Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Summary of Shot Gun Chokes

With bird season approaching, it's an appropriate time to start to considering upland game equipment.

I found this summary of shot gun chokes on the Kittery Trading Post website. I thought it was a good quick summary and explanation.

The progression goes from least to most choke constriction.

Popular Shotgun Chokes:

Cylinder Bore: This is a straight tube with no constriction at all. It would be the same as if you cut a barrel back four or five inches and removed all the choke in it, leaving just a straight tube.
Skeet 1: This has a .005" constriction and tightens the pattern just a little. It is great for skeet shooting or any type of shooting where the shots are 25 yards or less.
Improved Cylinder: This is tighter than Skeet 1 with about .010" constriction. Great for shots under thirty yards or so or if you want to shoot Foster type slugs in your bird gun.
Skeet 2: This has about .015" constriction and is actually a "light modified". Great for ducks over decoys and some pass shooting under certain conditions. It makes a nice early season pheasant choke for the second shot. Good for almost 35 yards.
Modified: This was the most common choke a few years ago. It usually represents about a .020" constriction. All the guns either came with a full or modified choke. It is midway between the tight and open. (Kind of like ordering a medium instead of a large or small, if you will.) Good out to 35 yards.
Improved Modified: This is a little tighter than modified but not as tight as full. Usually about .025" constriction. Popular with some trap shooters and a good choice for late season pheasants.
Full: This is the standard long-range choke. Usually a .040" constriction. Good for 40 yards or more and was the most popular choke for trap shooting, and years ago, for pass shooting at ducks when we used to shoot lead.
Extra Full or Super Full Turkey Choke: These are the tightest chokes used when you want to put a full pattern on a turkey's head. These will run .045" constriction or tighter depending on the maker. It is too tight for most standard applications but for turkey hunting, it is an excellent choice with the right shot.

Credit given to Kittery Trading Post website for this information.

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