I used an IM for 16's to 27 with a 34" barrell and I think it is a little tight! I now use mod for capps and IC for 16's. So far it seems to be working. With that said I think chokes are overated, Leo and those could break them without a choke!

It partially depends on what load you shoot. I just changed from IM to full using 1oz 8s. I like the breaks better and my scores have not changed...maybe even better. On the other hand, full at 21 yards with 1 1/8 8s was too tight. I switched to mod. and my scores jumped 5 birds.

JON

I'll agree with the man with experience....pheasantmaster.

Gary, tell me more about the pink under ware..does that really work?......SMOKIT

I don't mean to sound cruel but unless you are a AAA shooter, I don't take much merit in how good your open choke works.

My beat Singles average ever-98.28-was broken with a full choke. I'm now shooting an IM and never achieved that status since. What am I missing?

That said, shannon391 nails this one. Open chokes are for losers!!

Snow balls, dust balls, ink balls-----Guess what? One chip is just as good! Shoot what you believe in. Does it work for you. Why is it when I watch Leo, he never smokes the bird, mostly turns them into a lot of chips, and it appears from the top.

ReconDoc, What does choke size have to do with sandbagging? Don't forget to buy a new gun for next year. HMB

It's amazing how so many experienced shooters are so adamant and unyielding in their opinions. If a full works for you, great. If another chooses a Mod and makes smoke balls with it how can that be a bad thing. Most often two similar guns will pattern and shoot entirely different. A mod in one gun may pattern tighter than a full in another. Try all the chokes and see what works for you, and then stick with it. Do not be swayed by those closed minded individuals that say you must shoot only their own personal choice. Most of these are from good hearted people trying to help but your own personal experience will count the most.

Point of interest: A mod choke in a quality gun will most likely shoot patterns that qualify as a traditional full choke. Marc

Ahhhhhh.....

1. If the gun don't fit ...the chokes don't matter.

2. If it don't hit where you look..it don't fit, and chokes still don't matter.

3. If a full choke in a 12 gauge is tooo tight for 16 yard singles....shoot with a 28 gauge, once you figure out how easy that is. 12 gauge chokes still won't matter.

4. If that big ole' 12 gauge with full chokes is still a challenge at 16 yards...get out in the gravel pit and have some one throw a few coke bottles up till you can hit one with a .22...then 12 gauge chokes "really" won't matter.

Scrutinizing 12 gauge chokes.. bah humbug. Get a good old fashioned beat up trap gun that you are pals with... clear your mind of all the micro analyzing, shoot it full and relax. If that doesn't work..read #1,#2, #3 and #4 again.

...and no I don't want to compare score sheets, and no I'm not a 30 year All American Veteran (takes mucho $$$$ for that)...but I shoot Trap well in the wind and I can still hit a coke bottle in the air with a .22 ( thrown up..not a Troy Aikman launch!).

Just my 2 cents, no harm intended... Yeah I know, Flame Suit on boys..

Epilogue: I took the Modified choke out and stuck the Full back in. Went to the range and shot two rounds. 24 & 23 hits which is pretty good for me. I'll stick with the Full Choke. Thank you all for the input. Bill

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Have had two custom Full chokes made. Both have 0.050 inch constriction. You asked for smoke ?

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luvtrapguns writes,

"Point of interest: A mod choke in a quality gun will most likely shoot patterns that qualify as a traditional full choke. Marc"

I'll second that observation. I recently patterned my beretta 391 parallel trap with the modified choke using AA shells and the "shotgun insight" software. The pattern statistics for 5 repetitions gave a "full+" pattern with 75% of the shot in a circle slightly less than 30" in diameter at 40yds.

My son went through Leo's clinic a few weeks ago. I had this same question for Leo. My son was shooting a IM choke. Leo's answer made sense to me. If you shoot a full choke, you can watch how the targets break and adapt your target picture for the conditions. If you are seeing the top edge of the target is breaking, then allow a little more gap. If you shoot a more open choke, then the picture is harder to see. The other comment Leo made was that turning a target into dust is a reward for the shooter, it helps your confidence.

regards,

Todd

So what do shooters with MOD. chokes and 89% averages know more than Leo? Obviously-everything!!

Imp Mod choke in single and O/Us for many years resulting in many satisfying 100s.....breakemall

but according to Winston you can't read a targets break.

Here is that video, and information. Sure does not look like you are topping them, or off center by the breaks. You can however tell when you center the pattern on the bird, by the difference in the breaks. There is even one target that does throw some dust, even though it is farther in the pattern than the broken targets.

This video makes me think that a choke that throws a consistent pattern, is more important than full, of modified. As stated above many barrel, and choke combinations are are going to shoot differently. I feel that a fixed full choke barrel is the best for trapshooting for these reasons. The choke is tuned to the barrel, and there is no thinking that changing chokes will improve your scores. If you hit them they will break. If you are chipping targets, you are not centering your pattern. Simple as that. You miss a target, choke would not make a difference, as far as size of pattern.

Makes you wonder how good the old time greats actually where, shooting non-fit, fixed choke guns, with out all of the modifications available today. Plus they used guns that can be bought now days for under $1000, that back then cost $100, maybe $200. Who says this sport is not 95% mental?