I may resemble that remark...
This is also a concern for me, along with trying to optimize my chances of hitting the critter in the first place.
Mark
Upland Game Choke Choices?
- Thread starter mmattockx
- Start date
Mark
That 301 arrived yesterday. It's pretty light at 5.5 lbs. Will be a treat to shoot in 12ga.
I like the ability to use the old Invector tubes I have here for my Citori and the shortness will work fine on my ATV.
If you want to improve your chances of hitting the birds, don't worry about choke, spend some time on the skeet range. People tend to put way too much emphasis on chokes and loads, and not enough on their shooting skills. If I had to go with one choke for upland though, it would be LM, the same chokes that I use for sporting clays.
I found it does not Matter what you use. I always find lead in the breasts , When I go for grouse now I just use my 22 now and just go for head shots in Alberta . Just sold by browning over and under I guess most guys rather shot a shot gun and don't care to much about meat damage. Maybe they just check the breasts in the field. If to much damage it goes to coyote feed.
I've shot birds with a 12 gauge for 50 years and if you don't splat them close up and aren't using a tight choke the few pellets can be removed when dressing the birds. Since I hunt with dogs a 22 is a non starter and pheasants rarely present a shot for a 22 rifle.
I shoot sxs's in the uplands. In the early season when there's more cover and the birds sit harder, I tend to select IC/M. Later in the season when the birds are coming up further away, I switch to M/F.
Shot size is also part of my calculus. For tough species like Sharptail and Pheasant, I use #5 shot in the more open choked barrel, and #4 in the tighter choked barrel. This works well for me because the birds get just as dead, but are hit harder by far fewer pellets. Hence less damage to the meat.
For more delicate species like Ruffed Grouse or Gray's Partridge (commonly known as Hungarian Partridge or simply Huns), I use #7.5 shot in the open choke and #6 in the tighter choked barrel.
This strategy works so well for me that I have no reason to experiment further.
Shot size is also part of my calculus. For tough species like Sharptail and Pheasant, I use #5 shot in the more open choked barrel, and #4 in the tighter choked barrel. This works well for me because the birds get just as dead, but are hit harder by far fewer pellets. Hence less damage to the meat.
For more delicate species like Ruffed Grouse or Gray's Partridge (commonly known as Hungarian Partridge or simply Huns), I use #7.5 shot in the open choke and #6 in the tighter choked barrel.
This strategy works so well for me that I have no reason to experiment further.
