The Future of Screw in Chokes

[Steve McCarty]

When the Screw in chokes became commonplace I was overjoyed. "Finally" I thought, "I can put any choke in my single barrel gun that I want". So I bought a Winchester 1300 with the Winchoke and I carried around the little red pouch chocked with chokes. I never changed one in the field.

I took my 12 gauge full choke Model 37 to the gunsmith and had it threaded for Colonial chokes, that was the only kind he had the equipment for. I guess the Colonial chokes are okay.

Then I joined the local trap/sheep/clays club and met a lot of guys shooting all kinds of guns. Many afixed with screw in chokes. But not all.

Then I discoverd that many guys shoot all kinds of chokes in all kinds of shooting games. Guys were shooting IC and Mod at skeet, Mod and Full at trap and at skeet too. One guy shoots a 30 inch full choked pump at skeet. Then I looked at modern expensive guns. Most/or many made with fixed chokes as if classy guns have fixed chokes. Some guys were telling me, "forget the chokes on your gun and shoot it and have fun......and I did/ do.

Question, can one shoot a modified choke successfully at anything and is all of this screw in choke deal much ado about very little?

Does having a readily available variety of screw in chokes really make that much difference for most applications of shotgun shooting?

Please understand, I am just pondering the question. I have a gun with a Polychoke and I do open it up when I shoot skeet with it. I'm not totally stupid. It is a 20 so I don't shoot it at trap. So, sure choke makes a diff, but really?

[Pa SxS]

Steve,

There really is no correct answer to your question on choke tubes. It's a matter of preference. It's like novice trapshooters asking is it better to use 7 1/2's or 8 shot. It's what you feel comfortable with and how your gun patterns with the shot.

If one had only one shotgun for skeet,trap, sporting clays, and hunting, then choke tubes make sense.

I have Briley thin wall chokes in my trap gun and using the modified choke (.020), it will smoke targets from the 25 yard line if I do my part. I wouldn't want to use the improved cylinder choke for the same distance though. Personally, I feel it's better to be overchoked than underchoked.

Using and switching choke tubes on a sporting clays course can cause you to think more about the size choke in your gun instead of concentrating on making the correct shot to the target. Too easy to blame the miss on your choke selection. I've seen many master class shooters use the IC choke tube on all the stations.

You also have added cleaning requirements when using choke tubes. You run the risk of having the choke tube freeze up in the barrel if the tube isn't taken out for a long time. It's no easy thing to free up a rusted in choke tube.

Last, you can decrease the value of some guns and limit the saleability if you ever want to sell one. This applies to some of the classic guns such as the model 12 and vintage guns such as Parkers, etc.

[Steve McCarty]

Shot trap today with my GH with F/F chokes and I discovered that the full chokes are very tight. Will not mess with an old Parker tho.

I agree about mind set. I think that clay bird shooting and golf are similar when it comes to head games. I find if I'm gabbing with my fellow shooters, joking, etc. I don't shoot as well. Not the time for comedy.

[Paul Harm]

I shoot only SxS's so I wouldn't think of screw in chokes. Skeet and L/M will do for just about anything except handicap trap. I usually try for .008 and .018 when choking one of my guns which is a tight skeet and tight L/M.

[charlie cleveland]

i think the screw in chokes will be with us for a while...myself i liked them old polly chokes ugly devels they were but really good idea... charlie

[Steve McCarty]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

i think the screw in chokes will be with us for a while...myself i liked them old polly chokes ugly devels they were but really good idea... charlie

My current go to skeet gun is a 20 gauge, Rem model 11 with a Polychoke and I like it. I shoot it on the CyL setting I hear many guys mention how ugly they are. One guy said to me, "I don't like that potato out there". I don't mind it. I point a shotgun and never aim it, and the polychoke makes it easier to point.

Polychoke makes a device that is supposed to fit various screw in choke threads. I have never read a single positive review of one. From what I read the early, classic, Polychokes are better than these new ones. They cost $100 BTW.

[Jeff Christie]

All my guns that have screw in chokes are 1/ ugly, 2/ black, 3/ Italian, and 4/ their name starts w/ a B. Ops, I forgot, one isn't black, isn't too ugly and starts w/ an F. The ugly black ones are goose guns. They live in the dirt.

I do actually change these chokes in the field as conditions warrant. For that reason and no other I use the extended, knurled after market Carlsons. Dropping a quarter (normal choke wrench for flush tubes) in a foot of snow or chisel plowed dirt does not normally work out too well. Otherwise the factory issued choke tubes are every bit the equal under almost all conditions as the super exotics (wad strippers, ported blah, blah, blah). They are not user friendly to quick change.

[ed good]

luv dem polychokes!

[Steve Kleist]

A long time ago, one of the best competitive shooters I have ever known said "Beware the Shooter who shoots only One Shotgun." To this day those words still ring true. Screw in chokes allow the all around shooter to excel.....unfortunately, not nearly as much fun as assembling a collection of guns over a lifetime.
I must admit I am a screw in kind of a guy.
Regards,
Steve Kleist Ely, MN

[C.O.B.]

I get a kick out these guys on the sporting clays coarse who are changeing chokes for each station. Some time ago one station had a report pair that was out there a little farther than normal for this course. The choke changers were busy putting in tighter chokes when I looked at my old SXS hammer gun and said to the effect "these will have to do". The station was two report pair, I missed the first target but broke the remaining three. I was asked what choke my gun was and the reply was "none & none" it was made befor choke was invented

Shoot what you have and enjoy it. This is supposed to be fun. 95% of my guns are either skt/skt or IC/M for choke constriction.