chokes

[tallpauljcb1]

i have just bought a semiautomatic escort magnum im just wounding wot choke to use for pigeon as am new to this as a never used a choke befor my chokes are.... full, cyl,imp cyl,mod, i just dont no which choke to use i no it sound thick but am new to this

[mickmep]

try the improved cylinder (1/4) for a starter.

personal experiance is this is about the best allrounder.

 

wouldn't personally bother with anything tighter than modified (1/2).

 

personally mostly use skeet or improved cylinder, but i shoot mostly clays.

 

stick the improved cylinder in and forget about it and enjoy the sport.

[tallpauljcb1]

cheers for the advise mate ill try it

[utectok]

Yep 1/4 is the one IMHO

[tallpauljcb1]

cheers lads ill try it on saturday and think ill take me pigeon magnet as well so ill lets ya no how a get on cheers paul

[KFC]

Yep, I use a semi-auto and I only ever have 1/4 choke in it.

 

To dispel some myths about choke.

 

Choke does not dramatically alter the total spread of the shot, what it does do is to increase the amount of shot that is at the centre of the pattern.

At 30yds with 1/4 choke then 40% of the shot will be within a 30" circle. With full choke then 70% of the shot will be within a 30" circle.

 

However, the actual spread of the pattern at 40yds will be 18" greater with 1/4 choke than with full. Sounds a lot but it is only 9" either side of the pattern at 40yds.

 

The other thing is that, on clay shoots, I have seen guns watch the clay then change their chokes on virtually every stand, and swap chokes between barrels.

However, on a Pheasant or Pigeon shoot, I have never seen a gun watch the target bird, decide that he's got the wrong choke in, change chokes and then shoot the bird.

 

Stick a 1/4 ( IC) in it and enjoy.

Edited March 6, 2010 by KFC

[Billy.]

Just stick 1/4 in and worry no longer. If you start fussing about which choke you've got, it'll more than likely become the blame for missing birds

[wymberley]

Yep, I use a semi-auto and I only ever have 1/4 choke in it.

 

To dispel some myths about choke.

 

Choke does not dramatically alter the total spread of the shot, what it does do is to increase the amount of shot that is at the centre of the pattern.

At 30yds with 1/4 choke then 40% of the shot will be within a 30" circle. With full choke then 70% of the shot will be within a 30" circle.

 

However, the actual spread of the pattern at 40yds will be 18" greater with 1/4 choke than with full. Sounds a lot but it is only 9" either side of the pattern at 40yds.

 

The other thing is that, on clay shoots, I have seen guns watch the clay then change their chokes on virtually every stand, and swap chokes between barrels.

However, on a Pheasant or Pigeon shoot, I have never seen a gun watch the target bird, decide that he's got the wrong choke in, change chokes and then shoot the bird.

 

Stick a 1/4 ( IC) in it and enjoy.

Hi, agree with your first sentence, but after that......1/4 at 30yds is 77% and Full is 100%

[berettaman]

Just to re-assure yourself set up youself a pattern plate and try the options you have been given this will also help you to see if you are shooting to point,but dont aim like a rifle ,it doesnt work that way as our guns are always on the move when we shoot or they should be

[chezza1986]

Gotta say a 1/4 choke is very good but where I live the pigeon fly above 40 yards easily, so I put a half in for good measure.

[chrispti]

Not having a dig at anyone here, so please dont tare my head off, but why do people suggest pattern plates, pellet count, etc etc, I thought these where mainly to check gun fit

 

When your out shooting 99.9% of the shots are taken when the gun is moving, therefore producing a shot string, which has naff all to do with how many pellets you got in a circle whilst shooting at a stationary target

[hawkeye]

I use a browning fusion semi auto and i fitted 1/2 choke in it the day i bought it and it has never changed and it shoots quite a few birds....

[deputy dog]

1/4 to half choke are the chokes i use most. I was in the same situation as you a few weeks back when i bought my Winchester Sx3 semi auto. So i just decided to go with what i used with my O/U which was 1/4 an half. You wont go far wrong with either of them. Good luck with what ever you use.

Edited April 7, 2010 by deputy dog

[12borejimbo]

Its all about preference, take the chokes out and have a look, but I use 1/2 in my escort as you have best of both worlds, range and spread.

[CharlieT]

Not having a dig at anyone here, so please dont tare my head off, but why do people suggest pattern plates, pellet count, etc etc, I thought these where mainly to check gun fit

 

When your out shooting 99.9% of the shots are taken when the gun is moving, therefore producing a shot string, which has naff all to do with how many pellets you got in a circle whilst shooting at a stationary target

 

 

Ah but it does have a direct bearing. I would suggest you spend the afternoon googling chokes and shotgun patterns. There is much for you to learn !!!

[chrispti]

Ah but it does have a direct bearing. I would suggest you spend the afternoon googling chokes and shotgun patterns. There is much for you to learn !!!

 

There is nothing for me to learn...... I dont want to fill my head with all that technical rubbish

 

1/2 and 3/4 suits me just fine

[sitsinhedges]

Not having a dig at anyone here, so please dont tare my head off, but why do people suggest pattern plates, pellet count, etc etc, I thought these where mainly to check gun fit

 

When your out shooting 99.9% of the shots are taken when the gun is moving, therefore producing a shot string, which has naff all to do with how many pellets you got in a circle whilst shooting at a stationary target

 

How does a moving gun generate a shot string if a stationary one doesn't

 

The shot comes out of the barrel in one lump, not in a string.

 

A pattern plate will show you where the gun is shooting and the pattern will give some idea of effective range.

 

IMO

[chezza1986]

How does a moving gun generate a shot string if a stationary one doesn't

 

The shot comes out of the barrel in one lump, not in a string.

 

A pattern plate will show you where the gun is shooting and the pattern will give some idea of effective range.

 

IMO

 

Sorry to say the shot doesn't come out in a lump it does go through the air as a string. Most reviews i've seen talk about smaller bore guns producing better shot strings and that pattern plates just show you a rough idea of the size and density of the shot pattern thus the effective killing range of that choke and cartridge combination.

[sitsinhedges]

Sorry to say the shot doesn't come out in a lump it does go through the air as a string. Most reviews i've seen talk about smaller bore guns producing better shot strings and that pattern plates just show you a rough idea of the size and density of the shot pattern thus the effective killing range of that choke and cartridge combination.

 

But a string would be the result of differing shot sizes etc not because the shooter is swinging a gun when they shoot

[Guest cookoff013]

no-one has even discussed cartridges. the chokes are very different with different cartridges.

say gun has 1/4 in it, cartridge a might not pattern at all, cartridge b might pattern closer 3/4 more than you`d like.

different cartridges, different results.

if you pattern the gun, you`ll see there isnt much difference.. will it make you shoot better? no.

 

if you can get the birds on your decoys, you still can hit them even with a -ve choke and the right cartridge.

i on the other hand have very tight chokes, i have faith in them and any cartridge, even a very light 7.

 

i can pick up any cartridge and i`ll get some / adequate performance out of it.

is it my being silly?

i dont know. but i have faith.

[chezza1986]

But a string would be the result of differing shot sizes etc not because the shooter is swinging a gun when they shoot

 

Not because the shooter is swining the gun is correct but the shot size piece i'm not so sure on. Every shot has a shot string, gun moving or stationry. Just when it hits a pattern plate it'll seem like the shot landed at once not in a string patteren. I've seen countless videos on youtube showing ammunition companys advertising good shot string qualitys and Benelli cryogenicly freeze their barrels to produce better shot stings or so they claim. www.shootinggunuk.co.uk have had a few posts on their that include coversations about shot strings and patterns.

[mudpatten]

Sitsinhedges, I think you`ve got hold of the wrong end of the stick mate. The shot string is caused by the shot travelling at different speeds due to a number of factors such as friction against the barrel wall, degree of choke, aerodynamic resistance, collision, pellet deformation etc,etc which results, the shot having left the muzzle in a "lump", in the shot cloud lengthening as the range increases.

 

At forty yards, depending on a number of factors, the shot string can be anything from less that 6 feet to more than 12 ft. A pattern plate is a one dimensional representation of something, the shot cloud, that operates in three dimensions. Length, breadth and time.

 

I apologise if I`ve misunderstood what you meant, but there is no suggestion that the shot string operates like a jet of water from a moving hosepipe and is curved. During the infinitesimal time that the charge takes to exit the muzzle the movement of the barrel has no lateral effect on the shot cloud.

[chrispti]

How does a moving gun generate a shot string if a stationary one doesn't :blink:

 

It does

 

 

Swing a tube filled with sand/grit and see what happens.

[sitsinhedges]

It does

 

 

Swing a tube filled with sand/grit and see what happens.

 

That wasn't the result of a barrel being swung, how could it be when the shot is still in a cup til it leaves the barrel.

 

Try slowly swinging a tube filled with a small amount of sand that is being pushed out at 1200FPS and see if it leaves the tube in one lump or a string :blink:

[chrispti]

That wasn't the result of a barrel being swung, how could it be when the shot is still in a cup til it leaves the barrel.

 

Try slowly swinging a tube filled with a small amount of sand that is being pushed out at 1200FPS and see if it leaves the tube in one lump or a string

 

As has already been said, it does leave in a ''lump'' but over distance it will spread out creating a ''string'' of shot :blink:

Edited April 13, 2010 by chrispti