OK, NOW I'm pumped!!
 

I got a new choke the other day and patterned it today. I found that it makes my barrel shoot WAAAAY high (about 10 inches at 30 yards) but I can compensate for that. Man I'm glad I took the time to do that!

But the real reason I'm pumped is that on the way to the range at my camp, we saw 7 turkeys! 4 hens running together, then a lone tom (and a good one at that), then 2 toms running together. These sightings were at different places.

Our season opens next Saturday! My vacation begins Friday morning! 12 days of pure bliss! CAAAAN'T WAIT!!!

RE: OK, NOW I'm pumped!!
 

Congrats to you. I whish that I could see that in my area. Where I hunt that's unheard of. Plan on hunting in Alabama, and poss. Tenn. Hope to see that then.

Good luck.

RE: OK, NOW I'm pumped!!
 

Barefoot ,
So tell us how did your new choke pattern and what kind is it ?
What is your gun and ammo ?
Have a great vacation and good luck !

RE: OK, NOW I'm pumped!!
 

Roman,

I shoot an Ithaca mod 37. I had an extra 30 inch barrel given to me several years ago that had a "polychoke" on it. That's an external choke that is variable by twisting a constrictor on the end of the barrel. I had that cut off down to 24 inches and tapped and a choke tube inserted. The gunsmith put in a "Colonial" TSTK2 which was a XX-Full. It shot like crud! Holes all in the pattern! I figured it was too much constriction, so I got him to switch it out last week for a TSTK1, or X-Full. It patterns well, but high. Actually, it shoots fairly consistently with 4's, 5's, or 6's. I tried Super-X and Remmington since that's what I already had. I see no reason to change.

The only downside to this tube is that it is threaded EXTRA fine, so I can't substitute any of the aftermarket tubes in it. He said that he had to go with that one because of the thickness of the barrel where he cut it off.

I am considering getting Ithaca to build me a "Quad Bore" in their custom shop. That is a 4-stage constriction down the entire length of the barrel. Ithaca says that this allows the shot collumn to string out and hold a much tighter pattern. I just need to work out a price with them - and then justify it to my wife.[:o]