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SxS chokes


andrew f
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May i suggest that unless you are constantly getting flighting 45 yard plus high pigeon or getting 45 yard plus driven pheasants over you you look towards something like 1/4 and 1/2.

 

1/2 choke and 32g of 6 or 6.5 will stop respectively pheasant or pigeon up to 45 yards if placed on target.

 

If the gun is second hand and reasonable price, get it and pattern it and see what it actually is choked as most sbs can always be opened slightly in choke if required by local gun smith for about £80 last time i had it done.

 

If you can pick up a multichoke sbs you can put in what you want, however as above 3/4 and full whilst maximizing range, sacrifices the shot pattern diameter and you have to be very accurate but sub 25 yard shots would not be recommended.

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Quarter and half are about right but for driven birds you want the fullest choke in the right barrel or whatever barrel is fired first. Most S x S mine included seem to be bored for walked up game with the right barrel the more openly bored. Having said that I am always glad of fixed chokes as I feel I would spend a lot of time chopping and changing.

 

Blackpowder

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It is very easy to show that if one wishes to extend the range of one barrel over the other by a mere 5 yards (actually a massive difference for a shotgun) two steps up in choke is necessary. One offers very little increase in range and one half - known as 1/8 graduations (they say that most fishing tackle is designed to catch the anglers and this fraction shows that on occasion the same can be said for chokes and shooters) - is virtually useless in this respect. Consequently, 1/4 by 3/4 takes some beating. If you're talking really high pheasant then the chokes required are incompatible with pigeon decoying and in which case either multi chokes or a second gun could well be the answer.

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Shell selection is of great importance. These old sxs were meant for 1200fps loads tops. 1100fps if you can. Big slow loads. Perfect for game at beyond reasonable distance.

Because I'm not sure, would those velocity figures have related to observed velocity? If so, then for a No 6 1200 would be MV0 1562 and similarly 1100,1380 (source, Burrard)

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Depends on how far your AVERAGE shot will be.

 

Heavy chokes do lead to damaged birds at short ranges, some of my friends use 3/4 and full but never shoot at anything below 35 yards, they are all tasty shots.

 

Personally a SBS is usually a lightweight fast handling gun, best suited to 28gr loads or lighter. So perfect for 25/30 yard shots, up to 40 yards at a push given a load of 6s. But unless its an old 'pigeon' or magnum gun then for good high birds you would be better suited with a mid weight O/U to soak up the punishment from 32 gr or more loads.

 

I shoot a few of what some would call high birds, average 30 yards but some can be 50 yards or more. My 687 has 2 sets of barrels 1/4 + 1/2 & 1/2 + 3/4. Most of the time I use the open set with 30gr of 5s under a felt wad. I kill a few and miss a few but usually get my share given a bit of luck. When I used to shoot 20 driven days a year the tight barrels could be a death ray on a good day, dont do much these days so the standard has dropped.

 

A

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