Shotgun Chokes 101
By Todd Helms
I recently got a comment on the Wingmen YouTube channel: “I do not know if this is something you discuss on your channel but I would love to see a video about different chokes; how they work and which ones are good for what scenarios.”
Well, you asked so here’s my take on answering that comment as best I can.
Shotgun chokes get a lot of discussion and there is a lot of misunderstanding about how they do their job and which chokes work best for given hunting scenarios. Back in the early days of my shotgunning I fell into the trap of more choke is better for almost any scenario, my shooting suffered and so did the game I shot when it came time to eat my birds. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s begin with how chokes work.
Most chokes or choke tubes constrict the shot column as it exits the bore of a shotgun to varying degrees, via minutely thicker or thinner walls. The thicker the wall of a choke or choke tube the tighter the constriction, making your pattern denser and tighter at various ranges. Shotshell velocity and shot size also play a role in pattern density or spread. Generally the faster a shotshell payload is traveling out of the barrel the less constriction is needed to achieve a tight, dense pattern. The same is true for small-sized shot such as #9 TSS and steel shot of any size.
I recently got a comment on the Wingmen YouTube channel: “I do not know if this is something you discuss on your channel but I would love to see a video about different chokes; how they work and which ones are good for what scenarios.”
Well, you asked so here’s my take on answering that comment as best I can.
Shotgun chokes get a lot of discussion and there is a lot of misunderstanding about how they do their job and which chokes work best for given hunting scenarios. Back in the early days of my shotgunning I fell into the trap of more choke is better for almost any scenario, my shooting suffered and so did the game I shot when it came time to eat my birds. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s begin with how chokes work.
Most chokes or choke tubes constrict the shot column as it exits the bore of a shotgun to varying degrees, via minutely thicker or thinner walls. The thicker the wall of a choke or choke tube the tighter the constriction, making your pattern denser and tighter at various ranges. Shotshell velocity and shot size also play a role in pattern density or spread. Generally the faster a shotshell payload is traveling out of the barrel the less constriction is needed to achieve a tight, dense pattern. The same is true for small-sized shot such as #9 TSS and steel shot of any size.
For a concrete example of this we can look at dedicated “turkey chokes” for a 12 gauge shotgun. Most of these chokes are constricted down to extra or super-full, meaning they have the tightest possible constriction for a 12 gauge. Most of these boast .665 to .655 constrictions and I’ve shot some as tight as .640. The larger the number the less constriction factor these have and the more open a pattern will be. Over the years I’ve settled on a .665 constriction for using TSS turkey loads and the gobblers haven’t complained.
Moving to the standard chokes included with most modern shotguns like the Weatherby SORIX or Orion, we see Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified and Full with constrictions of .005” Skeet, .010” Improved Cylinder, .020” Modified and .035” Full. There is lots of in between here too – Cylinder .000”, Light Modified .015”, Improved Modified .025”, Light Full .030” and Extra Full .040” – each of these has a use but there’s a reason most shotgun manufacturers only supply 3-5 chokes that usually include Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Full and it’s because those chokes are the most commonly used.
Today most shotguns have interchangeable choke tubes but it wasn’t long ago that “fixed” chokes were the rule for all shotguns and you had to make due with what you had. While I do prefer choke tubes for their flexibility, I’ve stacked up a lot of birds with old guns choked Improved Cylinder or Modified.
Now that we’ve established some basic knowledge about chokes and how they work it’s time to break down application of choke constrictions for hunting and shooting. I’ll begin with an old adage regarding shotgun chokes/constriction… “the best choke is often no choke at all.” Now, that is a tad tongue in cheek but the premise is sound. Let me explain.
If a shotgun is choked too tightly for the intended purpose, you will miss more than you hit, it’s that simple. Shotguns are designed to shoot a gradually expanding pattern that loses killing power due to lack of pattern density as the range to the target increases.
For close shooting, 10-30 yards – decoying waterfowl, upland bird hunting in dense cover like ruffed grouse or woodcock and quail – Cylinder, Skeet and Improved Cylinder are the best chokes as they will give you a very wide patten, making hits easier and delivering lots of shot on target for clean kills. For double barrel shotguns use a Skeet choke for your first shot and Improved Cylinder for your second. If you only have one barrel then shoot Improved Cylinder.
Medium range shooting lies between 20-40 yards – most waterfowl and pheasant hunting falls into this category. The best choke options for these ranges are Improved Cylinder, Light Modified or Modified for steel shot. If you’re shooting Bismuth you can go with Improved Modified or even Full. My personal preference here for double barrels is the classic Improved Cylinder and Modified combination with the tighter choke batting clean up. If I’m shooting a single-barrel shotgun then I opt for Modified as I feel it extends my effective range a tad when waterfowl don’t want to fully commit to the decoys or the roosters are particularly wily.
Long range shooting includes ranges from 40-75 yards, which with today’s shotshells I do feel is ethical. I’ve taken birds at jaw-dropping distances with Federal Premium Black Cloud, Prairie Storm and various TSS loads. You’d think I’d recommend the tightest choke possible but that’s not the case. I have witnessed diminishing returns with high performance shotshells pushed through tight chokes, remember what I said above about small shot and steel shot requiring less choke to maintain dense patterns. Therefore, the tightest I’ll go for “long range” bird shooting is Modified or Improved Modified, you simply do not need more than that. One caveat is shooting pheasants at longer ranges with lead shot. A Full choke can come in handy here but you will likely miss more birds than you hit.
I’m not going to get into turkey chokes here as I discussed them above. Put plainly, any turkey choke marketed that way will work for birds in your face, which is how turkeys should be shot and these can be cleanly killed with nothing more than an Improved Cylinder or Modified choke. In fact, you folks out there “reaping” toms would be better served shooting a traditional open choke.
There’s a whole new world of choke tube discussion when we venture into the land of skeet, trap and sporting clays but I’ll make it simple. For Skeet shoot either a Cylinder, Skeet or Improved Cylinder choke or combination thereof. For 15-yard Trap Modified is perfect but you may want to go with more constriction as you step back. Sporting Clays is unique as each station can require different chokes for optimum performance. If you’re reading this you’re probably like me and more of a recreational shooter than a competitive shooter. Therefore, when I shoot Sporting Clays with a single-barrel shotgun there will be an Improved Cylinder choke screwed into the barrel, if I’m toting a double-barrel then it’ll be choked Improved Cylinder and either Light Modified or Modified.
Phew… talk about drinking from a firehose. I hope this information answers the question from the YouTube comment and I’m also going to record this information in an episode of Eastmans’ Wingmen Podcast just so all the bases are covered. I welcome further questions on anything shogun and wingshooting related and hope you enjoyed this blog.
