doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com If you had only one choke.

Wingshooter,
I also like .005 and .015 or .020, and if I were to actually chose my chokes instead of just using the IC/MOD that came with my guns that is what I'd pick. I've read that to take advantage of two barrels, the chokes should be two constrictions apart to make a meaningful difference.
Karl

I do have one 12 gauge double which has .010" in both barrels. At the time it was built I believe this was referred to as 1/4 choke. "IF" I could only have one that would be it. That said though my Go To gun for a number of years has a .012/.024 combo. It has successfully killed Quail, Woodcock, Dove, Rabbit, Squirrel, Duck & a couple of Turkeys. It is 12 ga & has been loaded with from 1 oz to 1 3/8oz.It weighs in at about 7� lbs with 26" barrels which I have found that length to present no handicap to me at all.

Full

IC is probably best for most people if we're talking hunting. It covers the spread of distances at which most game birds are shot.

use 'a turkey jOe?

Why would you handicap yourself in a situation in which you would be better off with a modified choke, when you can drop (off the shelf) spreaders in the gun and shoot improved cylinder patterns? At $9/ box, shipped to your door, it's no big deal.

The chance of you being able to find a factory load that makes an IC shoot a M pattern is extremely slim. It's easy to go the other way, however. My belief is that I should have enough choke for most any situation. Besides that, tight chokes will make a better shooter out of you, if you're willing to do some clay shooting during the off season.

SRH

0.010" for uplands. 12 ga to .410.

Spreaders are kind of salty, not readily available and my grouse guru hunting buddy says they are game cripplers. I have no experience hunting with spreaders, but that's what he says. Have you hunted with spreaders, Stan?

6 of my 9 M12's are full choked- the Pigeon Grade Trap is choked Imp. Mod-, almost Full-4 of the 5 L.C. Smiths are either M&F or F&F- all 12 gauges. As I mainly pass shoot waterfowl, and take soaring barn pigeons and crows in the off-seasons, I like the reach the full chokes give me--and I like 7&1/2" AA or RST loads. MY 20 gauge Sterlingworth, and the Model 12 in that gauge- mod and full, the M12 is modified.

I am NOT a skeet or SC shooter-so the IC and skeet and .010" chokes aren't my choice, nor do I hunt grouse or woodcock nowadays, and do not hunt over a close working pointing dog anymore.

I like to see pigeons and crows crumple up dead in the air, with a nice float of free-falling feathers in the air--and for my shooting style, a tight choke works best to achieve those results.

buzz,

Hinterland Outfitters will ship as many flats as you're willing to buy to your door for $8.99, flat shipping fee. They're Fiocchi Interceptors, and I have patterned them on my grease plate with excellent results. There is nothing about the patterns I've seen that would lead me to believe that they are cripplers. I have not used them on game ..... yet. Main reason is that they are only available in 12 ga. and I very seldom use a 12 in the field for anything but ducks or turkeys, and that is a tighter choke game, for the most part. Besides, this is really a moot question. 99% of us have multiple choked guns we can use anyway.

The pattern plate tells the tale. There can be nothing about spreaders that would make them a game crippler that would not show up on the plate. The only other option is that someone tries to stretch the yardage too far with a spreader, but that's not the fault of the shell. From what I can see there is no difference in patterns from the Fiocchis than with a regular shell of the same payload out of a more open choke.

SRH