Which Choke for buckshot

[IrvJr]

Hi All,

I have an 12 ga O/U shotgun that I use mostly for clay shooting. It comes with removable choke tubes.

I recently bought some 00 lead buck shot and would like to test these loads from my gun. Are there any restrictions on which chokes I can use with these 00 buck loads? For example, is it OK to use a full choke with the 00 buck load?

Also, what chokes are recommended for HD use?

Thanks in advance.

 

[freedom and guns]

for HD

most agree that no choke is best. Other than that I don't know much about shotguns.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Irv,

Every shotgun barrel is pretty much a law unto itself as far as patterning is concerned. The only way to know what a given barrel/choke tube will do with a given load is to pattern it and see. Patterns can vary widely with different sizes of shot, different loads and different brands- even from lot number to lot number of the same brand and load. Shotgun patterning is more an art than a science.

Buckshot generally works better with less choke rather than more as far as producing tighter patterns is concerned. Start with ImpCyl and see how that does, maybe tighten up a bit to MOD. I have never had to use a tube tighter than MOD with buckshot, there is such a thing as overchoking buckshot and thereby opening up patterns more due to damaged/out of round pellets. I mostly use Skeet or ImpCyl these days, especially with improved loads offering the new FiteControl wads that do a lot to keep patterns together.

hth,

lpl/nc

 

[IrvJr]

Thanks

Thanks all for the messages. This helps a lot. I'll test it out with the Improved Cylinder choke and with the skeet choke and see how it patterns.

 

[trueblue1776]

I've always been a fan of modified for mid sized game with 00 buck

 

[Jim Watson]

The Police Marksman's Association did some buckshot trials some years ago. They had a regular cylinder bore riot gun, a slug barrel at improved cylinder, and 20" barrels with screw chokes and Polychokes installed. They concluded that tightest buckshot patterns came at Improved Modified.

Now, do you WANT the tightest pattern possible?
The conventional wisdom is that you should be able to put the entire load on your enemy, with no scatter to endanger innocent bystanders. A close choke will handle that for some distance, 25 to perhaps 40 yards if you have a perfect match of choke and shot.
There are some situations where the bystanders are not innocent and the maximum of spread might well pay off.
At down-the-hallway ranges for home defense with the skeet gun, it probably doesn't matter much at all.

 

[gunslinger15]

For buck I choose a full choke patterns nice and tigh but every shotgun is diff. jsut have to try it and see what works best for your praticular gun. But full choke or supper full will give you the most range if thats what you need.