Shotgun Choke
 

So a salesman at Gander told me that you do NOT need fancy chokes to shoot steel #3 shot. I have a Benelli supernova and I plan on going duck hunting this weekend using a modified choke.

My recollection was that you needed to get a special choke anytime you wanted to shoot steel. Apparently not?

Any input?

You NEED chokes approved to shoot STEEL shot !

Anyone know offhand if the OEM choke set on a Benelli supernova fits the bill? I'll try to find the paperwork when I get home... but the gun is 4+ years old, not sure I have the manual.

By "fancy" I'm guessing that he meant expensive, aftermarket. There are some choke tubes that can cost upwards of $70, that perform no better than some factory chokes. The opposite is also true.

Phil Bourjaily touched on the topic of choke tubes not too long ago on the show Gun Nuts. His main point was that modern production choke tubes perform much better than those from years ago, making after market tubes unecessary. I have to disagree, but only becasue I've invested more than a few $$ on expensive turkey chokes (so there!)

My advice is to check the pattern of your gun with the loads you intend to shoot before investing in an aftermarket tube.

But...do check if choke tubes you have are rated for steel shot. I recently purchased a Benelli SBE II. The choke tubes suitable for steel shot are clearly marked as such.

You might not need a FANCY choke tube

But you had better get off your butt and pattern you gun with your loads
As some guns & chokes & loads just plain don't pattern worth a darn togeather

As my SX3 will not pattern worth a darn any of the brands of #2 stell I have tryed , with any of the factory tubes
And all but 1 of the aftermarket tubes

But in another gun , these same loads pattern great




Second thing , also pattern your factory IC tube
As if you are getting birds to decoy
Many times the factory Mod tubes produce to tight of a pattern
Some Fringed or pre chewed birds , with to many clean misses

I will be shooting a IC tube unless we have to start pass shooting

John

Ask George for his recommemdation;

http://www.trulockchokes.com/cgi-bin/eShop/index.cgi

I got a benelli m2 and none of the factory chokes that came with it are not able to have steel shot through them so yours may be the same way. but ive always used patternmaster chokes and they work very good for me.

You guys buying expensive shotguns and are they giving you cheap steel choke tubes? if your tube is stainess steel it is fine. I upgrade all mine to Carlsons choke tube. just their standard tube, nothing fancy.

I have never seen a factory choke tube that was for lead only.

Most factory full chokes; say on them NOT for steet shot !

..............but, by all means; be my guest !

I just gathered up 4 different factory choke tubes in .700, .700, .703 and .730. Remington, Winchester Mossberg and Benelli, All were safe for steel shot. If a factory choke is not safe for steel shot it will be clearly labeled on the tube.

well guess what mine are. just cause u havent seen one dont mean that all choke tubes can shoot steel.

Like previously stated go pattern your shotgun with the loads you intend to shoot. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT HOW YOUR GUN IS PERFORMING WITH A PARTICULAR LOAD.
When chosing a choke the general rule of thumb is you go down to a more open choke when shooting steel. If you want a I.C. pattern put in SKT, for Mod use I.C. ,for Full use Mod. To my knowledge most shotguns in the last 25 years are safe for steel when you're talking production guns like Browning Beretta,Remington etc etc.
In most cases anything tighter than modified would be marked "not for steel" like your full or ex-full chokes.

My two cents.
All stainless steel chokes are safe with Steel. SS is hard. Most extra full chokes are marked not for steel. May produce blown patterns or just a precaution by the ammo manuf. that excessive pressures produced by the squeezing of the steel might cause. Steel won't compress like lead.
When steel was first loaded by the ammo makers, it had a tendency to produce a spike in pressure immediately, however, now the powders and wads used do not have that tendency. They learned.
The reason that the whole broohaw started about steel and chokes was due to the fact that steel shot was harder than most bbls. The older duck hunters, some who may have reloaded steel bb's,( bb gun bb's) believing it aided in knocking down geese, ( and I knew a few) found out when steel was mandated and they took their full choke shotguns to have the chokes opened for the newfangled steel shot, that the choke was already opened. By. the steel bb's. the smith said. I had in the past saw bbls. that were scored and never knew why. It is a testimony to the strength of the older guns, that they weren't blown by the excessive pressure the steel bb's caused must have caused. Or maybe some were? But the bb's were light.
Of course as always, just IMHO only.
I really don't know if exterior chokes and or expensive ones make any difference. I do know that I had one of the first citoris with screw ins and shot a lot of the first steel thru it without any apparent damage. And ate a lot of mallards. Most of my shooting is over decoys and IC is usually my choice of chokes for ducks and geese.

Yes, the benelli modified is safe for steel, my experence is it shoots like crap though. My recomendation is IC for farther birds and Cylinder for decoying birds.

For ducks with steel, both of my X2's have Briley ext. ported IC over dekes in beginning of season, Light Mod. later in season.
When I use Hevi-Metal in 2's, I use nothing but the IC no matter.

Geese in Steel BB's, over dekes early in season, nothing but Briley Skeet Ext. ported. Later in season, Hevi-Metal B's and BB's, Briley ext. ported in IC.

I don't do any pass shooting. I back all of my goose loads up with the 3rd shot of Hevi-Shot, 3-1/2" of 2's or BB's. Rarely, if ever, do I get to it. If I do, it is to finish a departing cripple for someone. If I don't knock it down for myself within the first 2 and it does not exhibit any sighns of being hit, I stop.

What is a good choke tube I have a Beretta Extrema 2 and was thinking of getting the new one from Flambeau or someone tell me which one is best for my gun

Go to the Beretta website, Beretta has there own extended chokes. Gun Accessories---Shotgun----Choke Tubes----Beretta OptimaChoke Plus Extended Matte Black

Many places sell Beretta OptimaChoke Plus Extended Matte Black choke tubes.


http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/defa...th=14358_11169