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Educate me on M2 choke selections please


Mberry

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I finally have an M2 coming and I want to go ahead and get my chokes on order. I am very new to shotguns, so please excuse my inexperience. From what I've read, I'm thinking Diffusion, Skeet, LM, IM and Full. I do shoot sporting clays occasionally, so that plays in to my choices.

As for brands, it looks like Briley is the way to go, followed by Carlson and Trulock. I know that I want to run extended chokes for ease, but that's about all I know... What version of the Briley's are "THE" choice? Is there any reason to spend the extra cash on the Titanium versions, or do the Spectrums match them in performance? Or, should I be looking at something totally different?

I am a buy once, cry once kind of guy, but I certainly don't have unlimited funds. I need to get it right the first time!

Thanks for the help.

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Yes, I would use the diffuser for skeet and some stages at my local 3-gun matches. We shoot steel plates that are fairly close together from about 10 yards. I can occasionaly get a double with IC, I think with a diffuser I'd get more double's on stages like that.

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Lm or ic are common default choices, I would lean lm myself. Most of our stages locally are designed to be possible to do with ic (it might not be easily done with ic though) so I tend to be a little tighter just to make sure I knock stuff down with authority. Guys who try to sneak by with 100% ic seem to pay the price once in awhile.

You will want a tighter choke like IM or full for circus targets (like a star or spinner...or even a heavy Popper) at distance. Thus far I haven't found anything in 3gun that a full will do that an IM wont do.

Then you will want something open like a cyl, diffusion or skeet that sprays a big pattern when you are trying to pick up doubles. I remain to be convinced if there is a significant difference between them (beacause realistically shot can only spread so fast at short distances) but you'll want at least one of them.

I'm in the same boat as you looking to buy ext chokes. In playing around with the OEM benelli chokes in matches and on the patterning board I haven't unlocked the secret as to why you would need more than say a skeet, lm and Im. I think that might be the best balance of keeping it simple and having the diversity you need. I haven't found the condition where a single choke is the obvious choice and one size up or down wont cut the mustard. At the end of the day if you have some variety of chokes and a little knowledge of their actual patterns you will be way ahead of most people.

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I just purchased a Tri lock Lm extended it looks well made. Can't tell you how it shoots since I haven't had it out yet.

And I agree light mod improved mod and should meet about your needs.

I use IC and LM shooting sporting clays with my over and under.

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I finally have an M2 coming and I want to go ahead and get my chokes on order. I am very new to shotguns, so please excuse my inexperience. From what I've read, I'm thinking Diffusion, Skeet, LM, IM and Full. I do shoot sporting clays occasionally, so that plays in to my choices.

As for brands, it looks like Briley is the way to go, followed by Carlson and Trulock. I know that I want to run extended chokes for ease, but that's about all I know... What version of the Briley's are "THE" choice? Is there any reason to spend the extra cash on the Titanium versions, or do the Spectrums match them in performance? Or, should I be looking at something totally different?

I am a buy once, cry once kind of guy, but I certainly don't have unlimited funds. I need to get it right the first time!

Thanks for the help.

i have been shooting 3 gun,18 yrs now started out law stuff at ft bragg area. u haul ur stuff all day. no resupply

also a a.a. s/clays shooter. (love hanging with the rover-rolex crowd). s/clays, carry about 12 chokes an 2 custom.

3 gun never carried more than 3

1st set for rock castle, outlaw stuff all over go to set if in doubt what i am getting into.

1. i.c. also for slugs tuned 1 to shoot better.

2. mod

3.l.f. tuned to string the shot verticle so i can kill steel regardless of what size.

2nd set close in stuff local clubs around me.

1. sk

2. l/m

3. i/m

1 or the other will shoot anything i can see.

never used the l/f until last year at r/c at 06:30 f-----g a.m. in the morning. i had some 65 yds looked like.

i also carry 3 shells

i shoot victory form Greece cause i have about 30 cs when i quit shooting,clays. 7.5's will break a clay at 75 yds crossing in s/c

i carry:

few 9's

lots of 8's

lots of "smokin"7.5's guys were hittng these with skeet loads and bouncing off. if abyone saw a blue hull u had never seen before that was me. the velocity is faster on the box as they measure form the bbl end.

hope this helps.

jjw

Edited by jjw
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Thanks for all the helpful replies so far. That's the first time I have heard of tuning a choke to shoot a vertical pattern, but it makes total sense. I'll look in to that after I can consistently place in the top 20%!

Is there any one brand, or particular style within that brand that stands out above the others? Is it worth the extra money to buy the Titanium Briley's right off the bat, or is the least expensive set among Briley, Carlson or Trulock going to perform just as well?

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If you are buying this shotgun new.....it is gonna come with the Cryo Chokes....which are VERY good to excellent chokes.

You may want to pattern those before you start throwing coin on chokes that may or may not be better than the factory ones.

Tim

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Thanks for all the helpful replies so far. That's the first time I have heard of tuning a choke to shoot a vertical pattern, but it makes total sense. I'll look in to that after I can consistently place in the top 20%!

Is there any one brand, or particular style within that brand that stands out above the others? Is it worth the extra money to buy the Titanium Briley's right off the bat, or is the least expensive set among Briley, Carlson or Trulock going to perform just as well?

i use the chokes that came with the gun unless i need extended choke to match the tube. remember the guy that built the choke alkso built the gun. so who knows better. i am from houston and knew jess briley well,buy them wholes sale, and stiff dont need them. also if ur tube is longer than the barrel(mine is) i put rubber crutch tip on it with rubber cement, saves the tube when u have to dump it in a barrel. i will be the guy with the white ctutch tipn on an 1100 at r/castle this year.(unless i find black to fit.) L.O.L.

jjw

Edited by jjw
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I shot a lot of clays over the years. I have seen shooters with huge collections of choke tubes. I would only carry three for an auto - "close, medium, and far" or "open, average, and tight" - however you want to look at it. For example, cylinder - light mod - full. Diffuser, Cylinder, and Skeet are all "open" or "close" - I would get one of those not all three.

Whatever you get, suggest you pattern the chokes to your gun and your shell and see exactly what the combination does.

Good luck.

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I've got a selection of Briley extended chokes for my M2. That said, though, I just got a $90 Poly-Choke 2 Crio Plus for my shotgun and have had it out for skeet and clays. So far, so good. I am going to give it more of a workout before 3-Gun season starts, but I am giddy at the thought that I will have, for less than the price of 2 Brileys, every choke I could ever need! :goof:

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I use the briley extended LM choke 95% of the time in my 3gun M2. I carry a diffuser and full chock in my bag but rarely use them. Between those three I doubt there will be a stage that wouldn't be taken care of. For sporting clays I just use the set that came with my super sport.

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1. i.c. also for slugs tuned 1 to shoot better.

2. mod

3.l.f. tuned to string the shot verticle so i can kill steel regardless of wha tsize.

jjw

Excuse my ignorance, but how do you tune a choke tube?

Thanks.

Bill

finds a pattern board. 2 tall sticks and a roll of butcher paper. my s/clays club had all that.

1. slugs: get the most accurate i/c, u have. shoot slug.see the pattern. grind with course wheel ,move pattern to where u want it. shouldnt take much. slugs go ito 4-5"at 50 yds.

i.e. if hits at 9:00, grind right to move right. etc etc. keep shooting/grinding till it hits where u want.

2. vertical string: grind the piss out of the top and bottom of a full l/f or tighter. maybe get a tool guy to do it.

the 1st time after that took it to a guy. if it is a tight area i shoot low. all Remington shoot 60 hi/30 low as

thye were all trap guns originally. stock fit was 50% of the equation. leather shims work good.

shimmed stock to shoot 50/50. bead on the center of the kill zone. spot on. the load i shoot at long target is a 1 oz. also.cant get "hot" 7/8 in u.s.a would a killer on tight targets with this choke. wont shoot reloads.

hope this helps. ask i am around

jjw

Edited by jjw
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  • 2 weeks later...

I use the briley extended LM choke 95% of the time in my 3gun M2. I carry a diffuser and full chock in my bag but rarely use them. Between those three I doubt there will be a stage that wouldn't be taken care of. For sporting clays I just use the set that came with my super sport.

Damn, I guess you like solid hits on all steel? I don't remember ever even using anything tighter than a Mod.

Semper Fi

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1. i.c. also for slugs tuned 1 to shoot better.

2. mod

3.l.f. tuned to string the shot verticle so i can kill steel regardless of wha tsize.

jjw

Excuse my ignorance, but how do you tune a choke tube?

Thanks.

Bill

finds a pattern board. 2 tall sticks and a roll of butcher paper. my s/clays club had all that.

1. slugs: get the most accurate i/c, u have. shoot slug.see the pattern. grind with course wheel ,move pattern to where u want it. shouldnt take much. slugs go ito 4-5"at 50 yds.

i.e. if hits at 9:00, grind right to move right. etc etc. keep shooting/grinding till it hits where u want.

2. vertical string: grind the piss out of the top and bottom of a full l/f or tighter. maybe get a tool guy to do it.

the 1st time after that took it to a guy. if it is a tight area i shoot low. all Remington shoot 60 hi/30 low as

thye were all trap guns originally. stock fit was 50% of the equation. leather shims work good.

shimmed stock to shoot 50/50. bead on the center of the kill zone. spot on. the load i shoot at long target is a 1 oz. also.cant get "hot" 7/8 in u.s.a would a killer on tight targets with this choke. wont shoot reloads.

hope this helps. ask i am around

jjw

Are you grinding inside the choke tube for slugs or at the back?

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