The Future of Screw in Chokes

[Stepmac]

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?