Which chokes to buy?

flipper62 · #1 11-15-2009, 12:16 AM

Quick question:
Just picked up a Remington 870 Super Mag combo. Came with a Rem modified choke.
I plan on doing alot more trap shooting as well as pheasant, goose and duck hunting. ( alittle too late for this season) I just started putting in for the turkey draw as well.

All of my other shotguns have full chokes so I was wondering which additional chokes I should buy.

Which 3 1/2" ammo would you recommend for geese and ducks? I heard that BB is a good starting point.

Thanks for your input.
Phil

munyee4321 · #2 11-15-2009, 12:24 AM

#3-#2 for ducks

BBs for geese

dont shoot 3 1/2 i like my shoulder....

as for ammo... gonna have to let your shotty decide that..... gonna have to try various brands and see how they pattern

as for chokes... i use the stock mod choke my 870 came with.... i have a turkey choke for yotes and a full choke as well which i sometimes occasstionally use on geese buy i stick to mod as my main. I find my modified patterns better with steel shot then my full choke..

TheClash · #3 11-15-2009, 12:30 AM

i prefer improved cylinder for pheasant.

elkhunter11 · #4 11-15-2009, 12:37 AM

A full choke will likely work best for trap,and the mod for upland and waterfowl.
I would use #4 for ducks over decoys,and BB for geese.I would stick with 3" shells as 3-1/2" just isn't necessary.

Rockymtnx · #5 11-15-2009, 02:39 AM

I like using full choke and modified chokes for goose hunting. Full chokes and turkey chokesfor pass shooting and modified or full for shooting over decoys.
I use modified and improved cylinder for shooting clays.
As far as shot goes now a days with steel shot I use #3s for ducks and BBs for geese.
Mainly 3" but those 3.5" are awesome. You can reach out there a ways and they have some knock down power. I knocked down 7 snows in three shots with 3.5" BBs this year.

Dick284 · #6 11-15-2009, 08:27 AM

Which choke, well the one that gives you the type of patterns your hoping for.

Which shell, the one that patterns the way you like it too.

There is only one way to find out, at that is spending time at the pattern board.

For my 870 to get full choke patterns with BB sized steel shot or larger I had to back up to my Improved Cylinder choke tube.

I use my modified tube for trap, but only after finding my full choke was acting more like an extra full.

The reality is these sorts of things vary so much from gun to gun, and tube to tube, that you have to put in the time experimenting and tweeking to find what works best in your shotgun.

Good luck

elkhunter11 · #7 11-15-2009, 08:42 AM

Quote:

The reality is these sorts of things vary so much from gun to gun, and tube to tube, that you have to put in the time experimenting and tweeking to find what works best in your shotgun.

That unfortunately is the reality of it all.We can tell you what will most likely work for you as far as chokes or shot size is concerned,but the only way to find out which is really best in your gun is to try various chokes and loads.Unfortunately,that means buying both a full choke and improved choke in order to test both in your gun.As far as the shells go,hopefully you can borrow a few various loads from a friend to save the cost of buying a large assortment of loads to test.

madatter · #8 11-15-2009, 02:43 PM

Throw in the fact that steel shot reacts differently than lead.
A moderate choke for lead is supposed to act like a full choke for steel etc etc.
Throw in 2 3/4 to 3 to 3 1/2" with their varying speeds and loads and it really does come to some experimentation on how your specific gun shoots with the different loads and chokes.

Okotokian · #9 11-16-2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

A full choke will likely work best for trap,.

Depends on whether you want a high score or a real challenge. I'd use IC or skeet.

flipper62 · #10 11-16-2009, 03:45 PM

Thanks guys for the advice.

As I have never shot a shotgun with steel shot there are a few things I need to learn
Needless to say I will be spending some time at the range with a pattern board.

As for target ammo goes, I most likely be using the brand that is alittle more on the economy side as I don't reload shot shells.

Good place to start though

Regards
Phil

Cal · #11 11-17-2009, 10:18 AM

I recently bought a modifyed choke for my 870 as everyone seemed to think I needed one for water fowling (deffinatly dont need it for grouse). After putting a box of shells through it with a dismaly low number of ducks to show for it I went back to the IC choke and and my bird to shell ratio went back up. With 3" #3s I know pretty well what my range is, inside that range I can kill both ducks and geese consistantly, and past it I dont shoot. I wasnt around for the days of lead shot so I'm OK with these limitations. And sticking to them seems to get me more birds that trying to extend my range.

Okotokian · #12 11-17-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cal

I recently bought a modifyed choke for my 870 as everyone seemed to think I needed one for water fowling (deffinatly dont need it for grouse). After putting a box of shells through it with a dismaly low number of ducks to show for it I went back to the IC choke and and my bird to shell ratio went back up. With 3" #3s I know pretty well what my range is, inside that range I can kill both ducks and geese consistantly, and past it I dont shoot. I wasnt around for the days of lead shot so I'm OK with these limitations. And sticking to them seems to get me more birds that trying to extend my range.

I'm similar. 3" #2's (rather than your #3's) through an IC choke in my Berretta 391 seems to do the trick for both ducks and geese. I use Black Clouds which tend to create a touch more damage that's useful on the geese (so I don't feel the need to go BB) but not too bad on the ducks. I DID do a double on a flock of ducks at relatively close range (less than 10 yards) and it blew the bottom half off the first duck.

The second was fine.