What to do? GHE 20 ga

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Fred,

For your handloads not only add a spreader but cut the petals off the wad. The lead shot will scrape the bore slightly causing each shot pellet that scraps to become a little less round. These will in theory fly toward the outside of a normal pattern.

Another method to negate the venturi effect ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_effect ) of choke is to insert a section of drinking straw in the center of the shot column. Close the ends of the straw shut so that no pellets can slip into the area.

The effect of choke is caused by the shot pellets being "squirted" out of the barrel at a higher velocity than the shot moving through the barrel (just like water our of a garden hose). Giving those squeezed pellets an unpopulated area in which to move (inside the section of straw) pellets are not squirted out at a higher velocity.

This is also why the shot string is longer for a full choke than for a skeet choke. Think of water out of a garden hose.

Mark

[Autumn Daze]

Mark and All, Austin and I discussed this choke mystery many times. All the Meriden era guns that Austin and I measured had to a lesser or greater degree the ogee choke configuration. After Remington started making guns in Illion the choke configuration was changed to a more conventional style and the ogee choke went by the wayside. It is very time consuming to measure an ogee choke accuratly.

[todd allen]

Originally Posted by Mark Ouellette

Fred,

For your handloads not only add a spreader but cut the petals off the wad. The lead shot will scrape the bore slightly causing each shot pellet that scraps to become a little less round. These will in theory fly toward the outside of a normal pattern.

Another method to negate the venturi effect ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_effect ) of choke is to insert a section of drinking straw in the center of the shot column. Close the ends of the straw shut so that no pellets can slip into the area.

The effect of choke is caused by the shot pellets being "squirted" out of the barrel at a higher velocity than the shot moving through the barrel (just like water our of a garden hose). Giving those squeezed pellets an unpopulated area in which to move (inside the section of straw) pellets are not squirted out at a higher velocity.

This is also why the shot string is longer for a full choke than for a skeet choke. Think of water out of a garden hose.

Mark

This is actually some good advise, from Mark. As we all know, the classic guns we shoot now were bored and choked way before the advent of shot cups and collars. Handloading with old-school components would help, spreader loads are the ticket.
I would never mess with Parker chokes. (this is coming from a guy who Briley choked a circa 1900 Royal Sidelock Ejector gun)