doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What chokes for 2 barrel set?

I'm looking at getting a sxs 2-barrel set, both barrels same length at about 28" (so swing feels same). I mostly hunt quail, dove and pheasant. I probably will not take duck or goose where it's a bit rough and wet.

And also 5-stand, sporting clays, trap and skeet.

Thinking about one set light IC and light M. The other M and F. I'm iffy on the F because not sure what I'd shoot with it. Is this best for sport like Helis (but that's mostly in Europe, correct)? Or is this the most versatile set up?

Sound about right? Any suggestions?

IC and Mod for 1 set
Mod and IM for the other I think would be very workable
I have a Beretta SXS with .008" and .015" fixed chokes I can get anywhere from a light IC up to a tight Mod in the the .008" barrel and a loose Mod to a nice full in the .015" barrel with selected reloads

SK1/SK2 and IC/IM

Hoser,
My preferences for chokes is highly dependent on:
Gauge, type of dog, particular dog, terrain, type of bird, bird habit at the time you happen to be hunting. Since I don't shoot targets in competition, I will defer to others for that. I simply grab a gun that I want to shoot for enjoyment on clays.

If I were ordering a new gun with a 2bbl set and had no particular focus on any of the criteria or activities mentioned, I'd get barrels choked to cover one end to the other. That would likely be the commonly seen f/m and m/ic set. It' easy to open them up, much harder to tighten them.

I would purchase/order two guns(same manufacturer), both with screw chokes.
A Target gun should weigh a lot more than an upland gun to allow you to better handle the recoil and conversely you don't want to tote a Target gun while upland hunting.
The weights and swings will be different due to inertia but that it not a problem. I do have my Target gun at 28" to better match the length of my upland guns.-Dick

Cylinder and mod.

Mod and improved mod.


Best,

Mike

Dick brings up a good point. An idealized trap or sporting clays gun will be vastly different in weight and length than a quail gun, even in the same gauge.

When I was serious about sporting clays, I went thru a lot of guns, ending with a 12g, 32" barreled, 7 3/4 lb, screw-choked, o/u. Upon realizing that I was never going to be the next George Digweed, I bought a 20g, 32", 7 lb, screw-choked, o/u and sold the 12g after it sat unfired for several years. Neither of those guns would be worth lugging around in the field for quail, regardless of dog.

Today, my ideal quail gun is a 5 3/4 lb, mod/cyl choked, 28", .410, sxs over my close hunting Lab. Next year, I should have a well trained pointer and I should be able to gun down to a 2 lb, .22, with birdshot spreaders in a cylinder bore.

I'm not a competitive shooter in clays. Nor am I a prolific hunter. I'm just a shooter who's picking up a fine SxS sidelock that happens to have two sets of barrels, 28-1/2", and for some reason, both are F/F and F/F! Original owner is deceased, so can't ask HIM why he did it.

I'm am thinking about one set opened up, and maybe eliminating the F altogether on the second set. Not much use for Full is there?

Hoser,
Maybe if you describe the gun; weight, gauge, etc. and your intended use, it could help others understand a bit more.

For example: a 6 1/2 lb straight stocked, splinter forend, 12g is likely not gonna end up your favorite clays gun. But it may end up your favorite upland gun. If you don't hunt over a dog or have a flushing dog that hunts out a ways, you may want it tighter choked than if you had a rock steady pointer.

There is plenty of use for full, IMO. But not 4 barrels full of full.

I still think if you really don't know what you want, make them in the classic set F/M and M/IC. You can open them more if you feel the need. Harder, by a lot, to tighten them.

Barrels are "Chopper Lump", 28-1/2" with 2.70mm (2-3/4") chambers, vented ribs with single ivory beads and have ejectors. Weight of gun with either barrel is 7 lbs 9 oz. Not a lightweight...maybe supposed to be a pigeon gun in the past?