What chokes for sporting clays?

[RobertBeard]

For me? no. I know that my chokes are capable of hitting anything I need to in a ESP shoot. Therefore deciding which choke to select for what target is one less thing for me to think/worry about.

But like I said, each to their own. do whatever makes you feel more confident when your shooting. And fair enough to you in whatever chokes you like to use. k:

I reckon being confident and having a consistent routine in acquiring targets will get you more kills than changing chokes?!

Does this apply to the forthcoming Arab extravaganza when the targets are long distance?

 

[Simonix]

Does this apply to the forthcoming Arab extravaganza when the targets are long distance?

Probably!?

 

[Chris Pratt]

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

Thread didn't need to go past this point. Good answer an bang on for a newbie to the sport!

 

[Oldblaster]

Only more versatility if one clay is close and the other one further out, if at every shoot all the stands were set up like that I would agree with you. However they are not & if the clays on a stand are of a similar distance out then you are actually a disadvantage with one of your barrels so it’s less versatility and more to think about.  

Using your car analogy you are best off using all six gears to drive to work so why just stick to two, why not change chokes at every stand from cylinder through to full?

I suspect the reason you don’t is the same reason most stick with the same in both barrels, keeping it simple and less to think about.

Yes I agree I did used to change chokes for long targets, but since shooting again I haven't bothered because, I was the only one fiddling about with chokes! But since reading everyone's comments I have compromised and am now trying 1/2 and 3/4

 

[Will Hewland]

I might just be considering a new gun. It may be that it just comes with multi chokes so it will be a psychological battle to sit on my hands / leave options at home.

 

[Oldblaster]

Trouble is some of us are born fiddlers! We fiddle to try to attain perfection, I am now confident my set up will smash anything as long as I am on it, so now leave my spare chokes at home. (Well at least for the time being, till I start fdiddling again!) All part of the fun!

 

[Will Hewland]

The only time I wish I had a m/c gun is when there is a silly close target. So if I get a m/c I will see what the difference in pattern is between a 1/2 and Cyl at 7 yards. I suspect very little, which will stop me worrying about it..

 

[Irishgunner]

Any that will fit in the end of your gun

 

[Doctor Lecter]

ive settled on fixed chokes  , with barrel selector       three eights / five eights ,    sorted by Mr Teague  . 

 

[HDAV]

Much easier to change the shell in the chamber than the choke in the barrel.... You have to put a fresh pair in every time anyway so doesn't matter if they need different patterns.24g 9's for close stuff 28g 7 for distant and 8 for stuff in the middle even the great GD selects the cart for the target....

 

[Will Hewland]

Much easier to change the shell in the chamber than the choke in the barrel.... You have to put a fresh pair in every time anyway so doesn't matter if they need different patterns.24g 9's for close stuff 28g 7 for distant and 8 for stuff in the middle even the great GD selects the cart for the target....

Totally agree with the principle, but it's not as simple as reading the box to know what the pattern size will be. Need to pattern them. Widest spreading cartridge I ever found was a 7.5.

 

[Hamster]

Much easier to change the shell in the chamber than the choke in the barrel.... You have to put a fresh pair in every time anyway so doesn't matter if they need different patterns.24g 9's for close stuff 28g 7 for distant and 8 for stuff in the middle even the great GD selects the cart for the target....

Buying and carrying 3 different types of cartridges and having to keep deciding which to use is surely more complicated ? Not to mention the fact that different makes have different speeds and recoil characteristics; then of course there is the small matter of truly knowing if a given shell throws appreciably more open patterns. In my experience the assumption that 9's suddenly transform a 3/4 choke into a lovely Skeet job simply isn't true, particularly since by definition you will be selecting the smaller shot for much closer shots !

Not convinced GD changes shells much, he might when pigeon shooting or demonstrating extreme teal shots but for clays he shoots 7.5's. It's much simpler to learn to shoot a choke/shell/size combo 90%+ of the time and just slip a Cyl or Skeet in on the really close stuff where believe me the pattern will be wider.

 

[Skeet UK]

I had considered using a Fibre 9 for very close stuff (through might tight halves), as despite being horrible sounding and everything...they should pattern a bit more loosely sans shot-cup.

 

[Irishgunner]

The hardest thing to achieve in this game is consistency, so why be inconsistent with chokes and cartridges, there really is no need, put any combination of choke in your gun and when you miss a bird it will be you that missed not the choke, for guys switching to 9s on close stuff it's in there head, if you gave them 7s with 9s printed on the cartridge they would still smoke that clay, but if you gave then 9s with 7s printed on the cartridge when they miss they would blame the shell, gun in the right place clay will break regardless of choke or shot size

 

[Oldblaster]

ive settled on fixed chokes  , with barrel selector       three eights / five eights ,    sorted by Mr Teague  .

Good choice, spot on!

 

[Oldblaster]

The hardest thing to achieve in this game is consistency, so why be inconsistent with chokes and cartridges, there really is no need, put any combination of choke in your gun and when you miss a bird it will be you that missed not the choke, for guys switching to 9s on close stuff it's in there head, if you gave them 7s with 9s printed on the cartridge they would still smoke that clay, but if you gave then 9s with 7s printed on the cartridge when they miss they would blame the shell, gun in the right place clay will break regardless of choke or shot size

Seven and a half all the way for me!

 

[Oldblaster]

I had considered using a Fibre 9 for very close stuff (through might tight halves), as despite being horrible sounding and everything...they should pattern a bit more loosely sans shot-cup.

Tried cheap fibres sound like a pop instead of a bang, especially if your gun is over bored, I think some of the gasses are passing by the fibre wad. Velocity or Evo's work ok for me.