Better or Worse?

[V8 90]

I shoot 1/2 & 1/2 all the time along with Cheddite Mach3 28g 7.5’s or 24g 7.5’s for OT. I rarely shoot OT as I don’t really enjoy it. When I miss I know it’s not the choke that’s caused it.

 

[Charliedog]

3/8 and half as I dont have 2 the same, I believe thats enough choke for any registered sporting

 

[Freddypip]

"For a newbie, it's often suggested that if your gun happens to be multichoked, one wouldn't be far off by sticking with 1/4 & 1/2. I asked about changing the chokes up to much tighter on here years ago, with the principal that if you can consistantly hit with a smaller spread, theoretically one should surely be more accurate in general, and that theory was quite roundly blown out the water, but with no-one actually seemingly able to give a reason why. (still seems completely and perfectly coldly logical to me even now!)"

What do you mean by constantly hit - 80%, 90% or 100%. If you can hit 100% alls good. If not then open the chokes up a bit and take the extra kills. The choke can be as wide as possible until the clay slips through the pattern.

If you are less that 80% I would suggest its not constantly. Thats me - On a really good day I am 85% at sporting and my problem is rarely missing all the clays from a single trap but repeating the kill four times. I know where to place the gun but need shoot more to repeat it.

Most Newbies - that is those who have not shot enought to understand the principles and therefore are able to make up there own mind - will end up missing (some) clays with tight chokes which they would hit with more open ones. They do not know why they miss. An instructor might. Try sticking in extra full chokes and nipping off for a round of Skeet - the pattern is the size of a dinner plate and even when you know what you are doing it will be hard to adjust to such fine margins without many rounds of repetition.

If you not a Newbie and do understand the principals then you can shoot what you want. Most here though shoot in the 3/8th to 5/8th band and those are usually accepted as the best for scores (when you don't change between stands).

 

[Fred Flintstone]

Sporting, I use 1/4 and 1/2, and don’t worry any more about it!
In fact, I’ll probably get a second 1/2 and keep them both at that, until I get to a point when I think that all I have left to worry about in my shooting is the choke size (fat chance!)
 

 

[salop sniper]

Best thing to do surely is to get a mate to put a set of chokes in and you shoot a round then you give the gun back and they change the choke set and you shoot again. 

This way both sets have an equal chance as you have no preconceived ideas. You could even repeat this a few times and see if there's a pattern then go with that ! 

 

[Jan Powell]

For goodness sake, keep it simple. There’s no need to choke tightly for any domestic discipline. Even edge on trap clays can be confidently shot with 1/2 choke.

It amazes me how we as shooters manage overthink a task that’s really quite straightforward.

 

[El Spavo]

For goodness sake, keep it simple. There’s no need to choke tightly for any domestic discipline. Even edge on trap clays can be confidently shot with 1/2 choke.

And your thoughts on the same shot with 1/4 choke? 

 

[Will Hewland]

And your thoughts on the same shot with 1/4 choke? 

Jan knows his stuff, but does not get/ care that that 80% of shooters don’t shoot trap. 1/4 for most of sporting will likely do the trick. 

 

[Jan Powell]

Jan knows his stuff, but does not get/ care that that 80% of shooters don’t shoot trap. 1/4 for most of sporting will likely do the trick. 

Thank you Will. It’s perhaps not surprising I’m looking at this from a trap point of view, we’re discussing it on the trap forum!

Joking aside, I get you sporting shooters like to choke change but I’m sure the same principle applies. Half choke is more than adequate providing the gun is shooting where you’re looking. In any event, it’s likely shot constriction comes pretty far down the list of reasons for targets missed.

 

[Les53]

And your thoughts on the same shot with 1/4 choke? 

I once had a multi choke trap gun, in fact I’ve had two over the years. Yes it is possible to shoot 1/4 and half for DTL. I tried it several times and it was ok but the breaks were not that nice. I’ve even shot OT with half choke in the bottom tube. But personally I still prefer 3/4 and full. But each to his own of course, just don’t fiddle too much, it will do your head in.