Just don't ask me about the perfect duck gun, at 73 I'm still undecided after 50 plus years chasing waterfowl LOL. But the search for the perfect duck gun has resulted in a great life time hobby. The search continues and now I own 30+or- duck guns to cover every possible situation encountered by a duck hunter LOL.

Just one gun is no fun! The next one just might be “the one.” At least that’s what I tell my wife. :)

Craig, that sounds suspiciously like my quest for the perfect grouse and woodcock gun.






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Only 30? Mr. Larter, you need to go shopping.

Bingo!! Chokes to me are the least of my concerns. #1 is gun fit especially pitch followed by DAC. Next is trigger pull. I firmly believe that you will wound and lose more game with open chokes.

I have come to believe that choke is more of a mental thing. If the gun fits you, you can hit most any target (live or inanimate) in most any situation.

P.S. Never underestimate the mental thing.

Garry, I too, am a fan of open chokes. I am also mostly an upland bird hunter who occasionaly shoots sporting clays. I'd shoot more but there are no courses close to me.
I think the best chokes for me would be cyl/mod on grouse, and I have several Parkers that letter with that configuration. I also shoot several hammer guns choked cyl/full.
Certainly, late season in South Dakota has me shooting tighter chokes, but actually most of the birds killed are in cyl bore range.
I grew up hunting grouse and woodcock exclusively, but if I had grown up on the prairie, Iam sure I would prefer tighter chokes, and I have yet to sit in a duck blind. That being said, I often grab tight choked guns and dont worry about it, and dont mess with spreaders either.

Great discussion. I agree 90% with Garry's initial post. I hunt upland a lot. I only started shooting skeet 3 years ago after retiring. On a good day afield I'm a B or B+ shooter; on a bad day a C or even a C-. So take what I say with a grain of salt.
I always feel lucky to have my feet planted where they should be for the intended target. Much of the time the wrong foot is forward, vines of hops are gripping my barrel and I'm tapping the trigger in a rush because an alder is about to block my swing as I lean to my left and shoot to the right.
Shotgun dimensions? A shorter LOP on cold days afield when I have multiple layers on, a longer LOP when in a short sleeve only.
If it's raining I take a modern gun with chokes that's easily disassembled to dry out back at camp. Otherwise, I bring an old timer Parker with fixed chokes- whatever one feels better that morning...
However, in general:
skeet/improved on woodcock and grouse in NH; IC/modified or mod/IM on pheasant in SD; and I'm a new transplant in SC so haven't quite figured out a choke yet for quail and woodcock, but having fun experimenting.
...no wonder I'm a C to B grade shooter....

That’s one of the most important reasons to have a dog.





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