12 Bore - Full Choke - Pro's & Con's??

[M.I.A]

Does anyone use full choke? what are the pros and cons?

[humperdingle]

For birds or clays?

 

Clays - Occasionally, for longer sporting targets - going-away teals etc

Pigeons - Nope, purely because most of my targets are 30 yards or less, so full choke would in all likelihood render the meat useless.

[steve_b_wales]

Full choke for Crows, with #5 32grm shot. Devastating (When I hit them!)

[COACH]

Not for years, just no need with the modern cartridge.

3/4 maximum for FITASC and real rabbits.

30g max for rough shooting, Number 5s kill anything within 60 yds.

Fox to 40yds.

The main problem with a full choke is the fast, close crossers. It's almost like trying to shoot the moving target with a rifle, far to tight.

[Catweazle]

I have used full and extra-full chokes for squirrels in the top of some very high trees and for drey shooting.

[Robin128]

George Digweed uses full chokes...but he is world champ.

 

Use 1/4 chokes for English Sporting.

 

Full for long range and high shots.

 

HTH

[Guest cookoff013]

yeah i use full chokes sometimes.

 

although i only own one for one of my guns now.

 

i have a fixed choke xfull and full sxs, and i can use very light cartridges, and still dust extreme targets "sometimes !"

[Cranfield]

I read somewhere a few years ago, that with todays modern cartridges half choke is the most efficient choke for all ranges of shooting.

This includes clays and live quarry shooting and this seems to work OK for me.

 

I have friends that are so choke obsessed that they will continually change chokes between shots, not just on clays, but also on live birds.

[cjm]

Yes sometimes on the pigeons full choke with 28g 7.5s but you have to be on the money!!!

[Spara Dritto]

I was shooting 50 yard crossers with ¼ + ½ extended Teague chokes with no problem... I was using plastic wad which apparently gives a similar pattern to a fibre through ½ + ¾ . I don't think you need full to kill 90% of clays (Bar trap). It seems apparent that full or extra full would be used to increase your accuracy to see where you break the clay or for Mr Digweeds 110 yard teal shots.

[HDAV]

I had a play the other shot a mixture of stands with Skeet & 1/4, 3/4 & full, and 1/4 & 3/8. Didnt make any real difference the breaks seemed chippier with more open chokes but not dust balls with full? I was using 8 shot 24gram Plastic IIRC

[Browning]

I read somewhere a few years ago, that with todays modern cartridges half choke is the most efficient choke for all ranges of shooting.

This includes clays and live quarry shooting and this seems to work OK for me.

 

I have friends that are so choke obsessed that they will continually change chokes between shots, not just on clays, but also on live birds.

 

I was told the same thing last year during a conversation with the MD of a UK based cartridge manufacturer and a very well known England team shot, since then I have used 1/2 & 1/2 for everything and my shooting at both vermin, game and sporting clays has improved noticeably.

 

I know it may all be in my head.....but it worked for me.

[Hamster]

I had a play the other shot a mixture of stands with Skeet & 1/4, 3/4 & full, and 1/4 & 3/8. Didnt make any real difference the breaks seemed chippier with more open chokes but not dust balls with full? I was using 8 shot 24gram Plastic IIRC

 

 

This is a very true if unexpected phenomenon. I too notice this even whilst watching some world class shots who shoot F/F. The margin of error with Full is ridiculously tiny so unless you are absolutely on the clay you tend to get breaks no better than say half. They do tend to get prettier breaks on the rangey clays though.