the photo. Very little used, money back if not delighted. These are £80 new from Midway UK. Looking for a reduced £32, plus £2.50 for the real-world postage costs.

For sale, still have a few chokes left to sell as I now just have Guerini kit. 2 x Beretta chokes in the Optima-HP choke fit, such as for Beretta Perennia or Prevail and other guns. Custom made by Teague, these are first-rate engineering, in Extended and Ported, a FULL and also an X-FULL(a.k.a. 'Turkey' choke). These are the actual chokes in the images, still boxed, very little used. Cost new £62 each, I am looking for £35 each or £65 for both together. £2.50 postage please.

Had a small issue with my new Guerini, spoke to Director Mike Mansfield on the phone (a cracking shot, as is his ex-Olympian partner Kevin Gill). Next day, I had a personal visit to their premises as I was going down that area. The welcome was very warm and Mike managed to fix my issue in no time at all despite being very busy, he put himself out and helped immediately. I came away with a grin from ear-to-ear, with a sorted gun and a mountain of tips from a very experienced shot. This really is how customer service should be, times I think we Brits have gotten used to not expecting it. Did you know, they have a mandated 1-week turnaround on any service job? And if they can't get your gun back within that week, come hell or high water, they will get you another gun in your hand in the meantime. Contrast that to my guns from my 'other' marque, which when I needed service, I waited 5 weeks to see my gun again - with no stand-in gun to shoot with either. They are a small operation, Guerini have really managed to rise to the very top in customer service as far as I am concerned. I will probably stay with them for my shooting life now. I know I can rely on them 100% Just blown away, delighted. I had to report my experiences, I hope you too get service like this with your brand.

OP, I agree you should visit a pattern plate. I doubt the pattern density will be the reason you are missing if you are shooting within humane ranges. But the plate will show you POI (Point Of Impact) - some shooters are amazed to find their shot cloud is not striking the hot-core anywhere near where they look/aim. Re. metal plates.. we use a metal plate too. Problem is, you can't take it home for reference, so I photo it, making sure I photo from the exact same distance and angle each time. I used to clip paper over the metal plate, but the shot ricochets back through the paper giving raggedy, horrible results, with lead powder everywhere. Some folks especially in the 'States, I heard use white Lithium grease to paint the 'plate instead of white emulsion paint, as unlike the paint, it won't dry on the roller, or worse yet, freeze in the bucket in cold spells and become 100% useless... and try getting some of the ******* at my range to clean the roller of paint is pretty tough.. The white Lithium greases I found so far and on auction sites, are way overpriced for this task, wonder where we can get an industrial-quantity 20 litre or so bucket?

Every new gun I had of late has stickers of the maker for you to fit on the barrels, if you wish. Kind of reminds me of the craze for stickers on the back screens of cars... ..or Jimmy Cricket's 'Left' and 'Right' on his wellies...

When you had it, did you pattern the rib's real-world POI? if so can you recall what percentage POI split did you get at lowest and highest front-rib settings (eg setting for highest and lowest POI respectively)? eg 60/40, 95/5 etc

Two gone, a few left marked under the photo.

Well I have a new Beretta at £1000 less. The Guerini looks value for the wood quality, the metal scroll and wood to metal fit. £3200 seems a good price for what I got. From my experiences of customer services, it's second-to-none and adds real worth to it on that alone. Money can be an issue, I'm more worried how a gun actually shoots, handles recoil, and tames muzzle-jump for the second shot etc.

The HW80. Hardest, roughest, toughest, yet accurate bit of German engineering at its very best. If something awful hit this planet, when all the pretty-boy stuff no longer works, because of no electricity or bottle refills, the HW80 will keep on going. Every house should have an HW80, just in case lol. It's perfection. Just, perfection.

I have my hands on a nice Guerini Summit DTS Trap over-and-under. This is the Summit Trap model, with the 22mm or so very high adjustable rib, not the 'Impact' variant which isn't as high. This is my Front Rib Adjustment. Only fired a few rounds off, just to get the feel. Felt recoil is very well suppressed. Keen to swap talk with any other owners out there.

Twice I got stuck in the snow off to shoots in my little FWD motor. Now thinking of a used but nice, competent off-roader that will get me to all shoots come what may, yet also score highly on luxury and comfort for touring with my elderly inlaws too.. We never really had a 'nice' car before, but I now have a budget of around £25k for a good used example. I want something that will last, not rust, and be fairly reliable. I like the look of the Disco 3 and the RR Vogue. Any helpful comments appreciated.

I don't know what chokes are fitted on whatever variant of Beretta guns folks, you'll have to check your own manuals -it should be clearly stated. Some of the same gun model use different chokes, eg the UGB-25 uses the 'Optima-choke' in the Trap variants, yet bizarrely, Beretta use the incompatible Optima-H.P. choke in their Sporter. So, check your manual. Just be aware these are NOT compatible with the Optima-H.P. or the Optima-Plus choke thread. Thank Beretta for making it all a little confusing... All chokes still available... these are good bargains I think.