choke selection for trap

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Milkmaster

Milkmaster

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My boy boy and I were at Bass Pro today considering a new screw-in choke to use for trap in our Winchester 1300. The shotgun came with a 28" barrel with a modified choke. There were no Winchester brand chokes there. Being the start of Turkey season, lots of turkey chokes occupied the shelves all claiming to be the best of course. We ended up buying a "Winchoke/Invector 12ga Extended Full by Briley" My question for the more experienced trap shooters is if this was a good selection? We bought it on a lark to just try, but I am not sure a full choke is the best for trap. The extension adds about an inch to the barrel. Opinions?
 
This time of year, I can go to a Light Mod from the 16 yard line and still get good breaks.That's with top quality loads.

Still there's a good case for using Full. A tight pattern makes it easy to see where one is hitting the clay. It also helps us get on them tighter.

Use Mod for now, go to Full once you're getting 20/25 or so. You'll drop a few birds now, but it'll steepen the learning curve....
 
Trap shooters ALWAYS use more choke than they need. If you're just out having fun, you can use a skeet choke from the 16 yard line.

From the 27, Lt. Mod is fine. Don't buy into the hype.
 
I need to disagree with YSR. Of course my trap gun came with a fixed full choke so I don't have much of a choice but when I hit that target I want to see smoke! From the 27 I need it because I also play some of the trap games from there and if the guy I'm next to misses that sucker is a long way out there by then!:what:
 
Trap chokes

That's why most double-barrel trap guns come with different chokes in each barrel. I've shot trap for many years, so here's my $0.02 worth. From the standard 16-yard line, the modified choke is your best bet. Once you move back to the handicap lines (21-27yd) full choke is a must.

As I understand them, "turkey chokes" are extra-full, and might not be useful at less than the 27yd line. That extra 11yds might not sound like much until you shoot from there. Those clays are a LOT further away.

Stick with the modified choke from the 16yd line until you become more proficient. You and your son will be much happier with it for starters.

Most important is to have fun shooting clays with your son. :)
 
I shoot a Briley Full choke tube exclusivley for Trap. However if your just starting out I recommend staying with the modified for awhile as it is a little more forgiving. Using a Full choke, makes you be right on the bird and for a beginner if he's a little off on lead or a little high or low the larger pattern sometimes can still get that clay bird and build confidence. Once he starts breaking 15 plus with consistancy, then its time to move to the tighter choke.
Good luck, and Good shooting!
 
Don't let these trap geezers fool you. If you're a new shooter, start at the 16 yard line with a skeet choke, you'll break more targets.

Once you get into serious competition, you can tighten up if you want to. On the other hand, come over to the sporting clays course and you can use all of your chokes.
 
ysr_racer,
You might understand me - a lowly skeet shooter.
Back in the day, life was good, fixed choked barrels and folks learned to use pattern boards.
Folks learned about shot and other things too. I mean a person could reload shells to throw IC patterns out of a Fixed Full choke for skeet, quail, and other bird hunting and small game needs.

Now I started out shooting skeet, I was not afraid to shoot clays coming at me *smirk*.
Still back then, shotgunners were shotgunners. Shooters were shooters, no matter what gun one had, or what sport they shot - it was all good.

Citori 20 gauge O/U and asked to shoot trap- which I did. 21/25 shooting trap for I guess the first time.
This Citori btw was a Skeet Gun. Fixed Skeet Chokes. I just used some hard shot in # 7.5, with some buffering.

I really wish they would offer fixed choked barrels again. I truly believe much of correct basic fundamentals are not getting passed on since the screw in chokes came to be.

Sporting Clays, 5 stand - I am not a choke changer - never have been and too old to start.

Now Stacking Loads I was raised with this. Take that Model 12 with a fixed full choked barrel and the first shot patterns like a Cylinder Bore, , second shot like a IC and if a third ( rare to take a third shot on game) Third shot be a Modified.

My shooting partner back when shot a straight at Trap with a Beretta 303 in 20 with Mod barrel...from back there a bit.

He also ran 100/100 with a 28 gauge from the 16 yard line with a Mod fixed barrel 870 pump.

I go back to the day when the Ladies and Gentgs would show up in a beat up farm truck, puffing smoke.
If they had a gun case, the gun had to be tied in it, it was so ragged.

Money on table, bets made, and side bets made. This lady and /or gent would be using a Single shot Shotgun, and some pitiful reloads against the "high-falutin' folks".

Cokes were a nickel, and I have seen these ladies and gents, and many like them pick up $100 - $1K and get in the truck , puffing smoke and drive off to do it again - elsewhere.

I had some Great [strike] Bootleggers and Hustlers [/strike] Mentors and Elders and I sure do miss them.
 
I started from the 16 yard line with a modified choke. After about a year I moved to an IM and a week later moved to a full. The IM did not teach me
to shoot better, so I changed to something (the full choke) that did.

I probably miss one bird in 100-200 birds because I use too tight of a choke. I probably adjust my shot once each round or once every other round (of 25) because the tight choke tells me where I am shooting.

This is especially helpful when I move back from the 16 yard line, where I tend to shoot the tops out of the birds. Knowing this makes me bear down on the gun and trust my instincts.

I shoot full at every trap bird except the first shot in doubles, where I shoot a mod before (under) a full.

Dave is right shoot a mod until you average better than 20 birds per round. Then the tighter choke will help you; assuming the gun fits you and you mount it the same every time.
 
sooo...for a newbie that hasn't shot alot of trap and goes to a local club to have fun...what choke to use?!?
 
The reason you can get away with a choke LABELED Improved Cylinder is that it will likely pattern more like Light Modified or Modified. An actual IC pattern would have gaps even from the 16 yard line unless you make every shot fast.
Richard
Schennberg.com
 
I got my shotgun from a an internationally top competitor and he said to leave the skeet chokes in it.

They are actually labeled skeet, wider, I suppose than modified, perhaps even than cylinder.
 
im not a pro but i get the best results using a modified choke in my mossberg. using my winchester model 35 with the full choke barrel adds quite a bit of challenge, but full choke turns the clays into dust
 
Kokkmike

The average shot on the skeet range is 21 yards. A skeet choke is used to give a consistent pattern at that distance. Trap is typically shot at just over 30 yards.

Try the patterning board with 1 1/8 ounces of #8 shot and your skeet choke. (Use standard target loads, not dove loads.) If it's a "typical" choke-bore combination you will start to see holes big enough for a clay pigeon to fit through at 30-35 yards. Now imagine if you cut the shot charge back to 1ounce or even 7/8 ounce.

Usually a clay bird will not break if you hit the thick outer rim with one or two pellets.

I've accidentally shot trap with a skeet choke and shot my average. But who knows if I missed a bird because of the choke.

You may also have an atypical choke-bore combination that I know nothing about. But I would suggest that you check this out on the patterning board.
 
Turning clays into smoke is great fun but one that is nicely broken up counts the same. My thought was always to use just enough choke to get nice breaks. Otherwise like someone already said it will cost you a few birds. That being said it isn't a bad idea to practice at the 16 yd line with a full choke then switch to a mod. when betting your buddy. Have fun.
 
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