I have a 20ga O/U sporting an IMP cyl for the first barrel and a Mod for the top barrel and have a full choke also. I also have federal #5-6 shot high brass. With this shotgun what would be the best choke for which barrel? We are running them with beagles this weekend and kicking brush afterwards.
rabbit load and choke?
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Charliefrank
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Leave the full choke home, put the modified in the barrel you use the most. Actually either of those two are good. I use high brass game loads with #6 and modified choke. It has served me so well over the years I see no need to change.
George P
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The height of the brass has NOTHING to do with today's ammo. Look at your payload and velocity and then hit the pattern board or shoot some sporting clays, (especially the rabbit targets)..Your IC/M is a classic American combo for most situations.
Would you guys leave the IC in the bottom and Mod in the top for the longer shots? The bottom barrel/IC goes off first. I plan on patterning it tomorrow just to see whats going on and how far i can shoot with it and be effective.
Its a stoeger condor 20ga. As far as i know it doesn't. Just has a safety and the release to crack it open. Both barrels have screw in chokes. I found it odd the bottom barrel goes off first and top last but i don't know jack didly about O/U.
red rick
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I had been using a modified choke in my 20ga. and Remington Express Long Range 2 3/4 1oz. #6 shot . We have been hunting some really thick cover so last weekend I put in my IC choke . Wouldn't you know it , I got a long shot at a rabbit ( about 45 to 50 yards away ) he was standing still and had lost the dogs for a minute , so I took the shot . He went right down dead without any kicking , but I only put a few pellets in him , one was through the heart . I am going to use the same choke tomorrow . I hope the rain holds off , we got soaked last Saturday .
If you think you are going to get some long shots like I had , I would use the IC and full combination and I would just stick to the #6 shot .
If you think you are going to get some long shots like I had , I would use the IC and full combination and I would just stick to the #6 shot .
George P
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That is typical of guns with no selector, the bottom goes first as does the right barrel on a SxS (why I like double triggers on my hunting guns - instant choke selection!)
FL-NC
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Do this. I would use IC in both, or in a single barrel.
I'm not sure as i haven't hunted with dogs before. We will be pushing some thick woods, swamp, creek bottom type stuff with corn fields all around.
Patocazador
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Use the choke that you shoot the best. On the flip side, you don't want too wide a pattern when dogs are around. The modified may be best in that situation if you shoot well with it.
eastbank
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I use a browning o/u with SST with choke tubes and use 1 oz # 4,s in the imp cyl barrel and in the mod barrel I use 1-1/8 oz # 6,s. on close shots 20-25 yards the # 4,s kill with out filling the hoppers up with lead and with # 6,s in the mod barrel its deadly out to 40 yards.
I was a little worried about that but if I don't kill something its not a big deal I just like watching the dogs.
buck460XVR
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The idea behind doubles with different chokes is that your first shot most likely will always be closer than your second shot, thus the first barrel to go off usually holds the choke giving the more open pattern. Doesn't matter if it's O/Us or SxSs. The idea behind a selector is, if in the field the game is always at the outside edge of your range, you can shoot the tighter choke first. Easier than changing choke tubes in the field. You also have to remember chokes were not always changeable. Like George P, I prefer doubles with double triggers giving you the instant choice of choke depending on the range of your first shot. With dogs, they generally run the rabbits in a circle back to you so many times if you miss them going away, you may get another chance coming back at you. With modern shotgun shells, full choke is best left for turkeys and waterfowl. Rabbits are easy to kill and it doesn't take many pellets to stop them in their tracks. Less pellets in 'em, better eating they are.
redneck2
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Yep. Back in high school I rabbit hunted a lot. Use a bore choke single shot 16 gauge with trap loads because I was afraid anything stronger would blow apart the gun. Only takes a few pellets.
nettlle
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For rabbits with a 20 gauge Improved Cylinder for the first shot and Modified for the second shot is the perfect combination. If you are going to eat the rabbit leave the full choke at home as suggested.
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
I hope you did well.
My team and I took second today in the tournament. This year it was decided to weigh the rabbits for any tie breaking. Last year we won the pistol-shot-tie-break by my own hand. We lost by a half a pound this year. Which I personally enjoyed, as I like the spirit of the tournament and want to keep competitors interested. It's not as much fun when a team walks in wearing uniforms and takes first every year they play, which we averted today.
I use cylinder in the lower and improved in the upper barrel of my twelve gauge, only because it didn't come with two cylinder chokes. I used a barrowed twenty gauge the first time out. Even very long shots on rabbits with number eight shot is very effective. Though our long shots may differ. Light shot saves meat. Delicious, delicious garlic bunny meat.
According to the Fitbit, I walked nine and eight tenths miles and went up, then back down, one hundred twenty seven flights of stairs to get our limit today before the time limit. We did not open beers at eight thirty this morning either. I suspect this may have something to do with our success.
(The Empire State building is eighty five flights.)
My team and I took second today in the tournament. This year it was decided to weigh the rabbits for any tie breaking. Last year we won the pistol-shot-tie-break by my own hand. We lost by a half a pound this year. Which I personally enjoyed, as I like the spirit of the tournament and want to keep competitors interested. It's not as much fun when a team walks in wearing uniforms and takes first every year they play, which we averted today.
I use cylinder in the lower and improved in the upper barrel of my twelve gauge, only because it didn't come with two cylinder chokes. I used a barrowed twenty gauge the first time out. Even very long shots on rabbits with number eight shot is very effective. Though our long shots may differ. Light shot saves meat. Delicious, delicious garlic bunny meat.
According to the Fitbit, I walked nine and eight tenths miles and went up, then back down, one hundred twenty seven flights of stairs to get our limit today before the time limit. We did not open beers at eight thirty this morning either. I suspect this may have something to do with our success.
(The Empire State building is eighty five flights.)
Loyalist Dave
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Another vote for two triggers. Especially with gloves on I've always had trouble switching barrels on the fancy O/U's when hunting.
LD
Loyalist Dave
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I agree I like a full choke and an ounce of #5 or #6 in 20 gauge, on sitting rabbits or the squirrel who stops to take a second look at me..., BUT he's probably shooting at running rabbits flushed by dogs, or kicked into a run by his foot kicking brush, based on his opening writing, so in this case, IC/Mod or even IC/IC works pretty well.
LD
I shoot at running rabbit, that's why I prefer the full choke. Won't spread out and hit the meat. Most shots are 25 yards or less for me. So a 22 lr. Does the trick well or a full choke at 25 yards is almost a single projectile
nettlle
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I am not skilled enough to hit a running rabbit in the head with full choke without damaging the meat but very much admire those that can. For those less skilled and are still doing the rabbit butt shots Improved Cylinder and/or Modified might be well worth the consideration.
George P
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That's a lot of lead considering I kill rabbits in my backyard with a solitary .177 pellet from my air rifle. Who wants to clean that many pellets? If you're good at hitting them in the head, then use a 410
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