Question about Patternmaster choke???
 

I am trying to decide between the long range and the extended range patternmaster choke for my benelli nova 12 gauge.

I will be hunting duck mostly and goose occasionally over decoys, but find that I have quite a few opportunities for some high shooting.

I have been using the modified choke from the factory and this always leaves me with cripples and runners - almost all of the time.

Is the extended range choke overkill at 20 - 30 yd shots? What can you guys reccommend?

Thanks
Andrew

RE: Question about Patternmaster choke???
 

Th long range has worked for me and does a great job on Ducks and geese . I patterned my gun and shells and found that # 2 - # 3 - # 4 at 30-35 yards gave me excellent patterns. I called the folks atPatternmaster and they told me to try it and return it if Iwas not happy with it .A piece of card board with a circle 30" in dia. and a duck size bird if you are artistic and you should find out if your shells and gun pattern well with it .. X-pert # 2 -#3 - #4 3" shells 75 to 85 percent on the bird. Just my two cents L.G.

RE: Question about Patternmaster choke???
 

Ain't that always the case....

Really what you are looking at is one of two things. First, in my honest opinion, you ought to just let the birds work. Thats up to you. Some folks judge distance far and others near. Me personally, I am an over-shooter. I'll have a bird at 35 yards out and 50 feet up and I'll tell you he is 60 yards away and I will let him go. I guess its better to err on caution. Up to you, but some of those cripples may be just a bit too far.

Other thing is that the higher they are, the farther they are, and usually when they are cruising up high, they are going much faster than they appear. So you may be hitting them just a little bit back if you are getting a lot of cripples.


It can be overkill. It is, after all, for extended range. Its designed for shots between 30 and 50 yards. I'd suspect that if you could catch up with one at 15-20 yards it would look like you hit him with a lawn mower.

RE: Question about Patternmaster choke???
 

I have no experience with the patternmaster but I do have experience with the cripple problem. I went to a full choke(rated for steel of coarse) and am very happy with the results plus it's less money than the patternmaster. But then there's always the chance that the more expensive choke will be better.

The full is not overkill for me at 20 -30 but if know I'm gonna be in that situation then I'll use 2 3/4 or 3" high velocity.

BTW some beretta factory full chokes are rated for steel if you have a beretta.

RE: Question about Patternmaster choke???
 

Patternmaster says the extended range is more beneficial for a 3.5" load. I love mine for all purpose waterfowl hunting. I prefer the extended range choke but i'm curious to hear what every one else has to say.

RE: Question about Patternmaster choke???
 

Chaselton-

You use the extended range - is this too tight of a pattern at 20 yds, does it destroy the bird excessively at the closer ranges. You say that the extended is your all purpose choke, I am wondering in more detail how it performs closer in.

I have read and heard from a lot of people that it is amazing for long shots, so I am not worried about that aspect.

Thanks

RE: Question about Patternmaster choke???
 

20-30 yards short range patternmaster long range 30-50. and the the extended for anything more. if you got the extended for that close of shots, you better be dead nuts on.. or you will miss

RE: Question about Patternmaster choke???
 

20 yards is too close for the extended range choke. I have a real hard time killing ducks stone dead with steel shot. Before I switched to the extended range I knocked a lot of birds down but also had alot of cripples which meant additional shots to finish off the birds. I ended up loosing a lot of birds after I knocked them down because they would end up diving on me and coming up somewhere on the bank and going up in some brush where I couldn't see them. Since switching to the extended range I seem to hit the birds more solidly and don't spend as much time chasing cripples. My average shot is about 30 to 40 yards. You may have to get down on your gun a little bit more shooting a tighter choke but I have shot birds up close and sometime you do hit them pretty hard but you don't loose the birds.