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Do you get the maximum from your multi-choke gun?


Toombsy
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As I was cleaning the guns, and tightening the chokes I got to thinking...

 

I can't ever see a day when I'll use the three-quarters and full chokes of either the 20 or the 12-bores. They've never been out of their tubes.

 

Whenever I'm on the clay ground it's either skeet in both barrels, or quarter in both, and when I'm pigeon or duck shooting it's always half in both.

 

The obvious use for the redundant chokes are on trap layouts, but a multi-choke gun isn't really the ideal tool to use on a trap layout as they tend to shoot fairly flat.

 

So just as a matter of interest, do you get the maximum out of your multi-choke gun and use all the chokes? Under what conditions?

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When I started shooting clays many moons ago I was convinced i needed a multi-choke.As I improved I the less choke changing I did,to the extent I never changed them at all from 1/4 and 1/2.I don't shoot clays at all nowadays,but the gun I shoot most with is a multi-choke sporter.I chose the gun because i liked it,and if it had been fixed at 1/4 and 1/2 I'd have been even happier.Less cleaning to do.

I shoot most things flying or running with no problem,all I change are the cartridges.

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When I had my MC OU I had a full set of chokes from cylinder to extra full including sk1, sk2, 3/4, plus IC/MOD/Full. I used them all for something. I didn't need all of them (the came with the gun except 3/4 and turkey full) and could have gotten away with less.

 

Most of my MC use was in the US, so keep that in mind with my uses. When I was shooting woodcock and grouse, I'd have cylinder and 1/4. Shots were almost always less than 20 yards and with both birds 1 pellet in the body is enough to knock them down (I shot over dogs to retrieve). General shooting for pheasants and small game was 1/4, 1/2. If I was going to shoot some ducks then I'd put in 1/2 3/4 as that was my steel choke set. If I was shooting squirrels specifically later in the season I'd have 3/4 and full because later in the season the are higher in the trees and seem to have tougher skin. I'd up the shot size a bit too because I wanted them dead before they hit the ground (dogs again). For coyote hunting I'd have 3/4 and full b/c that was the best patterning combo for #4 buckshot. Then turkey would be turkey full in the first barrel and 3/4 in the second barrel. Turkey full patterned out to 50 yards with US 6's but was a bit tight under 30 yards so the 3/4 made a nice close range compliment.

 

All of that from one gun, and on any given day I might have done 3 or 4 of those activities. One place I shot in particular had very specific areas that held grouse/WC, pheasants, and ducks.

 

Thanks

Rick

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I have:-

 

Beretta Optima:-

 

Extended chokes - Cylinder,Skeet, 1/4 x 2, 1/2 x 2, 3/4 and full.

 

Plus Teague ported extended 3/8 x 2

 

Kicks ported extended 3/8 x 2.

 

Flush chokes - Skeet x 2, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full.

 

Miroku Teague flush - Skeet x 2, 1/4 x 2, 1/2, 3/4 and full.

 

 

I use:-

 

Beretta 3/8 x 2

 

Beretta 3/8 x 2 (used by my son)

 

Miroku Teague 1/4 x 2

 

That means I have 25 and effectively use 6 of them. The flush chokes are for sale, but that leaves me with 13 chokes which I don't use at all. Bought another 1/2 yesterday to make up an extended set, which I won't use.

 

Chokes are a manufacturers dream - every shooter's idea of the Holy Grail.

Edited by Gordon R
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I use IC and 1/4 for ferreting 1/4-1/2(1/2-3/4 roosting) for pigeons, fowl & game with my OU

1/4 for most things with my Xtrema except long range foxing when I use 3/4 or full with 3 1/2" 2 1/4 oz 2`s buffered load.

 

its not a matter really of if the gun shoots flat, or if it shoots high. all you need to know is 'WHERE' it shoots. if you know that, and you should, you can shoot anything with it.

 

I appreciate that you are probably talking from a clay shooting point, but hitting something doesn`t mean you will kill it.

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