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Light-mod for handicap?

9K views 34 replies 21 participants last post by  senior smoke 
#1 ·
Light-mod choke works for me at 16 yards. At what handicap yardage will I have to starting thinking about adding more choke?
 
#2 ·
Hit the trapfield and figure it out. Shoot a handful of targets from 20 yards and keep moving back a yard at a time until you can't smoke the targets anymore. Different guns with different loads will give you a wide range of results with the same choke constriction. I only shoot a factory IM tube in my Guerini from 26 yards but with Winchester Super-Handicaps I can smoke 25 just like they're 16 yard targets.
 
#4 ·
Thanks Phil. Series of fun shoots at the local club. We shoot 50 at 16 yards and 50 at handicap. We start at 20 yards and move back a yard at the next event. There's six of these shoots on the calender so I figure we'll end at 25 yards.

I've been using 1 oz of 8s for 16, and the tiny bit of handicap I've shot (~21 yards). I got a deal on some 8.5s and tried them at 16. I shot better than normal with them, but I don't know if it was the shot, or if I was just having a good day.
 
#5 ·
Go ahead and pattern your gun, that is the only way to answer your question. I've said this before; a more open choke only produces a weaker core pattern without contributing any useful pellets to the outer fringe. I would use IM from the 16 and short yardage. The late Don Zutz, a writer for Shotgun Sports, was not fond of light modified choke for any trap shooting.
 
#8 ·
I am not one of those that insists that a FULL is the only choke you should use for trap. But... unless your gun patterns considerably different than most, a LM is not helping you at all. You may have good 16 yard scores with the LM but I can almost guarantee that you will have higher singles scores with something tighter....a MOD or IM. For 24-25 yards, stick in a LF (.030) and stay with that. If you want to really optimize your shooting....the thing that works for me is..... choose a choke that puts 75% of the shot in a 25" circle at the distance the target is broken.
 
#9 ·
Regardless of what good intentioned comments you will find, to get the most out of your gun/choke/ammo combination you must hit the pattern board for an understanding of what your gun likes. Just because a choke says "MOD" does not mean it will throw mod patterns. I shoot a .020" choke (mod) in my Ljutic from 16yd and it will smoke targets with the best of the "full choked guns". From the 27 I use a .035 choke (full) and am very pleased with results. I decided on these tubes only after extensive work at the pattern board and then on to shooting clays.

I respectfully disagree with MikeTMX with his views on more open chokes. I have chokes of .020, .025, .030, &.035". If I start with the .035 choke I will get a very tight center core, much tighter than necessary to smoke birds, with a fairly small diameter kill zone. Going to less restriction, from .035 to .020 in steps of .005, reduces the overly hot center core and provides better fringe coverage while increasing the kill zone diameter by about 2" with each succeedingly looser choke. With the .020" choke in my Ljutic it will provide the most uniform bird killing pattern from the 16 of any pattern I have ever seen. Many feel they want the tightest choke possible because they like to "SEE SMOKE". Works fine as long as you are good enough to center every shot. I'm not. The wider kill zone of the looser choke has picked up many 16yd targets I would have lost with a full choke. I hope all the "full chokers" continue the same way. It gives the rest of us a better chance of winning.

I have another Ljutic two barrel set. The 16yd barrel is choked .022". This barrel was done by Al Ljutic. Smokes 16yd targets and I have run a 24X25 from the 27 with it, although breaks from the 27 were good but not smokers. Just to add fuel to the fire I only shoot #8 or #8 1/2 shot from the 16 and only #8 shot from the 27. I never shoot 7 1/2 for trap. I'm not fishing but I know there will be endless comments on this last point.

Every gun will be different. Even guns of the same Brand and Model. Going from one brand of ammo to another most often will change things. Look at your patterns with a critical eye and decide which choke/ammo combo produces the widest effective pattern with no holes. Then all you have to do is make sure you shoot where the gun is looking (LOL). I have my guns set up to shoot where I am looking but it appears as though sometimes I must be looking in the wrong place.

If you decide to hit the pattern board, be sure to pattern at a yardage equivalent to where you will be breaking birds. Good luck and break them all. Marc
 
#13 ·
Last year I shot two of the handicap events at these shoots with Light Mod. I shot good at 20 yards. In fact, I shot one target better than I did at the 16 that day.

Then I used the Light Mod at 22 yards and shot bad. Good day/bad day? Or did I run out of choke? Experienced trapshooters at the club said 21 to 22 yards is when you start noticing a real difference between handicap and 16 yards. Yeah, but it's hard to believe that six feet could make much difference.

I'm not much of a believer in expecting a couple 'look-see' patterns patterns to tell you much. And I don't feel like doing the hard, tedious work of serious patterning. I'm not eve sure how far to set the pattern sheet to pattern 'at break-point distance' for trap.

BTW - Just as a personal test of my look-see pattern intuition - Eddie, does your pattern look good to you?
 
#14 ·
Eddie, maybe the pic of your pattern is not coming through on my screen very well but I would hate to trust that pattern to break 16yd targets if thats a 30 yd pattern.I can definetly see why it wouldn't work at 40.

mrskeet410, depending on how fast you take a target, 6ft can make a huge difference. Depending on your load and choke, somewhere after 38 yds ever increase can make a difference. After 42yds, huge differences can be noticed.

THis open choke debate is relative to what level of performance you expect from yourself. Weak chokes can be effective from the 16yd but the effects will be noticed when moving to handicap especially long yardage with negative effects. To explain, sloppy chokes up close will produce sloppy habits which will come back to haunt in handicap even with switching to tighter chokes due to the precission it requires to be consistently effective at ever increasing yardages.
 
#15 ·
Quote - "And I don't feel like doing the hard, tedious work of serious patterning"

==========================================================================

Oh well.

The way I look at this game is....take the time to know exactly what your equipment is doing or be satisified with running in the middle. Nothing wrong with that.
 
#16 ·
Thank you Eddie. 85% is plenty tight enough, so it would certainly work at 30 yards.

By definition modified is 60% at 40 yards and Improved Cylinder is 50%. So I'll infer that Light Modified should be 55% at 40 yards. I don't think 55% is tight enough.

So, if your Light Mod throws true Light Mod patterns, it goes from 85% to 55% in ten yards. And somewhere between 30 yards and 40 yards it's throwing 75%, which is what I like as a starting point.
 
#17 ·
Imho, the differance between real good shooters and hackers like us is that we dwell on trivial aspects of the game like choke size,shot size,eye glass color, bbl.length,etc.instead of the real important stuff like technique.These good shooters get a gun that doesn't break,a gun that fits and doesn't beat them,they shoot full choke and practice technique till they bleed.Good shooters= 1% equipment,99% technique,hackers= 1% technique,99% equipment.
 
#18 ·
" The wider kill zone of the looser choke has picked up many 16yd targets I would have lost with a full choke."

How do you know you would have missed a target had you not had the "looser" choke in? Can you see every pattern as its happening and watch its pellets go by and thru the target? I have heard this statement many times but have yet to have anybody be able to prove it to me. So can you? Just wondering..............

I think its a myth.
 
#22 ·
Sound like some would rather miss a target completely than spread the pattern a little. I does not take 100 pellets on target to make it break.

I like the looser choke for singles. Have you ever pulled the trigger and instantly knew you were a little off? Put in the looser choke and the bird breaks. Good enough for me. I am not good enough to center every shot. Marc
 
#24 ·
I was thinking the same thing Don, ask for advice and get it from a bona fide Big Dog, then ignore it. One of the biggest aspects of this game and this website is learning to pick the wheat from the chaff. There are plenty of 19 yard experts at the club and on here, when the time tested 27 yarders dole out some insight it's time to listen.<br>
Thanks Martin for sharing your vast patterning experience with the masses.
 
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