Choke Job: Choosing the Right Choke
Ryan Barnes for SPLIT REED
When hunting waterfowl, one of the most satisfying feelings in the world is pulling up on a bird, pulling the trigger, and watching it fall. There’s nothing quite like it. On the contrary, there’s nothing more frustrating than pulling up on a bird, feeling like you’ve got the perfect bead, a proper lead, taking the shot, and watching the duck or goose keep flying away. While most of the time you can blame that on poor marksmanship, you can also factor in the choke in your shotgun. Is your pattern too tight? Too loose? Do you not have enough pellets on the target? Surprisingly enough, choosing the right choke can be a bit more challenging than people think.
There tend to be two major factors that play into choosing the correct choke for your gun:
How far are the shots you’re taking? (Understanding that this can vary from hunt to hunt, but on average, what is the usual distance you’re shooting waterfowl at?)
What is the velocity and density of the shells you’re shooting?
Let’s take a look at number one for a second. If you’re shooting ducks or geese at an average distance, say 30-40 yards, what is the right choke for that? Do you go with Jeb’s? Patternmaster? Kicks? Ideally, your homework would have been done beforehand, at a shooting range, identifying how many pellets are on target. However, the reality is, the choke you choose doesn’t matter so much as choosing the right shotshell/choke combo.
This is where number two comes into play. For instance, you decide to buy a Carlson’s Cremator to keep with our theoretical scenario of shooting ducks and geese at 30-40 yards (which I will say is extremely realistic), but you can’t seem to get your birds to fall, you’re possibly looking at two different problems. You’re either over-choked, or you’re shotgun shells aren’t patterning well. If you have the long range Cremator, consider sizing down to the mid-range. All too often people are over-choked and making life harder on themselves by not having a large enough pattern.
But what about the birds that are a farther shot? Again, this is where patterning and testing each shell/choke combo is a critical element of killing more birds. Will the pattern you have at 20 yards still be lethal at 60? You probably don’t want to find that out in the field. That’s why more people opt for the long range chokes such as the Patternmaster Code Black, or the Kicks High Flyer. Having more of the “better to have and not need than need and not have” mantra. However, if you’re shooting a high-velocity shell, that results in a lot of “flyers”, or a shell that doesn’t hold its pattern throughout the shot, then what good does it really do?
So how do you go about choosing a choke? First and foremost, don’t be afraid to use the factory chokes in the gun. They’re tested and placed in the box by the manufacturer for a reason. However, if you do decide that you want to step up, choose a choke that fits the description of what you’re looking to accomplish at the range you are consistently killing birds at, and pattern it with your shotgun shell of choice. Every shell you shoot is going to pattern differently out of your gun, and it’s especially going to pattern differently with an aftermarket choke. So take some time, run a few tests, shoot a few pieces of paper with a few different shells, and see what patterns best for you. That way, from there, you have a consistent shell/choke combo that works for you.
Then, if you happen to get into the field and it’s not working- it’s time to pay for some clay pigeons and target practice. But remember, don’t over choke, find a good shell/choke combination, and identify which choke will work best for your hunting style.
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