Which choke...

kudu said:

There are also Cylinder bore, skeet 2, improved mod, light mod, extra full, turkey, etc...

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I thought Skeet 2 and Light Modified were one and the same.

I believe they are the same.

Limited to a single choke I'd go with Improved cylinder. You can use IC on most game out to about 30-35 yards by choosing the shotshells best suited for the job. I keep IC in my guns most all the time, but quite often use a cylinder choke and find it useful for a lot of upland game and skeet.

Steel shot tends to pattern one choke tighter than lead shot and even for waterfowl IC will suit most needs. With steel you should never use anything tighter than modified anyway and that is for long range shots.

In rare cases I'll use modified, but it only adds about 5-10 yards of effective range while reducing the probability of hits at closer ranges. The way I see it I'll take more game by passing on the longer shots and using a more open choke to increase my hit probability on the more common close range shots.

The exception is turkey hunting where I usually use an aftermarket extra full choke tube. I almost never use the factory full tube and on rarely modified.

I think IC would take care of most if not all of what you described. About the only other choke I use is extra full, for turkey.

D.B. Cooper said:

a.) Slugs or 00 for moose or bear in tight brush
b.) 4 and 2 for jump-shooting waterfowl on small ponds
c.) 6 and/or 7-1/2 for rabbits, grouse, ptarmigan
d.) some unknown load and choke for pests (squirrels, magpies, etc)
e.) trap and skeet
f.) 00 for home defense

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a.) Cyl. or IC. Do not use Buckshot on bear or moose, unless that's all you have and it's legal.
b.) Edited to Mod. Forgot about steel shot.
c.) IC or Mod, possibly IM.
d.) IC or Mod.
e.) Trap; 16 yd. IM or full. 20+ yard Full or Super Full -- Skeet; Skeet (or IC)
f.) Mod.

D.B. Cooper said:

I've never heard that before. (I've also never tried it.) Any particular reason why not?

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Depending on your state laws, it may be illegal.

That, and penetration, penetration, penetration. Both of those animals have much thicker muscle and bone mass than the humans and deer buckshot is usually used for. Slugs, preferably Brenneke Black Magnums, are a better choice.

ALso check the underside of the barrel some of the barrels say made in Texas and under the for arm it says made in mexico .Thats why they are so cheap

D.B. Cooper said:

Which choke for which load for which task?

Sportsman's Warehouse has those Maverick pump guns on sale for $190. I'm just going to buy one. Or two. I've been shooting a Model 12 with fixed choke and the bismuth shot is really expensive.

So. Since I never owned a shotgun with interchangeable chokes before...

Which choke would I use on a 12 ga 28" bbl for...

a.) Slugs or 00 for moose or bear in tight brush
b.) 4 and 2 for jump-shooting waterfowl on small ponds
c.) 6 and/or 7-1/2 for rabbits, grouse, ptarmigan
d.) some unknown load and choke for pests (squirrels, magpies, etc)
e.) trap and skeet
f.) 00 for home defense

So that's a list of loads I would use for the stated purpose in my 30" barrel Model 12. If I've got the wrong load listed, or a different load would work better, please feel free to correct me on that. But I'm headed down to the gun store in the morning, and I think I'll just buy the choke tubes at the same time.

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a) IC
b) IC (non-lead)
c) IC or M
d) IC or M
e) Skeet, use skeet; trap use M, IM, or F
f) skeet or IC

Here is what I use .
XF - 00 bk deer
F - 00 bk deer
M - 00 bk deer, #6 rabbits , squirrels , #8 doves
IC - #6 rabbits ( close shots ) , #8 doves
C - BK home defense

I use a buck kicker brand choke for deer . I found them to pattern the best in the 2 shotguns that I use for deer hunting . I use the XF with the 3" gun , using 3" 00 bk and a full with the 3 1/2" gun , using 3 1/2" 00 bk .

You have to pattern your gun with at least 3 different brands of shells to see what shell / choke combination is best . I mostly hunt with a shotgun , I am in a shotgun only county for deer and I have killed a lot of deer with one in my 40 years of hunting . I have had 2 deer that I can remember that were hit and I could not recover , one shot with a 30/30 rifle when I was in my teens and the other a couple years ago with my shotgun . I blame poor preparation on one and poor judgment on the other , not the firearm .

Patterning with what you want to shoot is about the only way to nail it down. My rough and ready do it all gun is a Rem 1100 with a butt ugly Polychoke I bought for a song. Using it, my choke choices are, having tested them, 00 buck, I.c. (I would not choose buck for bear or moose). Slugs, Breneke or Nobel Strike, mod. Steel shot for doves, ic.
I learned the hard way on dove that my guns with mod choke don't work as well as ic.
Trap, I'm full all the way but that is what came on my 1975 870 and I see no reason to change based on my record with it.
Skeet, skeet or ic.
BTW, some old guns were marked "skeet in" and "skeet out" or in and out for the looser and tighter chokes.
I rarely use the Poly except for foraging on the farm where a variety of stuff pops up.
My main skeet gun is a M12 Skeet (WS1) that some clown years ago put a Cutts on. I use the skeet spreader tube to good effect.

A Modified choke will take care of 90% of your shooting needs. The only time to change would be if you are shooting very close fast targets (skeet) or game (grouse in the forest) and then you may want to use an improved cylinder. Self defense with a 26" barrel it doesn't matter what you use, just use buck shot. Want more range get Federal buck with flight control wad.

I use a skeet #1 for most of my hunting. It throws a relatively open pattern, EDIT..STIKE THIS PARTvery slightly tighter than improvedEDIT, with lead shot for upland game such as grouse and pheasant generally inside 30 yards. Gets a little thin past that range. I assume your grouse and ptarmigan would be similar ranges. It will fire the old "rifled" style slugs relatively accurately. It is a fine choice for home defense or close range buckshot. Throws a good pattern with steel shot loads for ducks to moderate ranges. Obviously a good choice for skeet shooting. About the only time I change it is with longer range waterfowl and geese where I use a Carlson's "pass" choke or on the odd occasion we do a "pheasant drive" or pass shoot some doves or pigeons where I use full. Also for trap shooting, I shoot exclusively a full choke for all distances, although modified or improved mod will work well for the closer ranges, I just like to get solid brakes and have no doubt about my pattern breaking a bird.

Random 8 said:

I use a skeet #1 for most of my hunting. It throws a relatively open pattern, very slightly tighter than improved, with lead shot for upland game such as grouse and pheasant generally inside 30 yards. Gets a little thin past that range. I assume your grouse and ptarmigan would be similar ranges. It will fire the old "rifled" style slugs relatively accurately. It is a fine choice for home defense or close range buckshot. Throws a good pattern with steel shot loads for ducks to moderate ranges. Obviously a good choice for skeet shooting. About the only time I change it is with longer range waterfowl and geese where I use a Carlson's "pass" choke or on the odd occasion we do a "pheasant drive" or pass shoot some doves or pigeons where I use full. Also for trap shooting, I shoot exclusively a full choke for all distances, although modified or improved mod will work well for the closer ranges, I just like to get solid brakes and have no doubt about my pattern breaking a bird.

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I guess I am confused; how is a SK1 tighter than an IC? It is more open the a plain SK choke at .003, while a regular SK is .05 in 12 gauge, and SK2 is .008 and the IC is .010

George P said:

I guess I am confused; how is a SK1 tighter than an IC? It is more open the a plain SK choke at .003, while a regular SK is .05 in 12 gauge, and SK2 is .008 and the IC is .010

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This.

All of the years I was hunting upland game I don't think I used anything but an Improved Cylinder choke. Most shots were well within 30 yards or less. The only time I used a Full choke was on geese and Extra Full for turkeys. Can't recall ever using a Modified choke for anything.

George P said:

I guess I am confused; how is a SK1 tighter than an IC? It is more open the a plain SK choke at .003, while a regular SK is .05 in 12 gauge, and SK2 is .008 and the IC is .010

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Well I'll be damned. Was always going off what a seemingly knowledgeable shooter told me a long time ago. Guess that was wrong. I still use skeet choke, but now I know. Edited above for accuracy

I have shotgunned for 45 years. I didnt own any choke tubes until recently.
My 12ga 1100 has two barrels. 26" skeet and 28" full:
Full for turkeys, doves, waterfowl, clay pigeons.
Skeet for deer slugs and upland game.

My 1100 Sporting Competition has tubes but i rarely change from light modified.

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I hear you Armored farmer , I only had 1 shotgun a Browning 12ga. A5 full choke for my first 35 years and never felt I needed another choke or gun . It wasn't until I got extra money and joined gun forums that I now have a safe full . My A5 is still my favorite .