viking Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 hi guys, just got my new gun yesterday and shot with it today, shot DTL and i mormally get between 16 and 20, today 5/25, i put it down to the new gun and it being freezing and very windy, someone asked what chokes i had in it and when i looked i had IM top and M in the bottom, was only shooting one barel so i will of been shooting M, iv just had a look at some old questions about chokes and most seen to say 1/4 bottom and 1/2 top, but i was wondering about having SK in the bottom and CL in the top for DTL and when i shoot sporting, as iv not been doing it that long i would like to keep that pattern open as much as poss, any thoughts or comments most wellcome, thanks lee, PS in my second 25 of the day i did a 16, not great but better that my first score of 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgit Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Interesting subject chokes! I've been down to the local clay shoot today and asked what chokes people are using and quite a lot say they just use the ones that come with the gun? They normally say 1/4 and 1/2 is standard. most are not sure what they have in? I'm asking all sorts of questions while scoring for them. Like, do you swap the barrells to shoot the closed choke first and then the open for the second shot, if the distance shot is first. Most say they don't bother? they just shoot in the same order. As i'm new to this, I can't go telling these guys that perhaps it would help them to change it for different positions. Most are there for a shoot and a tea and then off home for dinner (just a morning out really) I'm thinking, that if you want to shoot well you have to take it a bit more serious at least from the start to give yourself as much chance as possible of hitting the targets. Most tend to say to just blast as many shots as you can to find your shooting point, i'm not sure if this is really right. But as a newbie I'm prepared to be helped by anyone! most of the good shots today said that 1/4 and 1/4 would be fine for 95% of the clays as they were set today. They said once you are hitting them regular you can move forward to changing chokes when you know what you are doing. I found on my first shoot that when I used a fixed choke s/s I could hit then a bit easier and using my friends berreta SP I was struggling to find where to shoot. So the question is should you struggle from the start with closed chokes to make you shoot more accurately, or start on the clays with open chokes and start hitting the dam things to give you confidence from the start. And what chokes would you put in my Berreta 686 sporter when I get it?? (awaiting licence to come through the post) as a new shooter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 For starting out with sporting stick 1/4 and 1/4 (if you have them) or even skeet / 1/4 and forget about them. Anything fast and close in, use No9 shot. For DTL most "pros" will advocate 1/2 + 3/4 or even tighter. The targets are always a min distance from you and are always going away - if you miss first barrel you'd probably want tighter in the second to give you a similar chance of hitting it. Don't get hung up on chokes, I've seen people break midi's at range with skeet and No9 shot, similarly I have seen someone shoot 50 straight skeet with full/full and No7.5 shot. A lot more in your mind than anything else. Stick in some chokes, as long as they are not too tight, and concentrate on getting that gun swinging and keeping it swinging (sporting). I don't shoot DTL as I find it painfully boring but the key there is getting into a routine, repeating the same movements and above all concentrating on picking up the target quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caragh Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hi Emotive subject chokes from my personal experience skeet chokes and a decent cartridge will hit anything thrown at a normal sunday morning clay shoot. I would rather risk one slipping through the pattern to give myself the best chance of hitting the rest only my opinion but mostly gets me in the high thirties low forties ex fifty your mileage may vary regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 (edited) PIN is absolutely spot on, chokes are a mind game. which is why most people you ask at your normal club shoot will say "they were in the gun when I got it" I use skeet and 1/4 for 99.9% of all sporting clays and use different size shot for close or rangey stuff. I tend to use Express World Cup no. 8s for most changing to a 9 for close stuff and very occasionally 7.5s for fast going away birds. If I were you starting out with a new gun I would put in the most open chokes you get, find a clean fast cartridge that you can afford and get consisently. Don't buy whatever is cheapest because the bnext time you go to get some they won't have them. Stick with that combination until you start hitting about 60-70% of all clays you shoot evertytime, then start thinking about it. If you put tight chokes in to shoot more accurately you will get ****** off with your scores not being consistent and missing easy birds. At my local shoot last time out there was an incoming midi that landed about 6 foot in front of you which lots of people left until it was so close they thought they couldn't miss, however at such a close range you are basically firing a single slug of shot at it and have to be more precise, by shooting it at about 15 yards out with 9's and skeet chokes every one was smashed. Open chokes and fast cartridges is what I do, other people will have different methods. You basically pay your money and take your choices. But missing them all the time due to worrying about chokes will get demorallising. Edited January 6, 2008 by martincavie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking Posted January 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 i know its all to easy to get caught up in chokes but i plan on putting 2 in and leaving them there, i was just trying to get the right 2, iv done DTL and sporting but find DTL easier for genral learning but a couple more goes at DTL to get used to my gun then i will be sporting all the time, im now thinking of cylinder/open in the bottom and IC/1/4 in the top, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking Posted January 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 couldnt agree more with the last couple of coments, thats why i intend sticking 2 in and leaving them in, like you say untill its time to rethink think things a while down the track, what carts do you recomend as i normally use the ones at the club and there 28g either 71/2 or 81/2 cant quite remember, was thinking of getting a 1000 when i got my gun but was unsure what to get, thanks, lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Find a cart that you like, is consistent and more importantly (as Martin says) you can get hold of regularly. Cart's are a person preference item, but you won't go far wrong with Express HV's, Eley firsts, gamebore white gold etc - for my money budget carts don't cut it, too much variation which when you are learning you can do without Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 I have now settled firmly on: 1/4 and 1/2 Eley Blacks 28g Number 8 (cheap and plentiful supply). It takes a while messing about with chokes and cartridges and fannying about but it is all in the head though. Nothing on here will stop you however from doing your own fannying about - it is a path every clay shooter must walk [hommmmmm]. That being said, stay away from pattern plates - they are the work of the darkside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgit Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 So glad you all say that about the chokes, as this is just what i hoping to hear. I think i'll leave the top open, and 1/4 in the bottom till i'm hitting them most of the time at the range. The first thing I'm going to do is find the POI (point of inpact) in a field to see where its shooting, for both barrells, and then I will have the confidence to fire in the right place. Just can't wait to get the gun, should be this week that the licence drops through the letter box!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Outlaw Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 So glad you all say that about the chokes, as this is just what i hoping to hear. I think i'll leave the top open, and 1/4 in the bottom till i'm hitting them most of the time at the range. The first thing I'm going to do is find the POI (point of inpact) in a field to see where its shooting, for both barrells, and then I will have the confidence to fire in the right place. Just can't wait to get the gun, should be this week that the licence drops through the letter box!! The norm is tight in the top mate. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmsy Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 min of 1/2 and 3/4 imo for trap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking Posted January 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 thanks for all the answers guys, plenty for me to think about there, keep up the good work thanks, Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingo5 Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 I shoot a 682 gold and use Teague ported 3/8 ( Light modified ) in both barrels, they fall very nicely between 1/4 and 1/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benelli 1 Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Chokes are a funny ole subject and of course everybodys different...What I would suggest that you do sometime in the future is try all your chokes out on a pattern plate...Thats what I did with my beretta silver pig 687 and I turned up some interesting results...firstly I found out that I was shooting slighty high and secondly that my 1/4 choke was actually grouping tighter patterns than my 1/2 choke was at a range of 35 yards...I now shoot 1/4 and 3/4 and my other chokes are in the cuboard gathering dust. Dont muck about with them to much thow cos it will knock your confidence abit when you miss and you will find yourself blaming the chokes instead of your marksmanship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.