doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The perfect choke combination for quail

For those of you who get to chase bobwhite or have been able to do so in the past, let's specify wild birds, what choke combination would you consider absolutely perfect for a double triggered 20 ga. doublegun? Having hunted Gambel's quail, I would prefer a slightly tighter choke combination for them. But, this question is for a dedicated 20 ga. S X S bobwhite quail gun.

I am customizing a Philly Sterly Ejector 20 for quail, and quail only. I have my ideas about what would be ideal, but really would like to hear the thoughts of other "quail men". The first barrel choke is pretty easy for me but, keep in mind that the second barrel may be called on to hit a bird again that has been hit lightly and has dropped a leg, or try again for a bird after a closer miss. But, at the same time, not be so tight as to ruin a bird that is a late straggler on a covey rise.

Thanks in advance, SRH

Yes, the right should be very open, perhaps only a couple thousandths. The left is always a personal opinion but I�ve found that I seldom need to use the second beyond thirty yards (that�s actually a long way). So perhaps .010 in the left?

For what it�s worth, bobwhite numbers in the Texas Panhandle this year are very poor. That�s two years in a row of low numbers. But Amarillomike and I are scratching out a few.

Tell Mike I said �Hi�.

No matter what you decide on, one day, you will be out, and wish you had left one tighter than you did, or, looser, or, whatever.

Choke is always a compromise.

Best,
Ted

Why, 'Quail 1 and Quail 2' of course.

.005 and. .015 has been my go to choice for a long time now, for everything including wild quail. When preserve shooting I go to cylinder and .010

Let's expand my original post to include woodcock. It will likely be my go to gun for them as well. I realize there are likely many more woodcock chasers on here than wild bobwhite ones. Shouldn't be much, if any, difference in the best chokes for the two.

Thanks for the replies so far.

SRH

I just returned from shooting the upland slam in Nebraska.

Part of the slam was bobwhite quail.

I found that shooting bobwhites (covies and singles) in the plum brush and Cottonwood thickets, worked best with cylinder choke, light load, and improved cylinder for the second barrel.

The guys that used modified, blew birds to pieces on the rise. I never did. I shot very well actually, and all of my birds were nicely dealt with.

FWIW, my "Jawja" amigo-- as we only see preserve quail here in MI--and our proposed dove season got defeated about 15 years ago--I bought my Utica era Sterly 20 gauge- 28" Bls. DT, EJ from a retired Judge of Probate, he used it for grouse and wood cock.

Just for the heck of it- I "miked out" the chokes-- .007" right barrel (front trigger) and .012" left barrel (rear trigger)-- I agree with all those who replied touting a tighter left barrel, and double triggers- for the smaller upland game birds. I still prefer a 12 bore for pheasant, with the caveat that here, we are most likely talking planted preserve birds-

Sometime when its a tad warmer, I'll take it out to our gun club range and pattern test it on 36" cardboard patterning boards- but IMO-that is a "static" test- how does it pattern on moving targets is the true test- as well as gun fit when swinging through a moving bird--
Happy Turkey Day to you, Jean and all your family--Miss a bob for me, and in memory of Nash Buckingham and Havilah Babcock. RWTF

Me tOo...



Stan no need to ask a question so you can do a show n tell....

We all know you already know the answer to your "choke" question.

Nice to be able to change chokes and tighten up a little on windy days.

Stan, I am still searching for the perfect combination myself. On my last bobwhite hunt, I shot my 16 Bore DMB SxS with IC/Mod fixed chokes. It was too tight. I have a little 20ga choked .005/.006 I will try on my next outing.