Help with choke selection...

[Mountain Cur]

About 12 years ago when I first got into duck hunting I didn't have a gun with screw in chokes. I didn't want to shoot steel through it with a full choke.So I had the barrel threaded on my 870 12 ga., it was bought new in 1984 when Remimgton first came out with the oil finished stocks and parkerized metal they were called "special purpose" back then. Here's my question, with the imp. cyl. my gun shoots steel like a full choke. I was wondering if there will be any difference with a new gun, my girl is getting a youth model 870 20 ga. for Christmas and I have the full, mod., and imp. cyl. chokes for it. Which choke should I put in it for shooting steel shot?

[Roskoe]

Generally, steel shot shoots full choke patterns in modified barrel, and modified patterns in improved cylinder barrels. But it can vary some - certain guns with certain shotshells can shoot considerable tighter or looser. Sometimes, it almost doesn't make sense.

For instance, my Browning Superposed is choke light modified and improved modified. Out of the light modified (top) barrel, it shoots about 53% with Federal Dove and Quail, and about 57% with Remington Duck and Pheasant. I also have a Super X Model One with screw in choke tubes. Using the light modified tube, it shoots about 56% with the Remington Duck and Pheasant. But the Federal Dove and Quail only print 36%. I have to put in the full choke tube to get it over 50% with this load. Go figure . . . .