Got to shoot my new 20 gauge Model 21 on Saturday. Even though I did ok for me, I did find at times trigger pulls were quite tight. Also have questions concerning the WS1 and WS2 chokes. The course had pretty close targets for most part and wonder how far out those chokes should be effective.

Pattern them and see for yourself, Mike. There are no shortcuts for patterning, IMO. No one can say for sure what the effective range of your gun is because different loads will affect that.

SRH

40+ yards if you do your part

Are you shooting 7/8 or 1 ounce loads?

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/model-21-ws1-ws2-chokes.220825/
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Mike

7/8 ounce, mostly 8's

I believe the goal of the WS1 and WS2 chokes were to provide the optimum
20 yard and 30 yard patterns.
The WS2 seems better suited for Upland birds than a Skeet field.
Reverse your selectable trigger and shoot the out goer with your WS2 barrel and the incomer. with WS1.

I'd have a tough time believing that the guys who ordered these barrels weren't thinking Skeet

The first listings/ads for the Model 21 Skeet Gun in 1932, give the chokes as cylinder right and improved cylinder left. The next year the big W was touting the WS-1, WS-2 combo.

Wish my Model 21 Skeet Guns were WS-1, WS-1.

What do you think of WS1/WS2 as ruffed grouse chokes. They sound ideal to me, but what amounts of constriction did Winchester use for them?

Terminal Flare in the WS1 barrel. Negative choke.
More open than Cylinder by a few thousandths.
WS2 at about .008

As far as shooting qualities, I think Don Amos has recorded moments of inertia for several model 21’s in 20 gauge for the database.
If you can locate that, it might give you a good comparison between the guns that you regularly shoot, and your new gun.
Sort of see where your model generally fits into your spectrum.

If you shoot with any regularity, on a course as you described, I think I would look in a different direction for changes in my performance.

I think I would get a couple of 3 foot square sheets of cardboard, and just fire some rounds at them at the club. It might be possible your stock dimensions or your mounting of the new gun are not sending the pellets where you are looking.

Mostly because a 7/8oz load is more than adequate load at the distances cited, and the chokes listed.

I’m refining an old 410 today, just for those reasons.
It hits too far right, and low for my Mount.
It breaks targets just fine, but I want the pattern exactly where my typical mount places the barrels.
It irks me when I hit straight always left or right of center.

But you just wouldn’t know what’s going on, without shooting a few patterns.

For what it’s worth, furniture stores provide an endless supply of cardboard to shoot at.

I should have mentioned it was sporting clays I was shooting the little 21 on. This course at Deep River, most of the stations are real close. The only station I had issues with was the tower that throws them overhead and away from the stand.
I really want to find some #9's and see how they perform.

Elevated bird, coming from above, and behind you, shows the whole underside.

Mount on the front edge push the gun down and head until you see a couple feet, and send it.
For that kind of a presentation, you really need to use pull ahead or sustain lead, because the gun barrels will block the bird if you use swing through.

A 60 foot tower, which is a pretty good sized manlift, is still only 20 yards above grade.

So skeet distance above you. If you are good at spatial orientation, it’s probably like taking the high bird closer to the out of bounds stake when shooting from station 2 two.
9’s might be too light at that dist.

I would be wary about carrying a WS1 Model 21 in the grouse woods. The muzzle wall thickness is .010 or less in some guns and very easy to dent. I have a dented 20 gauge in the gun room now and it hasn't even been in the woods.

My circa 1933 12 gauge Model 21 has Cylinder/Modified chokes and 26 inch barrels which I think are just about perfect for grouse and woodcock.

I've never had the barrels measured for thickness but don't recall them being too thin at the muzzle to worry about.

Modified and cylinder are not the chokes that are too thin. The WS1 is too thin.

The Last time I shot Sporting Clays on our course was about 5 years ago. I was shooting my Citori Lightning- 12 gauge. I'd lost all my screw in chokes at the time and I had to shoot what was in the gun. Cylinder and Cylinder. I was surprised at how many I broke that day, I believe I had a 44 which was my best score ever at Sporting Clays at the time. Mainly because I had only shot them a couple of times before that. But I was really shocked at how easy I broke them with those two chokes. Must have been my lucky day, I guess.