Chokes for steel recomendations

[Winyard]

I have a Browning 525. New. It appears to say i can use HP steel up to Improved modified 3/4. I seem to remember reading that steel groups more closely so if you want the same effect as a 3/4, drop it down one. Is this correct? If you were out for a day pigeon shooting what chokes would you use for steel?

[alastair0903]

Not having used a lot yet (about 100 last time it on driven duck), I just stuck to 1/4 and 1/2 🤷🏼‍♂️. 

seemed to do the job for me, had some nice second barrel kills, so wouldn’t have thought a little choke was not doing any harm….

[Smudger687]

1 hour ago, Winyard said:

I have a Browning 525. New. It appears to say i can use HP steel up to Improved modified 3/4. I seem to remember reading that steel groups more closely so if you want the same effect as a 3/4, drop it down one. Is this correct? If you were out for a day pigeon shooting what chokes would you use for steel?

I think the 3/4 only applies to the invector DS chokes doesn't it?

I've put several steel loads on the pattern board through a briley improved modified (5/8) and they're usually pretty tight - arguably too tight, there isn't much room for forgiveness.

If you're just interested in clay shooting then quarter choke will be sufficient; by the time a tighter choke is needed the small steel pellets will have run out of puff anyway. 

[Dave at kelton]

Can’t comment on Browning particularly but in general I have found Imp and quarter sufficient. You will only know if you pattern the gun at say 30 yds with the cartridge you intend to use. My personal experience is down a half choke.

[Winyard]

Thanks all, yes i have a browning that uses the DS plus chokes, Titanium. It was for game really, but it seems a quarter and half is fine.

[Smudger687]

2 hours ago, Winyard said:

Thanks all, yes i have a browning that uses the DS plus chokes, Titanium. It was for game really, but it seems a quarter and half is fine.

The DS chokes are infamous for being much less tight than their nominal designations - the 3/4 choke, which should have ~30 thou constriction, is reported to have less than 15 thou. The others have a similar issue. 

Definitely worth patterning before using in anger imo. 

Edited October 20, 2022 by Smudger687

[Winyard]

You make and interesting point Smudger. I noticed this but was told that the reason for this (not by Browning) is the bore is wider than normal, so the chokes do choke to the same degree, but as the bore is larger than normal the chokes end up being larger than a standard choke. Whether that’s true or not I have no idea

 

[Walker570]

If you have a place to do it, then a piece of ply 36 inch square there abouts and a roll of wall paper liner. Tear of sufficent to cover the board and staple. Measure 35yrds no don't pace it out, measure it precisely then fire a shot at the centre with choke of choice and see the result. If a bit ragged then try a choke either side till you find one which prints a tidy acceptable pattern.     It is not possible for anyone to just suggest a choke as they all differ slightly some more so.  I have just had a friend do just that with some bismuth loads in a 410.    Just remember that a pattern at 18 to 20yrds is only going to be 18 inches in diameter at best if the first test at 35 puts most or all the pellets on the plate.    So it is good to try all your chokes at various ranges that you are likely to experience.    Anyhting other than this is pure guesswork.

[Smudger687]

21 hours ago, Winyard said:

You make and interesting point Smudger. I noticed this but was told that the reason for this (not by Browning) is the bore is wider than normal, so the chokes do choke to the same degree, but as the bore is larger than normal the chokes end up being larger than a standard choke. Whether that’s true or not I have no idea

 

A dubious explanation, a larger bore would need even more constriction to achieve the same percentage area reduction, not less...

Pattern them, and if they don't meet your expectations swap over to your choice of choke maker. I've found Brileys to perform excellently and are reasonably priced. 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Smudger687

[Graham M]

Sorry but you have that wrong. If a barrel is bored at .729 (18.4mm) then half choke (20 thou) would be constricted down to .709. So if the bore is 18.7mm  (.736) as is the browning 525, then constriction of 20 thou would make the choke .716, but it would still be half choke because the constriction is still only 20thou.

So it follows that if a 15thou choke was fitted to a .736 bore, then the actual choking would still be .721 but would still be 3/8 because it would still only be a 15thou constriction. 

 

[Stonepark]

1 hour ago, Graham M said:

Sorry but you have that wrong. If a barrel is bored at .729 (18.4mm) then half choke (20 thou) would be constricted down to .709. So if the bore is 18.7mm  (.736) as is the browning 525, then constriction of 20 thou would make the choke .716, but it would still be half choke because the constriction is still only 20thou.

So it follows that if a 15thou choke was fitted to a .736 bore, then the actual choking would still be .721 but would still be 3/8 because it would still only be a 15thou constriction. 

 

Nominal choke varies depending on bore diameter, if full choke in a .729 12b is 40thou, it is a restriction of 10.7%, for a .410 410, full choke restriction of 10.7%  is 22\23 thou.

For a .736 12b, full choke would be towards 41 thou rather than 40 thou as choke is a percentage area restriction but due to the very small difference, cartridge selection is probably more important.

[Graham M]

👍

[bunny_blaster]

I’ve shot steel on pigeons exclusively for 5-6 years now, I use 1/2 choke in the auto and 3/8 and 1/2 in my DT10. They perform well out to 50 yards

[Scully]

5 hours ago, bunny_blaster said:

I’ve shot steel on pigeons exclusively for 5-6 years now, I use 1/2 choke in the auto and 3/8 and 1/2 in my DT10. They perform well out to 50 yards

Good for you. 👍I sometimes think some folk are intent on creating problems where none exist. 

[Wylye]

On 20/10/2022 at 06:05, Dave at kelton said:

Can’t comment on Browning particularly but in general I have found Imp and quarter sufficient. You will only know if you pattern the gun at say 30 yds with the cartridge you intend to use. My personal experience is down a half choke.

Agreed. It works

[Charlie Anderson]

Chokes are the work of the devil if you have options you always want the choke that's not in the gun at the time ie if they are not in close you want a tighter choke and when you change it they then fully commit to the decoys and vice versa. I agree though steel patterns a lot tighter so as suggested I would check your choke/cartridges first on  a pattern plate/wall paper roll at the distance you expect to be shooting and then find they haven't agreed to said plan. I have been impressed with the kicks high flier chokes for my semi but it's a personal choice. I usually find the modified kicks choke works best for me but it depends on the day.good luck.

[enfieldspares]

5 hours ago, Charlie Anderson said:

Chokes are the work of the devil if you have options you always want the choke that's not in the gun at the time.

Go to a few registered CPSA competitions for English Sporting and it's like a version the "hokey cokey". You put your right choke in, you your take the left choke out, in, out, you turn them all around and change them all about...!"

My own game guns are IMP and IMP in BOTH barrels where I've had them bored and regulated. Shooting, another said, is like billiards. It is the easy shots that make up the big totals. My duck guns when I had such when lead was lawful (later were used for fox and vermin) were always 1/2 and 1/2 in both barrels.