doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What choke combination...............

do you use for Quail? I watched a Beretta show the other day and Steve Smith was patterning a 20 gauge in I/C and Cyl. I thought this might be a little open for me but what do the rest of you use on quail?

JW,

I saw that show too and I think you should also note that he was using 1oz of #8s. On another program Tom Knapp (not sure of spelling) Said he used IC for all his shooting out to 35 yards, but he did not say if shot weight or size was a factor. I don't know, but think there maybe some holes to fill in Knapp's statement?

Check the distance at which you normally shoot quail.
Then remember that skeet ranges are 21 yards to the center stake and a clay is about the size of a quail-cyl(skeet) and IC would seem about right for bobwhites with 7/8 oz of 8's or 1 oz of 7 1/2's.
Desert quail might be better with IC and LtMod.

WS-1/WS-2 16ga. Model 21, SK/Sk 20ga Model 101.

Jimmy, for West Texas/Southern New Mexico Gambel's
and Scaled Quail, I use 20ga. 7/8oz. #71/2 choked
C/IC and 16ga. 1 oz. #71/2 choked C/C. These birds
will run and sometimes flush at long distances, but when they come down, they tend to sit tight
and flush very close and offer very quick shots
that must be taken before they fly around a mes-
quite bush. These choke combinations and #71/2
shot have worked most effectively for me out to
30-35 yds. I have also quit using #8 shot for
and doves. Since doing so, the number of cripples
has dropped dramatically. Good shooting. John

Eastern KS and Western MO quail can be in some pretty thick stuff and if you snooze, you lose . I use 3/4 oz 7 1/2s in my 2 1/2" chambered 22' Trojan choked .000 and .007 (IC) And I agree with JDD about 7 1/2s over 8s-fewer lost birds.

Arizona desert quail have been my main bird for about 25 years now. With a 20ga I like 3/4 or 7/8oz loads of 7 shot when shooting reloads. I also use 7 1/2s in 7/8oz factory loads. The 7s and 7 1/2s will greatly reduce losing birds compared to 8s and 9s. These little guys are tougher than they look and need better penetration to make sure they are anchored. Chokes I use are Skt/LMod in both 20ga and 16ga(which I also use a lot in 2 1/2" 7/8oz loads.

In 20g, I've used IC/M but found them to be a bit tight for Calif Vly Quail in the chapparal. I've used a 12g with Cyl/Skt and did very well. I've also used a Parker 12g with Skt/Full to very good results. For my quail hunting in my favorite area, between Cyl and Skt is perfect for the first barrel. The second barrel should be at least Mod IMO, tighter is o.k. too, for my uses. But I wouldn't feel particularly disadvantaged with a Cyl/IC gun in 20g. The first barrel takes most of the meat and the second usually is either not fired or seldom fired in my quail hunting.

For IL, MO I agree with Jerry. Same loads and chokes. For preserve hunts, I will go with lighter loads and with a more open second barrel.

Pete

I had a Parker reproduction "Quail Special" in 12 Ga. It was choked barely nothing (.002) and hardly nothing(.003). I never used it on Quail and only shot skeet with it before I sold it.