Grouse gun

[Phil C]

I completely agree with Gary, if you want your chokes opened up.
I shoot a lot of quail over my dogs and like open patterns. I normally shoot only RST spreader loads over my dogs in all gauges and all chokes with very good success.
I would send my barrels to Dean Harris at SKEETS and have him open the chokes.
Barrel work is his specialty and he does things right.

[Bruce Hering]

As to your second barrel; I shoot cyl in the right barrel and anything from LT Mod to full in the second. I recently purchased a Parker VH 20ga. 30" barrels with cyl in the right and full in the left. It did the job in the dove fields (#8 shot in both barrels) and on woodcock. I shoot nothing but 20ga, factory skeet loads in both barrels (#9 shot) although I do sometimes us 7/8's 8's in the second barrel.

There are any number of qualified smiths out there that can work your chokes. Just remember to have them set the constriction off the bore measurement.

[mobirdhunter]

For about 20 years I exclusively used a Dickson (box lock) 28 for all my hunting. It is bored cylinder and light full. The open/tight combination has served me well in the grouse and woodcock coverts as well as on prairie Bobs. The 28 will swat pheasants over pointing dogs, too.

I have another 28 that is a two barrel set: one cylinder/full and the other skeet 1/skeet 2. After shooting it for several years, I found that the skeet 1/skeet 2 barrels were the only set I used on quail and grouse.

Don't forget that the shells you use will make a difference in your patterns, and you can sometimes get nearly the equivalent of a choke size by the speed and pressure of the load.

FWIW, I found heavy 28 gauge loads to not pattern nearly as well as 3/4 oz. loads. Spending some time at the pattern board before you open those chokes might be revealing. Good luck with your decision...and in your hunting over pointing dogs (the only way to go as far as I'm concerned).

[bob lyons]

Thanks a lot of good info.
Planning on doing some patterning before I get the chokes opened up.
I have never patterned this gun so well advised.
This year the first shots where from 20 feet to 20 yards. The second shots 20 to 30 yards, for grouse and woodcock.
I have used the heavy loads and like them a lot in the early season when the trees have a lot of leaves.
I also had good luck with the premium 3/4 oz loads in the late season.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by bob lyons

Thanks a lot of good info.
Planning on doing some patterning before I get the chokes opened up.
I have never patterned this gun so well advised.
This year the first shots where from 20 feet to 20 yards. The second shots 20 to 30 yards, for grouse and woodcock.
I have used the heavy loads and like them a lot in the early season when the trees have a lot of leaves.
I also had good luck with the premium 3/4 oz loads in the late season.

We're expecting some good photos of your hunts now...

[Setter Man]

Over the years I have become an advocate of “leave the alone” but it’s your gun. If you have them opened I suggest as other have you leave the left barrel a little in the tight side.

Years have also taught me there is only one place to send a gun for choke work and that is to Jim Eyster in OH (http://www.jimeyster.com/). Note I said gun, not barrels. There is a lot more to having chokes opened than running a reamer through them. First thing Eyster does is determining POI (not pattern) because not all chokes we’re bored properly (asymmetrically) in the first place. Eyster can correct that when he opens the chokes.

Any place that only needs to barrels today open chokes isn’t taking into consideration where the barrels are putting the payload in the first place.

[bob lyons]

Photos from our hunt this year with one of my sons, he shot his first partridge and woodcock this year.
Bob our guide is holding the WC Scott.
Brought different guns for each day couple of Parker’s and the Scott
Great trip 14 grouse and 4 woodcock 3 days

[mobirdhunter]

Very nice. When I switch guns too frequently, I start missing. Nice shooting there.