Chokes and clay games

[Thac0]

I just purchased a used Wingmaster as my first shotgun. It came with a 30" Full choke barrel and a 20" IC barrel with rifle sights. My question is this: am I going to be seriously hampered with the fixed full choke 30" for sporting clays or trap? I only shoot clays casually, being new to shotgunning sports. I'm definitely not a competitor (yet?).

Will the tight pattern make it a frustrating experience, especially for sporting clays, or will it just force me to become better at tracking the clays?

 

[Old Unc']

for sporting clays you will need a skeet choke or improved cylinder. For standard 16 yard ATA trap a modified choke should be used. Full chokes are rarely used in clay shooting other than handicapped trap or international trap...

 

[Waywatcher]

I think you could mitigate the effects of your full choke somewhat by loading your own shells with chilled shot. Chilled shot tends to shoot larger patterns than magnum (harder) shot, all other things being equal. Anyway, that's what I would do to make a full choke gun more useable for trap.

 

[DAP90]

I’m still trying to figure out sporting clays so I can’t say what’ll work there, but you can shoot trap with a full no problem. I shoot impr mod for trap from the 16 back to the 25, which is as far back as I’ve shot. Two of the best trap shooters in my league shoot impr mod or full from the 16 back to the 27 and do very well. Admittedly, others shoot every other conceivable combination of chokes and also do well.

Even if you are stuck with a full if you try different shells you’ll probably find that some will pattern more or less tight than others; making your full not quite so full.

A gunsmith might be able to modify it for use with removable chokes. Not sure what that would cost but it’s worth looking into.

 

[oneounceload]

for sporting clays you will need a skeet choke or improved cylinder. For standard 16 yard ATA trap a modified choke should be used. Full chokes are rarely used in clay shooting other than handicapped trap or international trap...

Not really for sporting clays - that can run the gamut from C through F depending on the station. Most folks start a round with either the IC or LM in and then go from there. You may have a station or two where a M or IM is needed, but do not overthink the choke thing.

With a single barrel, you really need three chokes - one for close, one for medium, and one for distance - for many that translates to: Skeet, LM, IM

Your barrel can easily be threaded for choke tubes

ETA: I just my State's sporting clays championship with IC and LM in my barrels - I only changed which barrel fired first - I never used any of the 6 other chokes I had with me - they simply weren't needed

 

[throdgrain]

Just use IC for everything mate, it will be fine for the likes of us

 

[Dave McCracken]

The choke I use more than any other for Trap, Wobble and Sporting is LM, followed by IC.

My loads are trap grade or better, shots run inside of 35 yards mostly, and my shooting style is fluid and fairly quick.

They might or might not be ideal for you, but it's a good place to start.