What choke for duck and trap?
- Thread starter cote_b
- Start date
I used to shoot trap singles with a modified choke, then load it up with steel and shoot ducks. Worked fine, which was a good thing since those tubes may as well have been welded in. The IC and Mod combination also worked well for upland birds and sporting clays with lead, while working like a Mod and Full with steel.
I've actually got a Sportsman 58 that was my late father-in-laws. I've never shot it, and haven't even thought about it in years. I should take it out and make some noise.
I've actually got a Sportsman 58 that was my late father-in-laws. I've never shot it, and haven't even thought about it in years. I should take it out and make some noise.
If you're going to be using a non-toxic substitute close to lead in softness, then MOD will be plenty tight for ducks. You might even consider getting it honed out a little bit more. IC is great for ducks over decoy ranges, and will work on the trap field but not as authoritatively.
I don't know the Remington Sportsman 58 but if you're getting a new barrel could you not get one that takes interchangeable chokes? Or is this not an option?
If one choke then it does help to know what shot and what kind of shooting expected: pass or decoys.
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
C.I.L.'s shooting great Barney Hartman's favourite 12 ga. Skeet gun.
The Remington 58 Sportsman was introduce in 1958 ... a prior model to the 878 and 1100. You're fortunate to have found a barrel for it, some 50+ years after they were discontinued.
They never did have interchangeable choke tubes. Great old guns, much better balance & handling than the 1100's IMHO.
IIRC, several have adapted Model 870 barrels to the 58 ... it is necessary to drill a pair of holes through the barrel in the foreend support ring to allow escaping gas to work the
action. The location, size and angle of the hole is critical. The 58 was also prone to receiver cracks along the back edge of the cocking bolt slot. One fix was to have the receiver milled or
cut in this area ... so that it resembled the cuts in the later model 1100. The "H" on the foreend nut needs be lined-up for high base or heavy field loads ... the "L" for low base or light target loads.
The Remington 58 Sportsman was introduce in 1958 ... a prior model to the 878 and 1100. You're fortunate to have found a barrel for it, some 50+ years after they were discontinued.
They never did have interchangeable choke tubes. Great old guns, much better balance & handling than the 1100's IMHO.
IIRC, several have adapted Model 870 barrels to the 58 ... it is necessary to drill a pair of holes through the barrel in the foreend support ring to allow escaping gas to work the
action. The location, size and angle of the hole is critical. The 58 was also prone to receiver cracks along the back edge of the cocking bolt slot. One fix was to have the receiver milled or
cut in this area ... so that it resembled the cuts in the later model 1100. The "H" on the foreend nut needs be lined-up for high base or heavy field loads ... the "L" for low base or light target loads.
Most manufacturers seem to suggest mod is as tight as you should go with steel. I dunno about Remington but my Berettas are proofed but not recommended with anything tighter than mod. Don't forget that steel will generally pattern tighter than leaf through a given choke so mod with steel probably shoots like improved mod or full with lead in most guns.
Unless you are damn good, mod will be fine for trap. I have been trying all sorts of choke combos at trap and honestly my scores don't vary much at all.
Unless you are damn good, mod will be fine for trap. I have been trying all sorts of choke combos at trap and honestly my scores don't vary much at all.
Where have you been able to locate a new barrel? I think they stopped making the 58 in the early '60s.
