# O/U for pheasants - what is the best choice of choke tubes?



## willforu1 (Nov 23, 2008)

Just picked up a Browning Citori 525 12 guage with a 28" BBL. I will hunt pheasants tomorrow. First time ever with an O/U. I have a few questions. What barrel should I have fire off first? Which choke tubes would be best?

For now I have the bottom going off first with IC and the top going 2nd with Modified. Any thoughts?

The gun came with 8 tubes. I have 3 fulls, 2 cylinder, 2 IC, and 1 Mod invector choke tubes that came with the gun to choose from.


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## Sask hunter (Sep 11, 2008)

In the early season i use a IC and a lighter shot[ 7.5 if there getting up real close or a 6]. After a 3 wks of hunting season i go to modified and a bigger shot [6 usually] since most get up 35 yrds away. Real late in the season If they routinley get up 40+ yrds i would switch to a full and a 5 or 4 shot. Since you have an O/U you can mix the chokes depending the conditions such as a mod. and full or both full etc.


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## Bomber-One (Feb 20, 2009)

You guys have a phesant season in march? If so how much is an N/R license? We have major spring feaver in MN. If your using lead, I'd say IC & mod. If using steel IC & IC. My beretta only patterns steel well w/IC but they say all loads and chokes pattern different in each gun. Best off to check them all at the range. Good luck and shoot one for us MN boys!


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## willforu1 (Nov 23, 2008)

Bomber-One said:


> You guys have a phesant season in march? If so how much is an N/R license? We have major spring feaver in MN. If your using lead, I'd say IC & mod. If using steel IC & IC. My beretta only patterns steel well w/IC but they say all loads and chokes pattern different in each gun. Best off to check them all at the range. Good luck and shoot one for us MN boys!


No, I am going to a preserve for put-n-take hunting in Michigan. You know, where they place birds and then you hunt em up. I think going out and checking your pattern is good advice. Wont have time to do this first though.

I think these birds will hold tight. I am going with cylinder first out of the bottom bbl follwed by IC 2nd out of the top bbl . Using 3" 6 shot


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## wburns (Feb 27, 2009)

For preserve birds your choice is good. I shoot SxS, in the sense of having two barrels it is no different when it comes to choke choice for SxS or O/U. My personal favorites for wild birds in the early season are IC in first barrel and Mod in second barrel. Later in the season I switch the Mod out to an Imp Mod. A lot depends on the shells you use so go with the patterning sugestion which was already given.

It is an often overlooked thing but different shells will place the pattern in different places such as a little higher or a little lower etc. so it is a good idea to pattern. It will also tell you if you need to shorten or lengthen your stock etc. based on where your point of aim lies. A good test is to put up a sheet of white paper about 36 inches square and spray a dot the size of the bottom of a spray can in the center. Step back 16ft from the target. Line yourself up and practice mounting the gun and having the dot rest on top of the bead. After you are comfortable in your practice mounts, do a fluid motion mount and shoot. Do this three times in a row at the target, and you will see where your pattern shoots in relation to how you visualize your target. You can even play around with chokes to see how patterns change point of impact. Generaly you want 60% of the pattern above the centerline of the dot with 40% below. This is the general set up for a game gun. As most targets are rising you want more pattern above than below. Probably more info than you wanted but it is a fun experiment and will get you thinking about gun fit more. It is amazing how effortless it feels to get on target with a good stock fit.


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## willforu1 (Nov 23, 2008)

I had a great time on the hunt. Too bad the dogs got a little excited and ran off a few of our birds. I am happy to say that the two birds that were flushed in front of me I was able to harvest - both on the 2nd shot. The 2nd bird, was a rooster flying away at about 15-20 yds I hit it with an open cylinder and I knocked off a bunch of tail feathers and at about 25 yds I fired the top bbl with IC and it dropped like a ton of bricks.

Next hunt I will switch out the Cylinder in the bottom to either skeet or IC.


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