What's with all the full chokes on vintage pumps?
- Thread starter Max-4
- Start date
I ended up with Dad's Marlin Goose gun. 1st thing I took with it was a Hun'...took him down at the length of a dugout. About 100 paces long and 30 wide is what our dugouts were.
When they were basically all you cold get, another criticism for full chokes at close upland ranges was that, should the game be hit dead on, the dense concentration of shot would tear up the carcass more than necessary. Of course, an added concern nowadays might be that there will be a lot of extra lead left in the meat. I'm not all that nervous about an occasional lead shot in my food, but it is something that might better be avoided whenever possible. Also, any shot that might not be noticed can be almighty hard on the teeth.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
The thing is at real close range, at least around here you head shoot them and the full choke is great at that. Hell it’s pretty easy to head shoot grouse @ 25-30y around here, they just sit there on the road waiting for you to do it. If they flush they’re gone down the mountain side never to be found, even if you do wing shoot them. I could see a more open choke working in the prairies or in Ontario bush, but in steep terrain where they hang out on the road you shoot them on the ground when you have the chance. Mod to full is king still.
Actually measure the choke too, many are stamped full but when you compare to nominal bore diameters they are tighter.
Chokes at one time were actually measured by the pattern at which they threw, I have a SxS 16ga from the 30s that is stamped Mod/Full but the bore measures Full/Extra Full. When you shoot paper hull rounds out of it they pattern similarly to a modern modified choke and full choke but when you put plastic wad loads in it this thing becomes as tight as a modern 12ga turkey gun.
If you have one of these and you reload you can actually make spreader loads. There are wad inserts that are a cross, which helps spread the shot out. You can also do this same type of thing with cardboard wads with layers of shot and card wads to break up the shot pattern.
The old full choke guns can be a lot of fun, I have walked pop cans out to 75 yards with 12ga target loads and an old 32in full choke barrel
Chokes at one time were actually measured by the pattern at which they threw, I have a SxS 16ga from the 30s that is stamped Mod/Full but the bore measures Full/Extra Full. When you shoot paper hull rounds out of it they pattern similarly to a modern modified choke and full choke but when you put plastic wad loads in it this thing becomes as tight as a modern 12ga turkey gun.
If you have one of these and you reload you can actually make spreader loads. There are wad inserts that are a cross, which helps spread the shot out. You can also do this same type of thing with cardboard wads with layers of shot and card wads to break up the shot pattern.
The old full choke guns can be a lot of fun, I have walked pop cans out to 75 yards with 12ga target loads and an old 32in full choke barrel
The aftermarket adjustable chokes like the Poly was popular in early days . Gun companies like Mossberg made there own & came
with the gun. The idea was the SAME as choke tubes only all you had to do was turn the collar. They became "Out of Fashain"
with tubes mostly because the tubes looked more streamlined.In reality the adjustable chokes are easier to use as no tool or parts
are needed to be carried. As you move from heavy to open bush ,,,,, just give that callor a turn . Move into duck blind ,,,,, give it
another turn.
Also, back in those days pre-FAC and paperwork, every country hardware store and crappy tire sold a few guns and full choke was everywhere for geese, ducks, jacks and coyotes so people bought what was in stock.
And the nonsense belief that longer barrels hit harder - some people used to think that.
The first thing I did with a Remington 870 with a 30" full choke was have a gunsmith cut it off at 26" and it killed everything it was pointed at.
To this day, all guns considered, my 12Ga choke of choice is IC - but I am not a waterfowl or turkey hunter and don't shoot steel.
This why when you see an older gun with a factory IC or Mod barrel the seller usually wants a little more for it.
And the nonsense belief that longer barrels hit harder - some people used to think that.
The first thing I did with a Remington 870 with a 30" full choke was have a gunsmith cut it off at 26" and it killed everything it was pointed at.
To this day, all guns considered, my 12Ga choke of choice is IC - but I am not a waterfowl or turkey hunter and don't shoot steel.
This why when you see an older gun with a factory IC or Mod barrel the seller usually wants a little more for it.
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