Cumbrian Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 I'm very tempted to buy a nice gun but it has chokes fixed at 1/2 and 3/4 and I shoot not-too-challenging sporting clays i.e. not being very skillful, I can't really hit the far out targets that these relatively tight chokes would be best suited too. So, since I don't wish to install multi chokes or to have the chokes bored out, is there anything I could do in terms of cartridges to make the gun usable at the sort of distances that I'm used to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 Yes you could buy some fibre wadded 9s and that would open the pattern out without spoiling the gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterse Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 3 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Yes you could buy some fibre wadded 9s and that would open the pattern out without spoiling the gun. Good advice, I shoot that exact combination of fixed chokes using 9s and don’t have any problems with close targets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 Hull Pro Piston, and Fiocchi Bior are specifically designed to spread at close range, but a fibre wad 9 should achieve the same thing …. No harm in patterning a few to see which helps the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumbrian Posted February 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 Many thanks, guys. Very helpful. I think I will go ahead in that case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 Good man, let us know what you buy and what you test to open up the pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.C Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 Alternatively just use 7.5s. Put it in right place and get some satisfying dust balls. Mate has the same and does OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 22 minutes ago, Mr.C said: Alternatively just use 7.5s. Put it in right place and get some satisfying dust balls. Mate has the same and does OK. That is exactly the set up I use, 32" 3/4 and full with 7 1/2s, work very well close in too, although you do have to be rather accurate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 Have you properly already patterned your existing set up which will allow you to make a sensible comparison? Once you've bought it and dependent upon how the 1/2 barrel shoots - because it may well already do so - I'd be inclined to have just that one barrel opened up to shoot 1/4. This really just in case with a nice gun you use it for live quarry and that 1/4 by 3/4 combination is a very good all purpose combination with the ability to be changed by cartridge selection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 I use 7.5’s and 8’s for all my clay shooting, and all are fibre wads, no matter which gun I’m shooting with and whatever choke they have. I use trap guns, sporters, pumps and autos for clays, and chokes vary from fixed at full and extra full, through to 1/4 and skeet. I’ve no doubt I cut down my chances using tighter or wide open chokes on some birds, but you’re either on them or you’re not. Despite what some say, it’s not a bad idea to pattern your gun; once you know where it’s shooting you know where you need to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted February 16, 2020 Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 Leave it as it is and shoot fibres (or piston shells which perform exactly like fibres but cost more). It's a myth that 9s have a greater usable pattern than 7.5s. There might - just might - be the occasional extra wayward pellet compared with 7.5s, but the reality is you just get more pellets in the same size pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumbrian Posted February 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2020 I'm grateful for all the further suggestions and advice. Look forward to acting on them and experimenting, though patterning is not too easy for me at the moment: neurotic horses in the fields adjacent to our garden and I don't find the steel plates smeared with whitewash that you can find at some clay grounds all that helpful compared to good old plain wall paper, but I agree that this is the only way to test anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taileron Posted February 17, 2020 Report Share Posted February 17, 2020 On 16/02/2020 at 10:51, Mr.C said: Alternatively just use 7.5s. Put it in right place and get some satisfying dust balls. Mate has the same and does OK. This ^^^ I went out last Tuesday with a couple of pals to do 100 birds. My buddy has an old MK70 which he has used day in/out for donkeys years choked to super full/super full. He is a keeper/grounds man and started shooting at about 8 with his dads .410. He dusted 92/100 then to add insult to injury mentioned he hadn’t shot clays for about 5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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