Opening Chokes

[Paul Harm]

There's been a couple of articles on the patterns of 3/4oz loads in the 12ga. I haven't tested, but they claim the patterns are too tight at normal skeet ranges [ 22 yds ] and fiber wads should be used to open them up a bit. Maybe that's why I get good hits out to 45 yds or so with skeet chokes using plastic wads.

[William Davis]

Paul

3/4 oz still patterns very tight in a full choked gun not as dense as you would like if long shots. I shot a round of 5 stand with my 30 inch GH Full and Mod yesterday with 3/4 oz # 9's, & hit a couple of 35 & 45 yard clays. If 3/4 oz can't afford large shot, very few 7 1/2's in 3/4 oz plenty of # 9's trade off is small shot runs out of gas at distance. 45 is really streaching it. 25 no problem 35 long side of OK however it broke every 35 bird I shot at= 3 or 4 It only broke one of the 45's . Most of our club 5 stand shots are 25-35 yards. Couple of 15-20's too and missed a good half of them.

Mostly I use 3/4 # 9 on the Skeet range in a VHE 26 inch I/C and about Mod were it holds it's own with dedicated Skeet guns. 7/8 # 7 1/2 is my standard clays load for the longer tighter guns & longer shots.

Having said that am ordering some # 7 shot, will load up 1 oz loads for real long range 12 G, 1 1/8 for long 10 G shells. Pattern at 35 45 & 55 see what they look like

William