Which chokes should you have in your bag?

[DrLove]

So other than the LM which is probably the most used, which other chokes would you always have with you for a match?

[MarkCO]

Two answers...I tell my "new" to 3Gun class students to use a LM or a Mod...that is it!

Once you have some match maturity under your belt, you can make a more informed choice.

Patrick Kelley wrote an excellent article in the 3GN E-Magazine Jan/Feb issue. I would suggest you download it and then go read it after you have gone to a few matches.

[bigbrowndog]

The ones that fit in your gun....................

seriously!!!!if LM is what you run 90% of the time, then you can eliminate the chokes just above and below
LM,.......... IC and Mod. There isn't enough difference to make it worth the change. So Cyl. and Imp Mod or Cyl. and Full and you will be good for the rest of your shotgunning, there is no real need for such small increments in choke tightening or opening up.

Trapr

[T Bacus]

Light Modified is my choice 90% of the time. I have a Cylinder Bore in my bag for the occasional all clay target stage. If there is any steel however, it's always LM.

[Akkid17]

Up here we run pretty heavy/difficult shotgun targets so mod or better is pretty much a must. I like having some options though, so I keep imp cyl, mod and full in the bag. Mod is the 90% maybe even 95% choke, then imp cyl for some clays or light close steel and full for the spinners or the farther and heavier steel. I did notice that at Texas multigun I was a tad over choked for some stuff but I hit everything with authority. Lol

Also, last weekend we had one of our big matches up here and the guy I was directly competing with for the top spot changed his choke on at least two if not three stages and I left mod in the whole time and I beat him on 2 of 3 shotgun heavy stages, so I'd say choke isn't as important as some people make it out to be.

Edited June 4, 2013 by Akkid17

[loneranger04]

I've just bought 3 new extended choke tubes however got along with a mod and a full for all of my shooting until now. I wanted the extended tubes to be easier to change and got a full, LM and cylinder. We shoot the spinner about every match and a full works best with buckshot on that. I got the cyl because we had a course with plenty of close clays and no steel and would have liked to have as open of choke as possible for that one.

[CJW]

LM for most everything. The other two I keep around are Skeet and Light Full. Those are my Briley extended chokes. I also have all the flush mount chokes that came with the gun—cylinder, IC, Mod, and Full—but I don't think any of those have ever actually had a round fired through them...

[Lead-Head]

IC and Mod. That's it.

[roxymajor]

3 Extended knurled choke tubes for quick changes.

(Cyl or skeet) (Lt Mod) (Improved Mod)

I run cylinder>Any doubt run Lt Mod > any doubt run Imp Mod.

Target weight, inconsistent steel, size (light and big is good- small and heavy bad), distance, bases (how easy they fall off), # of shooters that have loosened up the bases and angle. No-shoots usually call for Imp Mod.

[Fitzghan]

That article by Patrick Kelley was great. I like that he tested all the different chokes on the kinds of targets we normally see in 3 gun.

[Alaskapopo]

So other than the LM which is probably the most used, which other chokes would you always have with you for a match?

I use Light modified and Improved modified 99% of the time. I have other chokes but those are what is in the gun usually depending on the stage.

Pat

[HeinrichDerLowe]

Since LM seems to be "it," are there really any differences between choke tube brands? Briley are the only ones I've used, but I have no idea whether they're better or worse than others.

[usmc90]

so just to clarify things, Light Modified (LM) is what your all saying??

[basing110]

Does it matter if its a back bored barrel or not? I have a sx3 with in vector plus chokes.....

[caz41]

so just to clarify things, Light Modified (LM) is what your all saying??

Correct

[P.E. Kelley]

That article by Patrick Kelley was great. I like that he tested all the different chokes on the kinds of targets we normally see in 3 gun.

Thank you sir. (most forum guys don't like to read articles)

[hab25]

That article by Patrick Kelley was great. I like that he tested all the different chokes on the kinds of targets we normally see in 3 gun.

Thank you sir. (most forum guys don't like to read articles)

Hahaha. Awesome

Florida NFA trusts

[ClutchUSMC]

I go from Spreader, to LM, to Full. Spreader and full maybe account for 20% of the time. My logic is the same as most people. I prefer to shoot the shotgun like a shotgun so I like to just look at my targets and get down. I can do that with both the Spreader and LM depending on the array. If I'm going to have to slow down and aim then I go all the way to full. No reason not bringing all the pattern you can if you're already going to slow down. It takes me no longer to get a good sight picture and pull the trigger with a full choke in as opposed to a IM.

I played with running an IC choke most of the time in place of my LM and really found that it didn't make enough of a difference for me to notice in what we do. All you really need are 3 but I carry about 6. You need wide open, CYL, SKT, Spreader. You need middle of the road IC, LM, MOD. And you need tight or full.

Finally, splits rarely matter with a shotgun. There are usually enough loading and movement and the fact that 1 makeup shot will wreck a beautiful stage/stage plan to make splits unimportant. So if you have any doubt about taking down a target just choke up or use a heavier load. You'll reach a place once you really have a feel for your gun, your chokes, your loads, and your patterns where you will just know what you need for any given target/situation/distance. It just takes time to get there.

[benny hill]

All of them

[Recon'sHide]

...that's what I will do thanks Benny and crew. M2 by Benny Hill

[ac4wordplay]

That article by Patrick Kelley was great. I like that he tested all the different chokes on the kinds of targets we normally see in 3 gun.

Thank you sir. (most forum guys don't like to read articles)

I'm having difficulty finding it - link please?

TIA

[MarkCO]

That article by Patrick Kelley was great. I like that he tested all the different chokes on the kinds of targets we normally see in 3 gun.

Thank you sir. (most forum guys don't like to read articles)

I'm having difficulty finding it - link please?

TIA

Hmm, could not find in on 3GN anymore...found the whole E-Zine here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/122809409/3-Gun-Nation-2013-January-February-E-Magazine

[ac4wordplay]

Mark,

Thanks for the link, and for confirming it's not on 3GN anymore.

Best,

ac

[Morgan Patrick]

Will changing the choke effect point of impact for ur slugs? I would think not but I haven't tested it. Running an slp...

[mpom]

As long as slugs are brought into the discussion, is there an optimum choke for shooting slugs, such as fiocchi reduced recoil ?

i have read that full chokes are likely to cause poor accuracy due to deformation of slug but wonder if a light modified is best as a rule of thumb. Was going to try modified choke yesterday in comparison to light modified but ran out of slugs.