Sporting clays chokes?

[12GA guy]

Having had to live with fixed chokes, I was thinking of moving up in the world, and getting a new shotgun, that had choke tubes. It appears that 2 full chokes, and a modified, is standard with the gun. I expect that there is likely a need for more open chokes, at least on my clubs course. Some of those overhead targets are practically landing 25' in front of me. I bet my wad has barely opened up at that range, so likely my patterns are none to good.

Which choke tubes do you SC shooters like to have available?

[Dom]

I shoot for fun and hold my own, and don't worry about changing chokes all the time on the different stations. Most times I'm running an IC in the bottom and an IM in the top barrel, and shoot the course.

I'm kinda of the thought process that if I'm on, I could have Xtra Full in both barrels and powder them. Just gives me a little extra leeway for those golden BBs to perform their magic if I open 'em up a little.

As long I'm having fun, I don't let the technical aspects in life stress me out. Jmho, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[fabsroman]

Unlike Dom, I will change the chokes in my gun. However, I don't do it too often. I shoot an auto, so I only have one choke in the gun at a time. Usually, that choke is IC; however, it can vary from skeet to IM at any time depending on the target. If I have outgoing targets that are moving rather slow or very close targets, then I use the skeet choke. There is one station in particular that is a rising teal that starts out about 20 yards in front of us and heads outward rather rapidly. For that one, I use IM. It gets a little tricky at that station sometimes, because there is also an overhead bird paired with the rising teal, so I take the teal first and then come back to the overhead.

It takes some getting used to, but you will eventually pick the right chokes.

I almost never use full choke on anything sporting clays related, but I use it for handicap trap from the 27 yard line.

[Dom]

Man Fabs !! I can't believe you handicap yourself with a single tube on Sporting Clays, you must be one helluva shot!!

[skeet]

Man Dom...I can't believe you handicap yourself with all them barrels sticking off the front of that gun. I just usually use my ole lemon 87 with an improved or light mod choke. Course I really don't shoot the darn game very often...and I ain't too awful good at it. Fabs really is a pretty fair gun pointer. Course I saw him shootin at groundhogs oncet. He missed an easy one at around 400 yds or so. Ol hog had at least 2 inches of his head outta the hole. Reminds me..I gotta sight in the ol varmint guns now. Goosin is pretty much over. Might take me at least a week er so Time for crows too

[fabsroman]

Dom,

I used to shoot sporting clays with a 682 Gold just like you have, but I found that using the auto really helped me with the reduced recoil and the way the gun fit me. When I can go from the high 30's/low 40's, and pretty much shoot a 48/50 and never drop into the 30's again, I think I'll take the "handicap". Same goes for waterfowl hunting. I used to shoot an o/u because of the chokes and because I was used to using one on clays. However, the third shot and recoil reduction really helped my bag numbers increase, not to mention that the auto is a lot easier to load in a blind. I still use the o/u on skeet and trap, but am seriously thinking about buying another 391 Teknys specifically for trap.

[12GA guy]

Thanks for the replys. I kind of suspect that I will need to invest in a few more chokes. Likely a IM, and 2 skeet will have it covered. IC may be a good idea as well. as well

Using my fixed IM, and M I don't have much problem on most stations, but those close in targets, or hard fast crossing targets, have me suckered.

[Dom]

Hey 12Ga, on those hard crossing targets, just close your eyes and pull both triggers at once. I actually have a SxS that I can do that!! Never missed yet.

Skeet -- you must be my brother 'cause I ain't too awful good at shooting SC either -- time to bring the crows on. Somehow I just don't believe you there.

Fabs -- you hit the nail on the head = gun fit. I struggled with the 682 for an entire year, beautiful gun, but my scores suffered. I've switched back to my other B gun (Citori) and am back up to par. I don't know if I have a mental block against it now or what. Been fiddlin' with placing spacers under the butt piece to change angles, etc. Was trying to figure something out before I take it in to get hacked on.

I'm just on overall shooter, don't matter to me if it's SC, Trap, Skeet, 5-stand, or pheasants. I like to have fun and I like to shoot. Once in a while we get a real bold new guy in the Club -- shoot a round for a beer a bird, after a round he scratches his head as he's 23 beers down. He actually was a decent shot, really fast on the birds, bad day for him I guess, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

Had to add a comment on the Beretta Xtrema2 -- impressive shotgun, 12 shots in 1.7 seconds. I haven't see a link to the video clip, but it's worth viewing. And the shooter isn't bad . . . but I think I can take him.

[skeet]

Dom you really are slick. You catch a pigeon and just suck the ol beer right outta him. Actually Dom, The other (gag) B gun has a much more ergonomic stock. Fabs is sold on the Beretta's but for so many people the stocks on them feel clubby. The dimensions are larger, thicker, wider, longer all over. Maybe it helps with stock cracking or something. The B guns and the Remingtons have a much more friendly feel to them. Even the 4 or so Benelli's I have had have a more 1100 feel to them. BTW the reason the ol 1100 feels so good is because Remington tried it out on a 100,000 people or so. Had a guy out the other day doing a lesson and when I stuck my ol lemon 87 in his hands his percentages went right up..by a third. He brought a Teknys to shoot with. It was too long and wrong pitch. Seriously though I am not much of a Sporting shooter.

12 ga guy 2 skeets an improved cylinder and a light mod will take care of 95 % or more of the sporting shots you will ever shoot. Briley Chokes seem to produce some of the finest patterns I have ever seen... but static straight on patterns aren't what you are really shooting in the shotgun games.

I been trying to stay away from Fabs a bit cause he's trying to make me into a pigeon. He tried to slick willy me the last time we shot....he's setting me up.. I can tell by the signs! He "let"me beat him by a bird or two the last time and then told me he was working his butt off to keep up with me. Sounds like a set up for sure.

[fabsroman]

You can believe whatever Skeet wants to tell you, but I was really working hard to keep up with him. Plus, he was practically breaking them as soon as they showed themselves. Meanwhile, I was having to track the heck out of them. Of course, Skeet got me once when he "coached" me to take them early. That advice ended up with "Loss" "Loss", and wouldn't you know it, he ended up beating me by two or three birds while he was holding back. All the time, making me think that I could possibly beat him if I didn't take his advice. Talk about a slick willy. Oh yeah, now I remember some additional coaching, "Take the right bird first." That resulted in another "Loss."

So, now he has me thinking I might actually be able to shoot as well as him if I just shoot like I normally do, but of course, he can probably shoot 10 targets better than he did. Meanwhile, he has only been the Maryland State skeet champion umpteen times.

I think Skeet is trying to retire off of shooting with me.

As far as the stocks on the Berettas being different than the other guns, I think Skeet is dead on. When I am not wearing a hunting coat, the LOP of the Benelli and Brownings seems a lot less than the Berettas, but I can still mount the Berettas without a problem, unless I am wearing a hunting jacket and then it feels weird. I mounted a guy's Extrema a couple of years ago while out goose hunting and the LOP felt really long. As far as the thickness of the stocks is concerned, I guess you can just take off the butt pads, put them against each other, and see which ones protrude beyond the other. I know Beretta makes a regular and a small pad for their guns. My target guns take the larger pad and my Beretta 3901 takes the smaller one. I think the thicker stocks are a way that Beretta adds weight to their target guns to reduce recoil, but that is only my opinion.