Has anyone else had problems with their chokes swelling in their A400/A350 from steel shot? I noticed last year that my modified choke was getting more difficult to remove than normal, and now after shooting a box of 3.5" challenger BB at geese this year, its got even worst. After some reading online apparently the Optima HP chokes are very thin walled and there's report of them swelling with steel shot larger than #2 ... Seems like a bad design !
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Beretta Optima HP Issue
- Thread starter Arseno
- Start date
If I remember right the mod is good for steel. Limited to BB and 1500 FPS. Shot bigger or faster than that could cause a problem. I shot a lot of score 3” BB in mine and haven’t had an issue. Never 3 1/2” Challenger though.
Edit. I take that back. I read through my manual and it has no restrictions for using steel
in the modified choke.
Edit. I take that back. I read through my manual and it has no restrictions for using steel
in the modified choke.
Last edited:
Seems like too much choke ? What does Beretta say in their manual as to shot size vs constriction . I use extended Trulocks the choke constriction is in the extended part of the tube.
The swelled choke is a Trulock Extended Modified (0.020). It worked fine for about 2 years, but noticed by the end of last duck season it was starting to stick ... and after shooting a box of 3.5 BB at 1500 fps its clearly oblong in shape. All of my other chokes work perfectly
The swelled choke is a Trulock Extended Modified (0.020). It worked fine for about 2 years, but noticed by the end of last duck season it was starting to stick ... and after shooting a box of 3.5 BB at 1500 fps its clearly oblong in shape. All of my other chokes work perfectly
I believe my Carlson extended shine was the one with the limitations on it. Maybe reach out to the manufacturer and see what they say.
prairie lover
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern MB
I've bulged a few chokes on a very similar choke system. Remingtons probore. Threads up top and a very thin section down bellow. A carlsons mod with 3 inch challenger bb and a patternmaster code black goose with 3 inch challenger bbb. Crazy thing is I dont shoot much challenger yet thats what did it both times, but I dont see how I can blame challenger. Both were replaced by the manufacturer. Carlsons was replaced with a stronger steel version he just started using this stronger steel for these "weaker" choke designs. Both manufacturers said no bigger than bb through the chokes.
My favorite goose load is 3 inch 1.25 ounce federal speed shock in bb or bbb. With an imp cylender choke it patterns better than all other loads with a modified choke. Should be a win win, less choke stress and better patterns. Cant always find it though. Still shoot lots though a mod choke or the patternmaster depending on load. I would not shoot bbb or t shot through anything tighter than a imp cylender.
I have an older patternmaster in a 870 that is getting pretty tight as well but nothing like the 2 pro bore chokes did. It still patterns well so we keep shooting it but one of these days it will get sent back as well.
Always pattern the gun, some bore systems/guns dont need to be chokes like crazy with some shells. Federal speed shock in bigger sizes almost always shows this trait. I recently patterned my sx3 with some goose loads and with score 2.75 bb loads it patterned good with the imp cylender and then got WORSE as I tried tighter chokes. Winchester x pert patterns got better with the mod than the looser choke. Federal blue box did better with the imp cyl than the other loads with any choke, and just got tighter with the mod.
My favorite goose load is 3 inch 1.25 ounce federal speed shock in bb or bbb. With an imp cylender choke it patterns better than all other loads with a modified choke. Should be a win win, less choke stress and better patterns. Cant always find it though. Still shoot lots though a mod choke or the patternmaster depending on load. I would not shoot bbb or t shot through anything tighter than a imp cylender.
I have an older patternmaster in a 870 that is getting pretty tight as well but nothing like the 2 pro bore chokes did. It still patterns well so we keep shooting it but one of these days it will get sent back as well.
Always pattern the gun, some bore systems/guns dont need to be chokes like crazy with some shells. Federal speed shock in bigger sizes almost always shows this trait. I recently patterned my sx3 with some goose loads and with score 2.75 bb loads it patterned good with the imp cylender and then got WORSE as I tried tighter chokes. Winchester x pert patterns got better with the mod than the looser choke. Federal blue box did better with the imp cyl than the other loads with any choke, and just got tighter with the mod.
I've bulged a few chokes on a very similar choke system. Remingtons probore. Threads up top and a very thin section down bellow. A carlsons mod with 3 inch challenger bb and a patternmaster code black goose with 3 inch challenger bbb. Crazy thing is I dont shoot much challenger yet thats what did it both times, but I dont see how I can blame challenger. Both were replaced by the manufacturer. Carlsons was replaced with a stronger steel version he just started using this stronger steel for these "weaker" choke designs. Both manufacturers said no bigger than bb through the chokes.
My favorite goose load is 3 inch 1.25 ounce federal speed shock in bb or bbb. With an imp cylender choke it patterns better than all other loads with a modified choke. Should be a win win, less choke stress and better patterns. Cant always find it though. Still shoot lots though a mod choke or the patternmaster depending on load. I would not shoot bbb or t shot through anything tighter than a imp cylender.
I have an older patternmaster in a 870 that is getting pretty tight as well but nothing like the 2 pro bore chokes did. It still patterns well so we keep shooting it but one of these days it will get sent back as well.
Always pattern the gun, some bore systems/guns dont need to be chokes like crazy with some shells. Federal speed shock in bigger sizes almost always shows this trait. I recently patterned my sx3 with some goose loads and with score 2.75 bb loads it patterned good with the imp cylender and then got WORSE as I tried tighter chokes. Winchester x pert patterns got better with the mod than the looser choke. Federal blue box did better with the imp cyl than the other loads with any choke, and just got tighter with the mod.
I wen through a phase where I wanted tighter and tighter chokes. I soon came to the realization that IC in most cases produced the tightest/most consistent patterns. Took me a while to accept that less is more when it comes to choking steel.
