Choke or not to choke

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test drive

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I'll try to make this short. I'm not an avid hunter but as a early teen I loved dove hunting with my dad. I had a 20 gauge and my dad always shot his 1949 Ithaca 37 12 gauge. Many years ago when my dad got sick and I was away with the military he passed away and his 37 disappeared. Later I found out it was stolen by a SOB sorry family member and recently surfaced after they died. Anyway the gun is still in great mechanical condition but the finish is in TERRIBLE shape and for some unknown reason the barrel has been cut to 23 inches with no sight. Now it would mean so much to me to take the old girl and get back into some dove hunting but I just don't have a lot of money to put into her. So the way I see it , 1 have a bead sight installed and hunt with straight cylinder bore or 2 have a screw in choke installed. If I could get a choke put in for around a $ 100 or so I think a modified would make a better dove gun do you think just straight bore @ 23 inches would yield about the same results? Like I said I can't dump a bunch of money into it but I want to be able to put some meat on the table and re-live some of my past. Thanks guys for your opinions.
 
I think if you try and use that gun as is with 7,5's or 8's on dove, you will mostly be making noise and getting frustrated. Doubt you will be within your $100 budget getting a bead and choke installed (if possible due to things like metal thickness, etc). I would just hold off and do it right and try to get a replacement barrel for that great old gun. You may try gun shows or gun shops that have been in business for a while, or try Coursen's (sp?) Barrels. I see you live in SC, but no idea where. You may try Paul at Midsouth guns in Wagram, NC. or Darlington Gun Works in SC. Jack First is another option.
 
I would first do some work with a pattern board and see what I had. Pattern some 4s, 5s, 6s, 7.5s......see what your range is. See how it handles. Shoot some slugs.
You may add the bead and have an upland bird gun or slug gun. Then start the hunt for another barrel with full choke for doves, ducks, etc.
 
cdb1 said:
This, why limit yourself to one choke? Have the barrel threaded for chokes or buy a new barrel with interchangeable chokes.
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It's pre sn 855, 000 therefore any barrel will have to be fitted into receiver by qualified gunsmith.
 
If it was my dad's gun and I wanted to keep it and use it again I'd hold off on doing anything right now until I could save up some extra money. You could get an estimate on what a rebarrel job would cost along with any other things that may need a professional touch. If the price isn't too outrageous it would be worth it to be able to get it nice again (screw in chokes would be nice) and keep it in the family. It might cost more than the gun would be worth on the open market but once you factor in sentimental value it may seem feasible because you're not doing it for a profit but for the joy of what I call " heirloom guns". Which are guns passed down through the family from parents, grandparents, uncles etc.. I've got several and they aren't high end expensive examples by any means. Just run of the mill "working class guns" from my dad, an uncle and some cousins. But to me they're priceless.
 
I have used mike orlen for threading a barrel for choke tubes and he indeed does super work, for a very good price.. eastbank.
 
Armored farmer said:
I would first do some work with a pattern board and see what I had. Pattern some 4s, 5s, 6s, 7.5s......see what your range is. See how it handles. Shoot some slugs.
You may add the bead and have an upland bird gun or slug gun. Then start the hunt for another barrel with full choke for doves, ducks, etc.
Click to expand...

Shoot it.

There are a lot of ammunition choices available. Buy a buy of each and spend some time on the range. You might not be as handicapped as you think you are.
 
I shot a round of trap with a imp cyl choke barrel and hit 22-25, but you have to be pretty fast. I may have been lucky as I only tried it once. easrbank.
 
Pattern it. My first real shotgun was a Westernfield 12ga pump that had been cut about 1 1/2". You couldn't haul all of the quail that gun accounted for in a long bed pickup. If it doesn't shoot to suit have it threaded for screw-ins. If you shoot like I do you may need as big of a pattern as you can get.
 
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