Cranfield Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 I have the chance to acquire a very nice lightweight 12 bore, with 26" barrels, but it is fixed choke, skeet and skeet. Without trying to borrow it and spending some time on the pattern plate, has anyone seen any comparative info on range/spread for skeet chokes ? Anything cross referenced with shot size/loads would be even more interesting. Alternatively, has anyone consistently used skeet chokes for live bird shooting. with what results, or recommendations ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 i have killed pigeon cleanly out to 45 ms.if it is a clean gun i would nt be scared of it.skeet guns make good hide guns in my opinion.my mate uses one to great effect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tosspot Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Years ago we had a Winchester 91, 26 " choked skeet and skeet, I witnessed my father take clays and live game at ranges more than comparable with a tighter choked gun. He always swore that a decent plas wad shell would help, and after witnessing BTMS consistently break the longest target of the day at the Essex Masters a year or two back using skeet chokes I personally wouldn't worry too much about the distance issue, however the barrel length may take some getting used to depending on what you normally shoot, you may find the handling a tad "lively", I shot a Winchester 101 with 26" barrels for years ( an excellent bolt shooting gun btw, very quick) and took it out for a round of skeet a while back, after shooting a dedicated clay gun for some time since the Win felt like it was going to jump out of my hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Cranfield - not game shooting, but I swapped my 1/4 and 1/2 chokes in my 682E gold for Skeet and Cylinder for last weekend's sporting. Killed all birds easily enough. The ones I missed were just carelessness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 I have used such a gun for over 40 years for all my shooting other than high pheasants and wildfowling. I will kill cleanly at 40 yards with No 6 shot and is a joy to shoot. I promise you you won't be disappointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) Cranfield . I used a browning citori 26 inch skeet gun for many years for shooting pigeons over decoys and for driven pheasents ,also for shooting ducks over a flight pond . I cannot fault it in any way and found the skeet chokes more than capable of taking all game at sensible distances . Oh ,and I did use the gun for the odd round of skeet . Skeet and sevens are deadly on game birds . Harnser . Edited October 2, 2009 by Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) Is it a skeet gun or game gun Cranners? Skeet guns can shoot higher than game equivalents. I've used 2 bona fide skeet guns on pigeons from a hide and found them really good over deeks if you don't get to ambitious on the longer shots. I patterned 1 gun and it threw 2/3rds higher than my normal gun on wallpaper pinned to a bale. I put three different cartridges through it and decided on an ounce of 7's. You won't get too many runners if you keep within 35 yards. Another plus point is fast handling (short barrels) and if you keep the cartridge weight down there is hardly any muzzel flip. As you well know modern skeet guns are designed for 28g anyway - no more no less. Try it and then buy it you know it makes sense! PS I hadn't seen the words of wisdom from the old boy above before I posted mine, so there you go! Edited October 2, 2009 by Whitebridges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) Just give me a remmi 1100 with a skeet barrel and im in heaven Edited October 2, 2009 by magman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Is it a skeet gun or game gun Cranners? I think it must be a competition gun, as every game gun I have ever seen was at best 1/4 and 1/2, normally 1/2 and 3/4 chokes. Thanks for the comments gentlemen, much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Elvis Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 (edited) To Quote Mungler "chokes are all in your head". I have watched him powder the high tower at Braintree with skeet and skeet in and infact the resident feline MR Cat also shoots skeet and skee, well he did at the bucks shoot. Edited October 3, 2009 by Evil Elvis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaserF3 Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 http://www.islandlakeshootingrange.com/shotgunfacts.htm Using a quality cartridge will help at a distance but anything with soft shot will probaly pattern poorly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 I use skeet chokes quite a bit and my Extrema that I use on the marsh has a cylinder choke in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayman Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 (edited) True skeet is 1/8th choke, but many manufacturers will use Cy and skeet as the same, not producing a 1/8th choke model. To check what you really have use a drop gauge or vernier. The measure for 12b Cy is 18.5166mm and Sk 1 is 18.4023. There is also Sk 2, ie 3/16th choke sometimes used on second barrel in dedicated skeet guns, this is 18.34515mm. These tiny differences are pretty academic as the actual choke is whats thrown on the pattern plate, and that will vary with the wear in the barrel, if the gun has been modified, ie back bored etc, and also the cartridge type and load. In real terms you will have an ideal pattern of a 88cm spread at 20m from an Cy choke patterning correctly. True Sk or Sk-2 will be slighty tighter ( or the same at another m or two). This assumes that you are using light loads to fill the pattern, - 8 - 10 shot sizes, using game loads of 5-6 will give a similar pattern diameter but may leave holes from a lack of pattern destiny because of a low pellet count, so game needs to be kept in close when such open chokes are used. Usual and preferred use for an open choke game gun will be in low driven. Here the quarry is incoming so you are shooting into the head and breast. Easy kills into birds ( spit out the pellets after cooking if you fill the breast!!). Pigeon, squirrel etc at 15 - 25yds will all be OK, but the choking will struggle with fox, crow, and any rangy high birds. Use the gun for what the choking is good for and it will be devastating, but be aware of its limitations. Happy hunting. Edited October 3, 2009 by clayman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) Hi, If you are content to accept an effectve pattern diameter of 20" or a little over, a 1oz load of No7 will give you 32 yards and 11/8 35. This asumes the gun shoots TC. this is for pigeon. Edited October 4, 2009 by wymberley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune82 Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I once shot a fairly high pheasant day (40-45 yards) with skeet and skeet in my gun by accident. Thought I had 1/2 and 3/4 in and was well impressed with my performance. Even more so when I realised the chokes that night when cleaning the gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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