Half choke for DTL
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Wonko the Sane
Well-known member
In the guns I shoot 1/2 choke will smoke DTL type targets in the first barrel. If you're really quick 1/4 will do the same. I used 1/4 for 1st barrel live birds and it would easily kill at the box. Breaking clays with it was no prob at all.
Best you just try what interests you since no one can actually tell you how it fits you.
JMO of course
Best you just try what interests you since no one can actually tell you how it fits you.
JMO of course
I shoot the Clay's as soon as they come into my eye line which is usually about a foot above the trap house so quickly enough I suppose,it has always made me think would I get away with a 1/2 choke. Good to know the 1/2 is working well for you I'll go order one of the Beretta store.
Most people I've asked that shoot trap always say stick with 3/4 + full or even full+full but it has always seemed a bit overkill to me when I shoot the Clay's quickly!
REMEMBER ! It is still 3 points if you chip it or smoke it !
Doctor Lecter
Well-known member
yes if your reasonably quick 1/2 with todays cartridges is ample back in the day I remember pete burrows always shot 1/2 there was a chap at notts gun club shot 3/8 and micky wright shot 1/4 I believe to good effect ! ray curry and terry Humphreys shot 3/4 full all better shots than me !
And that's all that counts lad.
Speaking of cartridges actually a mate of mine has a couple of thousand old trap cartridges he forgot about at home and wants to give them to me to use as he no longer shoots clays. He said they are Eley Olympic Trap 28 gram I think, any idea how old these would be?
A lot of it is your head IMHO.
When we were allowed to go out, I used to shoot DTL three or four times a week. Some of time I was shooting with skeet and imp cyl.
I started doing that because a buddy I shoot with - who often picks up some prize money - accidentally forgot to put his chokes in, and was absolutely smoking them......even got a couple of second barrels. He was on the fourth peg when he noticed and started missing. Probably because he started to worry about the barrel threads. He usually shoots 1/2 and 3/4.
When we were allowed to go out, I used to shoot DTL three or four times a week. Some of time I was shooting with skeet and imp cyl.
I started doing that because a buddy I shoot with - who often picks up some prize money - accidentally forgot to put his chokes in, and was absolutely smoking them......even got a couple of second barrels. He was on the fourth peg when he noticed and started missing. Probably because he started to worry about the barrel threads. He usually shoots 1/2 and 3/4.
Your probably right, searching for a fix to a problem I don't really have like the perfect gun and all that! Going to go the 1/2 + 3/4 road now and see how that fares out for me whenever we can get back out again for a shot that is.
Jan Powell
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1/2 and 5/8 or 3/4 is what most use competitive shooters use now and is perfectly adequate if you’re shooting the targets where you should. 3/4 and full was the standard years ago but these are primarily used by fixed choke shooters.
Cartridge wise, unless you’ve a reason to shoot a lighter load, stick with 28g 7.5s. Some use 8s for the first barrel but, for me 7.5s offer the best compromise between pellet count and punch.
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Hi Jan,thanks for the info that's good to know. What cartridges are you using at the moment? Do you stick to the one brand or swap and change between brands.thanks
Jan Powell
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I use Eley Superb’s in 28g 7.5. I get them through a sponsorship deal but, even if I didn’t, I’d use them. They pattern nicely and break the targets well. The only time I’ve changed was for the Krieghoff DTL last year and then to Eley DTL Golds, primarily for sponsorship reasons.
DTL, perhaps more than any other domestic discipline is about confidence in your equipment. It helps develop that positive mindset needed to shoot big scores week in/week out. For that reason I don’t change brands and nor do many of my fellow competitors. I’d suggest finding a cartridge you’re happy with and sticking with it.
I'm relatively new to the sport a couple of years or so Jan, I've tryed sporting and skeet but ended up sticking with dtl as I enjoy it the most,I'm going to give Olympic Trap a go some time this year too, the fast Clay's look like a good fun! I'm always buying different cartridges but my best break's seem to come when I'm shooting RC 4 competition cartridges a bit expensive but they do give me that confidence needed for competition.
I use a 1/2 first barrel for OT and I can vapourise them... when I hit them . It is not the choke to be honest it is where you point your gun. There is a good shot down our way who uses 1/4 choke in his first barrel but he does shoot them close in . The standard is 3/4 but I doubt most club shooters would know the difference... but then again I use a Perazzi and I have heard people say the shoot a tight pattern?? I honestly do not know I have never patterned mine.
chippy
Well-known member
I shot my only 100 straight at DTL using 1/4 3/8
Wonko the Sane
Well-known member
John, I don't know what carts you're using but I have shot my Perazzi 1/2 chokes at the plate with 24gm and 28 gm both. At +/-30m the patterns look like a large sized hammer head and like you say when I do my part they will smoke targets from the 27. Not to mention killing live birds stone dead at the box. Using 1/2 choke in a Perazzi does not appear to be a handicap of real consequence and your impressive scores in the past show that you don't have to be an inner Gold Medal Olympian for that to be true.
