# O/U chokes



## clu__82 (Jun 27, 2006)

Being new to this o/u business..what chokes do most of you use???? and which barrel do most of you shoot first?? and does it really matter?? and of the barrels you shoot first what choke do you use......etc etc etc ...basically what setup do you use when hunting..

Thanks again


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## DuckBuster (Mar 18, 2003)

Depends on the courses and stations you're shooting. I usually shoot a mod. in my top barrel and light mod. in my bottom barrel. that being said, if the situation dictates I will switch to a cylinder or an improved mod. But I rarely change my chokes. As far as which barrel to shoot first, most shoot the bottom first (less muzzle flip so you can aquire the second target faster).

Hunting situations are improved cylinder in one tube and mod in the other.

Good luck!


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## rick_h (Jan 16, 2005)

The traditional Brit thinking is to put the more open choke tube in the bottom barrel and the tighter choke tube the top barrel. 
The reasoning is based on two assumptions:
1. You are hunting flushing game that will fly away from you. You shoot the open choke first and follow up with the tighter choke, if necessary.
2. Shooting the bottom barrel first dampens some muzzle flip because of the top barrel's extra ounces.
Choke constrictions are a matter of choice. Improved cylinder (10 points of constriction) and modified (20 points of constriction) is a popular combination. 
Hope that helps.


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## BIRDSHOOTER (Jul 18, 2005)

clu__82 said:


> Being new to this o/u business..what chokes do most of you use???? and which barrel do most of you shoot first?? and does it really matter?? and of the barrels you shoot first what choke do you use......etc etc etc ...basically what setup do you use when hunting..
> 
> Thanks again


You said for hunting... hunting what?

You neglected to tell us what kind of hunting the gun is going to be used for. Different chokes are used for different applications. That being said an IC choke is pretty hard to beat no matter what the game or hunting scenario will produce.

Tell us what your intentions are so we comment a little more accurately.


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## clu__82 (Jun 27, 2006)

sorry about that ....primarily upland ....but never using the gun for any application before....I may use it for waterfowl ....so I was just hoping for a bit of an overview from folks that have shot an o/u in those situations ...


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## BIRDSHOOTER (Jul 18, 2005)

The choke debate has come up before on this site as well as many others. Everyone has their opinions and preferences as to what works best for them under the conditions in which they hunt.

If you are primarily a Pheasant and maybe Sharptail Grouse hunter, I still think an IC choke is hard to beat for overall use. In an O/U possibly an IC/M combination may be a place to start. A Ruffed Grouse hunter would opt for maybe a skeet/skeet or skeet/IC...

Another thing to keep in mind when selecting a choke combination, is that just because it is marked "modified" or "IC" doesn't necessarily mean they will throw true pattern percentages standard to those constrictions. I've seen Modifieds that looked very open and some that pattern fairly tight. This of course has much to do with the loads you are using as well. Plated lead shot such as nickel and copper will pattern tighter than unplated etc...

Also take into account depending on your skill level, what the furthest shot you can honestly say you have the skill to make a clean hit. I would bet for most people that will not exceed 40 yards, and in most cases less than that. Most upland birds are killed in the 20-30 yard range, so selecting a choke that can put the most pellets in an even distribution within a 30 inch circle at that range is usually your best bet. It certainly makes sense to have a somewhat tighter choke for follow-up shots in your second barrel as well.

A little experimentation at the pattern board goes a long way when fine tuning your shotgun to the tasks at hand.


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