Trying to make life (shooting life anyway) simpler...

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RJD

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One of my lockdown created missions is make my shooting life simpler and as we approach the close season (might manage a day or two with the dog but that’s all) I’m keen to make changes.

Is there any reason why I cant just leave ¼ and half in and be done with it? It suits game (apart from the odd high day where I can change to ¾ and Full) wildfowl as is steel ok and vermin.

I’m not trying to win the olympics just to get from B to A in my club shoot that should start again in April and also have fun with friends at shoots far and wide.  Are there any grounds where this approach would be a noticeable handicap?

I can then pick one cartridge and have less to clutter my cabinet (and mind) with. ( next stop, carrying less stuff around)

Thanks

 
RJD said:
One of my lockdown created missions is make my shooting life simpler and as we approach the close season (might manage a day or two with the dog but that’s all) I’m keen to make changes.

Is there any reason why I cant just leave ¼ and half in and be done with it? It suits game (apart from the odd high day where I can change to ¾ and Full) wildfowl as is steel ok and vermin.

I’m not trying to win the olympics just to get from B to A in my club shoot that should start again in April and also have fun with friends at shoots far and wide.  Are there any grounds where this approach would be a noticeable handicap?

I can then pick one cartridge and have less to clutter my cabinet (and mind) with. ( next stop, carrying less stuff around)

Thanks
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Do it, although preferably use a decent cartridge or one you know patterns well for you. I don’t even take spare chokes to a shoot with me. I’m not British Champion but chokes aren’t the reason. 

 
Been shooting clays with a fixed choke 3/8th 3/8th gun for the last four years.  Got me from C to B in reg shoots and I wasn't far short of A before the first lockdown hit with an average of over 76%.  Leave your 1/4 and 1/2 chokes in and forget about them.

 
I shoot teague 3/8ths in both barrels of my beretta, and ordinarily shoot 1 cartridge at everything and have put some of my best scores in ever. In the 20 bore I'm going to be running teague 1/4 in both barrels when they arrive this next week. Never felt under choked on any clay or game shoot and keeps the mind free to focus on shooting.

 
Bebo said:
Been shooting clays with a fixed choke 3/8th 3/8th gun for the last four years.  Got me from C to B in reg shoots and I wasn't far short of A before the first lockdown hit with an average of over 76%.  Leave your 1/4 and 1/2 chokes in and forget about them.
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I'm taking a leaf out of your book !   and will shoot 3/8 3/8 in my 525 sl    for as long as we are  able  , presuming we start shooting again soon hopefully !!!!   

 
Bebo said:
Been shooting clays with a fixed choke 3/8th 3/8th gun for the last four years.  Got me from C to B in reg shoots and I wasn't far short of A before the first lockdown hit with an average of over 76%.  Leave your 1/4 and 1/2 chokes in and forget about them.
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Fixed 3/8th 3/8th?.... Interesting.

Couple of years ago I bought a used Zoli, fixed 1/2 and 1/2. After a few months I took it to Zoli for a service. They asked me why I thought it was 1/2 and 1/2, and I said that I'd measured it with one of those bore gauges (Cheap one). They (Zoli) used their proper measuring thingy and said it was actually 3/4 and full.

 
If you're confident in your 1/4 & 1/2 stick with it, doubting about chokes will make you miss far more, personally I use 1/4 &3/8 in competition and skeet &1/4 for straw bailers 

 
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Robden said:
Fixed 3/8th 3/8th?.... Interesting.

Couple of years ago I bought a used Zoli, fixed 1/2 and 1/2. After a few months I took it to Zoli for a service. They asked me why I thought it was 1/2 and 1/2, and I said that I'd measured it with one of those bore gauges (Cheap one). They (Zoli) used their proper measuring thingy and said it was actually 3/4 and full.
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I got mine new and specifically got the chokes opened out from the standard that Kreighoff supply them at when I bought it.  I went for 3/8th because I was told that Kreighoff fixed chokes pattern a bit tight, so probably closer to 1/2.  I just use the cheapest 28g 7.5s or 8s that I can get hold of for most targets and keep some Hull Pro Piston 9s in my pocket for anything really close.

 
Another 1/2 and 1/4 + cheap cartridges - it's easy to over-think the ammunition topic.  Let's not forget that we shove a cartridge in the chambers containing soft lead shot and high explosive, we then accelerate the lead projectiles to supersonic inside a hard steel tube, squeeze them through restrictions (chokes) at the muzzle end and hope for some consistency.   Hands up for who thinks this might possibly be a deeply flawed idea?

 
Cosmicblue said:
Another 1/2 and 1/4 + cheap cartridges - it's easy to over-think the ammunition topic.  Let's not forget that we shove a cartridge in the chambers containing soft lead shot and high explosive, we then accelerate the lead projectiles to supersonic inside a hard steel tube, squeeze them through restrictions (chokes) at the muzzle end and hope for some consistency.   Hands up for who thinks this might possibly be a deeply flawed idea?
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I agree, it’s a pretty basic and crude idea. Cartridge manufacturers do their best to make the whole thing seem as scientific and marketable as possible of course. However, there are a few poor cartridges out there, (and some may not suit certain guns) so I do like to make sure my cartridge does at least throw a sensible even pattern while not kicking my shoulder or my wallet too hard. 

 
Correct me if I am wrong but although 3/8 is commonly available, most shotguns come with commercial chokes of 1/4  and 1/2 both in fixed and in multi. As far as I am aware in the majority of circumstances,  3/8 usually means a barrel job or buying extra chokes.

Then as a relative rookie to the sport I find  it hard to believe that the difference between 3/8 to half   or 3/8 to quarter is easily detected . I would have  thought cartridge variation would have more effect than 1/8 adjustment in choking. As the saying goes 'its  a gnats cock hair" just cant see the point myself.

 
TRINITY said:
Correct me if I am wrong but although 3/8 is commonly available, most shotguns come with commercial chokes of 1/4  and 1/2 both in fixed and in multi. As far as I am aware in the majority of circumstances,  3/8 usually means a barrel job or buying extra chokes.

Then as a relative rookie to the sport I find  it hard to believe that the difference between 3/8 to half   or 3/8 to quarter is easily detected . I would have  thought cartridge variation would have more effect than 1/8 adjustment in choking. As the saying goes 'its  a gnats cock hair" just cant see the point myself.
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but i think you miss the point, its how it makes your head feel (its a confidence/declutter thingy) more than ballistic effect

 
For most of us normal mortals the choice of chokes are a head-game - it's tough to differentiate the cause of a miss - was it choke related or did I just put the shot in the wrong place?  One occasionally encounters a devout choke-fiddler on a shooting ground where as most of us have a pair that we like and they destroy most of the targets we encounter. 

 
TRINITY said:
Correct me if I am wrong but although 3/8 is commonly available, most shotguns come with commercial chokes of 1/4  and 1/2 both in fixed and in multi. As far as I am aware in the majority of circumstances,  3/8 usually means a barrel job or buying extra chokes.

Then as a relative rookie to the sport I find  it hard to believe that the difference between 3/8 to half   or 3/8 to quarter is easily detected . I would have  thought cartridge variation would have more effect than 1/8 adjustment in choking. As the saying goes 'its  a gnats cock hair" just cant see the point myself.
Click to expand...
I couldn’t tell the difference between ¼ and ½ to be honest.  Only really noticed the difference between ½ and ¾, by a small increase in felt recoil but even then, very soon forgot about it. I didn’t notice any difference in the way a clay broke either. You either miss or you hit. The margins of error for a good clean break are calculably small with any choke. At the barrel the difference in a hit or a miss can be calculated in millimetres.  So, forget the calculations, chokes, trying to understand the physics of it. There’s no advantage to it that I can see. In the contrary, it’s a distraction that will cost you targets.

For me, I’ve found improvements through coaching sessions from a knowledgeable, experienced tutor who’s able to communicate the methods in a way you can understand.

I think this can be very personal, but for me, soft focus on the visual pick up point, working out a fairly precise hold point based on some rough idea of the kill point. Concentrating on the clay visually and mentally. Preparing my mind for the task at hand, finding a balance of calm and aggression best suited to the targets and mentally preparing for the transition. Post shot analysis, regardless of hit or miss. Not an analysis of the chokes or shot, simply was my mind, eyes, movements where they needed to be. 
And practice, practice practice 

 
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