Chokes….yet again!

[BerettaDan]

Firstly, sorry….I can almost hear all the forum veterans groaning, or worse.

I’m recently returned to shooting and just confused by the whole choke thing. Both my guns are multi-choked and I tend to shoot English Sporting with Express 7.5 28g Power Golds. At present my O&U has a Brierley extended IC for the first barrel and a Brierley M for the second barrel (they came with the gun along with a pair of Skeet chokes). My semi-auto has an M extended choke. I saw Ben Husthwaite talking about using LM’s for sporting (where do they sit in the sliding scale of chokes) and I also read about people using 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4. On top of that Beretta have l, ll, lll and llll notches on theirs…..someone please help? 

 

[Luke_(NL)]

I think its’ been posted here before, but have a look at the beretta charts:

https://www.gmk.co.uk/pdf/choke-constriction-chart.pdf

And

https://estore.beretta.com/en-eu/documents/constrictions-or-dimensions-on-my-beretta-choke-tubes/

LM sits between IC and M, but I’d be impressed if you could tell the difference to either. Not far off from 3/8ths either, but I am used to metric numbers so I could be wrong. 

 

[BerettaDan]

I think its’ been posted here before, but have a look at the beretta charts:

https://www.gmk.co.uk/pdf/choke-constriction-chart.pdf

And

https://estore.beretta.com/en-eu/documents/constrictions-or-dimensions-on-my-beretta-choke-tubes/

LM sits between IC and M, but I’d be impressed if you could tell the difference to either. Not far off from 3/8ths either, but I am used to metric numbers so I could be wrong. 

Thanks Luke The GMK link explains it perfectly!!!

So I guess I’m using one that’s too open and the other is too tight. Time to invest in some 3/8 or LM’s. 

Unfortunately, both guns use different types

 

[Doctor Lecter]

i believe many esp shooters use light mod  3/8   with a quality shell as your using   you will be good to go      

 

[Jan Powell]

Firstly, sorry….I can almost hear all the forum veterans groaning, or worse.

I’m recently returned to shooting and just confused by the whole choke thing. Both my guns are multi-choked and I tend to shoot English Sporting with Express 7.5 28g Power Golds. At present my O&U has a Brierley extended IC for the first barrel and a Brierley M for the second barrel (they came with the gun along with a pair of Skeet chokes). My semi-auto has an M extended choke. I saw Ben Husthwaite talking about using LM’s for sporting (where do they sit in the sliding scale of chokes) and I also read about people using 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4. On top of that Beretta have l, ll, lll and llll notches on theirs…..someone please help? 

Don’t get too hung up about choke constriction. Whilst you may notice a difference between cylinder and full you certainly won’t between 3/8 and 1/2. Anyone that tells you they can is either exaggerating their own ability or trying to sell you a choke!

Remember too that constrictions vary slightly between manufacturers. A Briley 3/8 may be equivalent to a Teague 1/2 for example. This is one of the reasons we pattern our favoured choke and cartridge combination.

 

[BerettaDan]

Thanks DL and Jan, I do plan to get on a pattern plate this coming weekend. Also noted that the different makes of choke may not share the same dimensions. I am surprised with the tight tolerances in today’s manufacturing that manufacturers don’t standardise these?

I still think 1/2 or M if I understand it correctly is way too tight for someone of my ability.

 

[Jan Powell]

Thanks DL and Jan, I do plan to get on a pattern plate this coming weekend. Also noted that the different makes of choke may not share the same dimensions. I am surprised with the tight tolerances in today’s manufacturing that manufacturers don’t standardise these?

I still think 1/2 or M if I understand it correctly is way too tight for someone of my ability.

Sporting isn’t my discipline but I’d suggest you don’t open your choke too much. It may give you a greater margin of error but it won’t teach you much. Others with a greater knowledge than me may know better but I’d suggest a 1/4 or 3/8 will do you fine.

If you’re new to the game you’d be better off investing in quality coaching than worrying about choke. Build solid shooting foundations first then focus on perfecting your equipment. Fretting over which choke to use is an easy hole to fall into and something most of us have done. Experience teaches you that it comes a fairly long way down the list in determining whether a target’s hit or missed.

 

[westley]

2 x 1/4 works for me on skeet and sporting. As already said do not get too hung up on the choke phenomenon  !

 

[BerettaDan]

That all seems good advice. I think I’m going to invest in some 3/8 or LM’s in new money and get on the pattern plate. The 3/8 sounds likely to be the best all rounder. Thanks to everyone for the input.

 

[GeordieTrapper]

Does it make any difference between 12g and 20g, some say tighter chokes are better in smaller bores, I would like to hear what experts think

 

[MartynB]

First off I’m not an expert ! Just a bloke who’s shot for 45 years  .  Both my 12 and 20 Mirokus have Teague conversions . Obviously as 20g is a smaller diameter tube it needs less restriction to deliver the same nominal pattern as does a 12 gauge .  The nominal restriction on a 12gauge for 1/4 choke is ten thou .  Ten Thou on a 20 gauge is about 3/8” it only needs around 7 thou for a nominal quarter pattern .  

I’ve used both guns  on pheasants   last season , both with 30 gms of fibre wad 6 or 5 . Both choked  nominally 3/8 & 5/8 respective to their bores .   Both did  the job equally , when I did my part  . So I’d say in any given situation.  I personally don’t feel any need to choke up on the smaller gauge . 

 

[Jonny English]

Does it make any difference between 12g and 20g, some say tighter chokes are better in smaller bores, I would like to hear what experts think

Between 12 and 20 I would say the opposite, I open my 20 bore up more than my 12. DT11 I run at 3/8ths, mk game 20 I run at 1/4 and its still plenty tight enough at that, could probably stand skeet in it. A 20 is still capable of handling similar loads to a 12 in normal conditions (clays or sensible game) I think you need to tighten choke a little when the grams of shot starts dropping for either light 20 loads or 410's etc that are running 19 grams.

 

[TRINITY]

Do you think gun manufactures are missing a trick. They usually supply a package of chokes which all include 1/4   1/2  full. However it seems these are now obsolete constrictions with many shooters. Perhaps they ought to offer a range which consists 1/8   3/8   5/8  7/8  9/8  . This would then pave the way for shooters to adapt even further and start to diverse even further to the likes of 5/16  7/16  etc  

 

[Westward]

Do you think gun manufactures are missing a trick. They usually supply a package of chokes which all include 1/4   1/2  full. However it seems these are now obsolete constrictions with many shooters. Perhaps they ought to offer a range which consists 1/8   3/8   5/8  7/8  9/8  . This would then pave the way for shooters to adapt even further and start to diverse even further to the likes of 5/16  7/16  etc  

CG spotted this over 20 years ago and they include a box of 8 extended chokes as standard with their sporters, including the popular intermediate sizes. For tighter than 1/2 they use the American sizing, so what they call Full is really 3/4 (30 thou) and their 3/4 is really 5/8 (25 thou). 

 

[Wonko the Sane]

Thanks DL and Jan, I do plan to get on a pattern plate this coming weekend. Also noted that the different makes of choke may not share the same dimensions. I am surprised with the tight tolerances in today’s manufacturing that manufacturers don’t standardise these?

I still think 1/2 or M if I understand it correctly is way too tight for someone of my ability.

Standard dimensions would be totally counter to the marketing process.  How could you possibly be BETTER if you were the same?

or perhaps like Mum said

"You're just like everyone else but different."

or

"You're different just like everyone else."

I'm just trying to help here, like clarifying things, know what I mean?

 

[TRINITY]

I know I have had a bit of fun with this topic. But as a matter of interest which do you think would give the most pattern variation

Same cartridge in 1/4 and 3/8

Same cartridge in 3/8 and 1/2

Various cartridges in a single choke constriction.

May money would be on cartridge variation rather than a difference of an 1/8 in choke sizing

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I know I have had a bit of fun with this topic. But as a matter of interest which do you think would give the most pattern variation

Same cartridge in 1/4 and 3/8

Same cartridge in 3/8 and 1/2

Various cartridges in a single choke constriction.

May money would be on cartridge variation rather than a difference of an 1/8 in choke sizing

I'm totally confident that either "any" or "none" would be likely

HTH

Charlie