Patternmaster Chokes!

[Packer Backer]

Been a while since I posted here......I think it was 2006. Anyway, I am getting a new Patternmaster choke for my Benelli SBE II, the Patternmaster Long Range choke tube. I have read great reviews about them at Cabelas

http://www.cabelas.com/link-12/product/0005576222085a.shtml

I even called and spoke to the owner of the company, a great guy who helped me pick out the right choke. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has used them, especially for waterfowl.

Packer Backer

[fabsroman]

I bought one back in about 2002 or 2003, and used it for about 3 years pretty hard before we had our first kid. Haven't been hunting much since then, but I love the choke tube. The only thing I used it for was waterfowl because it was supposed to be designed to work well with the thicker wads used in non-toxic loads.

Between that tube and Hevi-Shot, I killed a hen mallard at about 50 yards straight up as she circled around to see what happened to her other 2 flying buddies when they came in right over the decoys (i.e., I knocked both of the drakes down with the first 2 shots, one of which had a $100 reward band on it) and she came down dead as a rock. Usually, I don't shoot hens, but it was the first day I had my puppy out for waterfowl and I wanted to give him as many opportunities as possible to retrieve. Anyway, I was extremely surprised that the hen came down like a rock and didn't move a feather after hitting the ground.

Visit the board a little more often! LOL

[skeet]

I've got a couple but have never used 'em..I use Brileys..Or the factory chokes in the SBE II I have. Hey Fabs..did ya really collect that 100 bucks??..I never knew anybody that cashed one..

[fabsroman]

I've got a couple but have never used 'em..I use Brileys..Or the factory chokes in the SBE II I have. Hey Fabs..did ya really collect that 100 bucks??..I never knew anybody that cashed one..

I've collected twice. Once on this duck and once on a goose. Here is a pic of that duck. Green means you get a check in the mail. I might have kept a copy of the check, but I am not going to go looking for it right now. I know I kept all the cards from the bands I have called in.

Edit to add: You should know me by now. I am a quick talking attorney and a penny pinching CPA. Of course I collected on that $100 and then made that my excuse to hunt more (i.e., look, I can make money doing this. LOL).

[Packer Backer]

LOL, yes, I'll make more of an effort to visit the boards. Congrats on your first child......sounds like that was around '06 when I was last around here. I can relate to the limited hunting after kids. There is a direct correlation between the number of kids and the amount of hunting one does.

Regarding the $100 bands, I've never heard of such a thing. Do our taxes pay for this, and if it is in fact the Feds that have this program, why???

Post Edit: That's a beautiful duck in that picture!

[fabsroman]

LOL, yes, I'll make more of an effort to visit the boards. Congrats on your first child......sounds like that was around '06 when I was last around here. I can relate to the limited hunting after kids. There is a direct correlation between the number of kids and the amount of hunting one does.

Regarding the $100 bands, I've never heard of such a thing. Do our taxes pay for this, and if it is in fact the Feds that have this program, why???

Post Edit: That's a beautiful duck in that picture!

The checks were from USFWS, so I would assume that it comes from our tax money.

The reason for the $100 reward is so USFWS can use the banded birds with the reward as a control for the banded birds without a reward. They figure there will be 100% reporting on the banded birds with a reward. If 10% of those birds are reported each year, but only 5% of the banded birds without a reward, they know that there is a serious discrepancy between the number of banded birds without rewards being killed and not reported.

Essentially, it allows them to figure out how many lazy hunters are out there not reporting banded birds that are killed without reward bands on them.

Does that make sense? If not, I'll try to explain it a different way.

[Packer Backer]

Yes, I can understand and appreciate that. Thanks.

[kt]

aint ever seen much need for an 80 dollar choke for birds at 15 yds! ;) i'm kidding, no seriously i am. my wing men on both sides shoot the things out of a benelli and a remington. never seen it on paper but i have seen a couple stoned way up there on those days when you cant buy a goose.
ps.. that cash band is frickin sweet! saw one swimmin in a park one time. girlfriend had to hold me back

[popplecop]

Fabs, you shot a Suzzy duck on purpose, have you no shame.

[kt]

he who has never shot a hen.....you cast the first stone :)