20 guage - IC okay for skeet?
- Thread starter dave3006
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IC would be good.
You might also want to try plain old cylinder choke.
As far as doves, I've not hunted them. When I'm not sure what to use, I generally go with modified. I'd try that and see how it worked (although I might keep the wrench and a couple other tubes in my vest).
You might also want to try plain old cylinder choke.
As far as doves, I've not hunted them. When I'm not sure what to use, I generally go with modified. I'd try that and see how it worked (although I might keep the wrench and a couple other tubes in my vest).
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
IC will work, chances are Cylinder will work better. Longest skeet shot is about 21 yards. Some skeet chokes are larger than bore diameter, not smaller.
As for Dove, depending on position, it varies greatly. I've shot them coming into water with no choke, and pass shot them with Full, and in between. One gent I know slightly uses an Ithaca SBT with lots of choke and concentrates on picking off far birds that've eluded his buddies. Others like sub gauge skeet guns and closer shots. It's an open question as to what to use, but darn near any shotgun can be made to function well as a dove gun.
I'd have tubes from open to tight with me, and probably start off with LM or Modified. And of course, load and choke are conjoined. Cheap "Dove" loads need a bit more choke for the same density.
Note, some folks like 8s better, but day in and day out, IMO 7 1/2s are a better choice. The AA Heavy Target load of 3 dram, 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2s is superb for dove, possibly the best load out there. Terrific upland load also.
And for a 12 dove limit, I'd bring 4 boxes of ammo. 3 oughta do it with some left, but one never knows. And someone in the party might need a few more.
And nobody hits them all, but a limit with shells left in the second box would have me grinning.
And dove are a great reality check. Every time we feel like we're hot stuff with a shotgun,dove season kicks in and we're back down to earth with a thump.
As for Dove, depending on position, it varies greatly. I've shot them coming into water with no choke, and pass shot them with Full, and in between. One gent I know slightly uses an Ithaca SBT with lots of choke and concentrates on picking off far birds that've eluded his buddies. Others like sub gauge skeet guns and closer shots. It's an open question as to what to use, but darn near any shotgun can be made to function well as a dove gun.
I'd have tubes from open to tight with me, and probably start off with LM or Modified. And of course, load and choke are conjoined. Cheap "Dove" loads need a bit more choke for the same density.
Note, some folks like 8s better, but day in and day out, IMO 7 1/2s are a better choice. The AA Heavy Target load of 3 dram, 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2s is superb for dove, possibly the best load out there. Terrific upland load also.
And for a 12 dove limit, I'd bring 4 boxes of ammo. 3 oughta do it with some left, but one never knows. And someone in the party might need a few more.
And nobody hits them all, but a limit with shells left in the second box would have me grinning.
And dove are a great reality check. Every time we feel like we're hot stuff with a shotgun,dove season kicks in and we're back down to earth with a thump.
Tom Held
Member
I would certainly agree with Dave that IC is just fine for skeet. Very little difference in the pattern between a skeet tube and IC.
Personally for dove I prefer a gun with a little more choke in it. If you're shooting passing birds at 25 to 30 yards your "kill" spot on a dove is no more than 1 1/2 in diameter (check the size of the dove breast). Very easy for a dove to fly through an open pattern unscathed at that distance. If you're shooting only doves inside 15 yards then you have no breast left, just a bunch of connected feathers where it used to be.
My favorite dove gun is a 1926 L.C. Smith 16 bore SxS with 8 shot in the right barrel and 7 1/2 in the left. By the time I miss the dove with the first barrel I need a little heavier shot in the second.
But conditions often change. I've been fortunate to take a couple of dove hunting trips in Argentina. The first trip we managed to "harvest" 27,000 doves in 5 days. That can really improve your shooting.
Personally for dove I prefer a gun with a little more choke in it. If you're shooting passing birds at 25 to 30 yards your "kill" spot on a dove is no more than 1 1/2 in diameter (check the size of the dove breast). Very easy for a dove to fly through an open pattern unscathed at that distance. If you're shooting only doves inside 15 yards then you have no breast left, just a bunch of connected feathers where it used to be.
My favorite dove gun is a 1926 L.C. Smith 16 bore SxS with 8 shot in the right barrel and 7 1/2 in the left. By the time I miss the dove with the first barrel I need a little heavier shot in the second.
But conditions often change. I've been fortunate to take a couple of dove hunting trips in Argentina. The first trip we managed to "harvest" 27,000 doves in 5 days. That can really improve your shooting.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
27K dove in 5 days? Oi vay is mer...
How long did it take for you to heal after that(G)?....
How long did it take for you to heal after that(G)?....
ysr_racer
Member
Dave, are you one of "us" ?
dave3006
IC choke is fine for skeet, I usually keep an IC in my top barrel of my shotgun for the second shot , especially for doubles shooting in skeet. Cyl. choke could possibly be better for a beginner, giving a few extra inches of pattern to catch the bird.
I shot for years with a Rem 1100 20ga with a mod fixed choke, not too much room for error with that one, Still break it out now and then and run 24's and 25's with the old gun.
IC choke is fine for skeet, I usually keep an IC in my top barrel of my shotgun for the second shot , especially for doubles shooting in skeet. Cyl. choke could possibly be better for a beginner, giving a few extra inches of pattern to catch the bird.
I shot for years with a Rem 1100 20ga with a mod fixed choke, not too much room for error with that one, Still break it out now and then and run 24's and 25's with the old gun.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
Depends on what you mean by "Us"....
Re Judaism...
I converted when I got married. Only guy in the Schule with more guns than most Central American Revolutions. Far from the only one with,though, some of us have learned greatly from history....
Re Judaism...
I converted when I got married. Only guy in the Schule with more guns than most Central American Revolutions. Far from the only one with,though, some of us have learned greatly from history....
mikey357
Member
...yeah, Improved Cylinder is perfectly fine for Skeet with the 20 gauge...a little "Tighter" than a TRUE Skeet choke, IC is probably closer to what most of the really good AA and AAA Skeet shooters have in their 20 gauge tube sets...but then, they want sufficient pattern density to ENSURE that a properly-pointed target will NOT escape unscathed, even at stations 3, 4 and 5...which requies a lil' bit more choke, even in the 20, than you might think...OTOH, cylinder will also work just fine...while you won't get the "puff ball" breaks out in the middle of the field, a true cylinder bore may actually be a better choice for the less-experienced shooter, since, as kudu points out, you actually get a lil' bit WIDER pattern at any given distance vs the IC choke....mikey357
Thanks. This is actually my 10 year old son's gun. I will have the Cylinder choke in next time we go. It was his second time out. He only hit about 8 clays. However, he had fun and showed good (safe) gun handling skills.
Thanks to all for the input.
Dave
Thanks to all for the input.
Dave
ysr_racer
Member
Dave, before my girl friend met my parents she asked me "Do you think they'll know I'm not Jewish". I replied, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say yes, they'll know"
P.S. Did they show you the secret handshake when you joined?
P.S. Did they show you the secret handshake when you joined?
my mod. 12, 16 ga. originally 28" mod. bbl. shortened to 24" cyl. bbl. deadly on ruffed grouse at 20 to 25 yds. i am not a regular skeet shooter but tried to shoot 4 to 5 rounds at the local range prior to season opening. it worked fine for me. also used an skb 200e double 20 ga. i/c & mod. the mod. 12 my first love. birthday gift from my mom and dad in 1952 on my 17th birthday. skb wedding gift from my wife in 1970.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
Ysr, there's one city in mainland China that has had a Jewish community since the 1500s. And yes, those Jews look Asian. You mighta snuck her in that way(G).
I showed THEM the secret handshake. Reform Congregation, heh,heh....
I showed THEM the secret handshake. Reform Congregation, heh,heh....
Oleg Volk
Moderator Emeritus
Try an orthodox shule -- they tend to be very well armed.
Re: 20ga for games, close shots are easy with cylinder bore but anything past 12 yards or so calls for IC,in my experience. Super Speed shells peter out faster than good quality AAs.
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
OK, Oleg, I'll keep it in mind. Still, one guy in the congregation has a handful of doubles, including a Fox. One of these days our schedules will coincide and we'll shoot together.
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