What chokes for sporting clays?

[animal79thecat]

Hi all,

im very much new to shooting,and have a Browning 325.

Can anyone advise best chokes to use from the selection ive got for sporting clays?

I have :2 Full,Plus cyl,Plus Skeet,Plus Imp Cyl,Plus Mod,and Plus Imp Mod.

There are one of each,apart from the full chokes,of which there are two.I understand these arent that suitable,as they produce a tighter pattern?

many thanks,

Garth.

 

[animal79thecat]

Hi all,

im very much new to shooting,and have a Browning 325.

Can anyone advise best chokes to use from the selection ive got for sporting clays?

I have :2 Full,Plus cyl,Plus Skeet,Plus Imp Cyl,Plus Mod,and Plus Imp Mod.

There are one of each,apart from the full chokes,of which there are two.I understand these arent that suitable,as they produce a tighter pattern?

many thanks,

Garth.

 

[shootinguru]

Improved cylinder in bottom barrel and modified in the top!  NEVER CHANGE THEM  no matter what any "expert" tells you!

 

[teepee1234]

I just saw a flying pig...  I actually agree with "guru"...

Other people will tell you all about tighter chokes for longer targets, open chokes for close stuff.  It really is unnecessary, IMHO.  There is nothing that you'll be faced with in sporting that these chokes won't break, as long as you put the lead in the right place.  For some people, changing chokes between stands is a psychological thing - they believe it works, and that's fine for them.  But if you twiddle, you're spending less time analysing the targets, and if you miss, you'll be questioning the choke selection.  Others will tell you having a few different cartridge sizes will help.  Again, if it works for their head, no problem.  Once you've shot 30 or 40k, you may want to experiment, but until then...

Improved and modified will break anything if the lead is put in the right place!  Choose a cart (28g 7.5 or 8 plas wad), stick with it and the chokes, and put lead down the tubes! 

PS.  Have a few lessons now and then... 

PPS.  Enjoy it!

 

[Hamster]

Hi all,

im very much new to shooting,and have a Browning 325.

Can anyone advise best chokes to use from the selection ive got for sporting clays?

I have :2 Full,Plus cyl,Plus Skeet,Plus Imp Cyl,Plus Mod,and Plus Imp Mod.

There are one of each,apart from the full chokes,of which there are two.I understand these arent that suitable,as they produce a tighter pattern?

many thanks,

Garth.

Guru is not wrong, I'd sell the two Fulls though as you'll never ever need them, buy one more each of IC & Mod, that way you can start off with two IC and in a year or three stick the 1/2's in for ever.

 

[HDAV]

IMO imp cyl and mod is what you need possibly skeet, choke is only half the answer as different carts pattern differently

http://www.briley.com/understandingshotgunchokesabriefexplanationbybriley.aspx

 

[Bramble]

1/4 & 1/2 will do fine....

 

[animal79thecat]

IMO imp cyl and mod is what you need possibly skeet, choke is only half the answer as different carts pattern differently

http://www.briley.com/understandingshotgunchokesabriefexplanationbybriley.aspx

Excellent info there,thanks

 

[Oldblaster]

Personally, I have full in the top and 3/4 in the bottom! I use fibre cartridges, this combination will kill anything any distance possible! I don't have to worry about chokes, cartridges or any other niggling thoughts, I just consentrate on the target, I have shot a P.B. with this combination. It works for me, great fun smoking targets, after all thats what it all about! Enjoy.

 

[Skeet UK]

Hi all,

im very much new to shooting,and have a Browning 325.

Can anyone advise best chokes to use from the selection ive got for sporting clays?

I have :2 Full,Plus cyl,Plus Skeet,Plus Imp Cyl,Plus Mod,and Plus Imp Mod.

There are one of each,apart from the full chokes,of which there are two.I understand these arent that suitable,as they produce a tighter pattern?

many thanks,

Garth.

If you are new, then the advice you have been given is probably about right. Cyl and Imp Cyl, will help you out.

More general advice would be two halves (Mod) and then forget about it...but maybe move up to that in the future, once you are confident.

 

[HDAV]

Personally, I have full in the top and 3/4 in the bottom!

So do i in my trap gun with lovely plaswad loads...... Sporting clays it really isn't necessary but if you want to shoot 3/4 and full go for it.... a chip counts the same as a dust ball.......

 

[Oldblaster]

I know 1/4 and 1/2 is a good choice for sporting, but I can't see the point in having 2 barrels with the same choke ie 1/2 and 1/2. I think with fibre cartridges I'm getting 1/2 and 3/4 through my 3/4 and full chokes. Each to his own!

 

[HDAV]

I know 1/4 and 1/2 is a good choice for sporting, but I can't see the point in having 2 barrels with the same choke ie 1/2 and 1/2. I think with fibre cartridges I'm getting 1/2 and 3/4 through my 3/4 and full chokes. Each to his own!

Good job you didn't buy a semi!  :crazy:

 

[Skeet UK]

I know 1/4 and 1/2 is a good choice for sporting, but I can't see the point in having 2 barrels with the same choke ie 1/2 and 1/2. I think with fibre cartridges I'm getting 1/2 and 3/4 through my 3/4 and full chokes. Each to his own!

Well the point, is thus; I am confident that I can hit a close target, with half choke.  If I have two distant targets, I am at a disadvantage with a more open choke in the first barrel.  I also do not have to concern myself with choosing which barrel (choke) to shoot at the first target.  The less I have to concern myself with, the better.  So I use two halves.  I do OK.

Or to put it another way...King Ed shoots a pair U4 chokes at most things...if it is good enough for him . . .

 

[Oldblaster]

It takes me 2 seconds to switch my barrels over, whilst I wait to shoot, I still think you are handicapping yourself with the same choke in each barrel. But feeling confident in your equipment is half the battle!

 

[Gene Holmes]

For the past year I have been using 1/2 and 1/2 and never fiddled with them whatever the target.

Except for the last stand (really close rabbit)  about 6 weeks ago, when I put cyl in the bottom barrel..

Fast forward to last weekend. A 90 bird club shoot with a good mix of targets.

2nd from last stand I had a little wobble and considered changing choke, and to my surprise found that I had still got the  cyl choke in the bottom.

I shot 62/90, which is bloody good for me.

Some of the targets were 50+ yards and the kills with cyl choke were just as good as those with 1/2

Now my head is really messed up.

 

[Sian]

For the past year I have been using 1/2 and 1/2 and never fiddled with them whatever the target.

Except for the last stand (really close rabbit)  about 6 weeks ago, when I put cyl in the bottom barrel..

Fast forward to last weekend. A 90 bird club shoot with a good mix of targets.

2nd from last stand I had a little wobble and considered changing choke, and to my surprise found that I had still got the  cyl choke in the bottom.

I shot 62/90, which is bloody good for me.

Some of the targets were 50+ yards and the kills with cyl choke were just as good as those with 1/2

Now my head is really messed up.

That is all I shoot with on everything, both barrels and I am still improving.  It's not as if I have come to a halt with improving.  

 

[Oldblaster]

Why not try 1/4 and 1/2 the traditional chokes for sporting, true cylinder probably throws the best pattern of all. There's nothing to influence the shot, as it leaves the barrel. And is fine for up to 20 yds or so anything after that, could go through the expanding shot pattern, and you could be on them but not break the clay! It's always good to experiment, nothing is written in stone.

 

[Sian]

Why not try 1/4 and 1/2 the traditional chokes for sporting, true cylinder probably throws the best pattern of all. There's nothing to influence the shot, as it leaves the barrel. And is fine for up to 20 yds or so anything after that, could go through the expanding shot pattern, and you could be on them but not break the clay! It's always good to experiment, nothing is written in stone.

I have had one day recently when I tried different chokes at a Southdown practice but I'm really quite happy to stick with my usual set up at least for now. When I miss it is because I'm not on it and usually behind or I haven't started off in the right place and had to re-adjust. I like not thinking about chokes. I did pretty well at Westfield on Sunday for me, some of those seemed quite a distance although I have no idea of how far anything is nor can I tell you what lead something needs or indeed what lead I give - ignorant bliss