The invention of choked (restricted) barrels allows shotgun hunters greater effective range and accuracy range at distances beyond the standard 25 to 30 yards typical of a simple straight tube shotgun.
- Variable degrees of choke constriction to encompass diverse game animals, shooting competitions, and shotshell payloads.
- Choke is positioned at the muzzle end of the barrel in order to keep the pellets in a tighter group (pattern) when they leave the barrel.
- Fixed versus interchangeable chokes. Old school models employed a “fixed choke,”(Still offered but usually cheaper or entry level shotguns) modern shotguns come with “interchangeable chokes.”
- Interchangeable chokes screw into the barrel on their insides near the muzzle and are the current prevalent choice amid shooters today as they allow one to adjust the choke to fit the situation.
Once a cartridge or shotshell is fired from a shotgun, the pellets leave the barrel and begin to spread or scatter in a pattern. The farther the pellets travel, the greater the spread of the cluster of pellets (shot) both in length and diameter. This spread is referred to as, “the shot string.” To manipulate the shot string, shotgun barrels have a choke that will affect the shot pattern when the shot string hits the target.
-
- Choke – The degree of tapering contraction at the muzzle end of the shotgun barrel. This constriction helps pull the shot column together as it exits the barrel. The result is how the shot hits the target. The measure of how a shot hits the target is called the pattern.
- Shot Pattern – The blowout result of shot pellets after they hit a stable non-moving target.
- Shot String – The three-dimensional spread results of the first pellet and last pellet after they leave the barrel traveling downrange. The length or string of pellets hitting the mark from first and last strike is averaged around 6-8 feet.
Share this Image On Your Site
Shooters distance from the target governs the choke you need.
- The choke of a shotgun regulates shot string.
- Choke does not hamper results of shot speed (velocity) or distance (range). In essence, the choke does not vary the shotgun’s power – it simply controls how tight or spread out the pellets will be at a precise distance.
Here is a list of the most common used choke tubes:
- Cylinder Choke – A bore which has no restriction, the shot string spreads quickly and uniformly useful for close-range shooting with the widest pattern. Good for clay targets and game birds or for self-defense.
- Improved Cylinder choke – A slightly constricted barrel, allows the shot string to spread fairly quickly enabling for a nice wide pattern for fast flushing game birds at distances around 30 yards. Would be an excellent choice for quail, rabbits, and other upland game at relatively close ranges.
- Skeet Choke – Calculated to distribute optimum pattern for close range sport and target shooting. This choke will distribute 50 percent of a shell’s total pellets in a 30-inch circle at a close 25 yards.
- Modified Choke – Then next tightest, a moderate constriction of the barrel, the pellets stay together longer, making the shot string denser and more useful at longer ranges. This choke is a good choice for all around use and is used often with dove hunting and when using steel shot to hunt for waterfowl – ducks and geese. Also a good choice for Sporting Clays
- Full choke – Has a tight barrel constriction. The shot string holds together much longer, making this choke good for squirrel, turkey, and other game shot at 40-yards and longer ranges, that is usually too tight for close-in targets. Either because the shot pattern is too tight to hit a moving target close in or if you do knockout your mark you will unequivocally annihilate the target with a fist full of lead and picking shot out of a heap of shredded meat. Turkey hunters may use extra full or Turkey choke for even denser patterns at long range as they are naturally wary and often taken at distances of 40 to 50 yards.
- Improved Modified– choke that is slightly tighter than the modified and will also travel a little further. This choke is a great choice for Trap, Sporting Clays and Quail.
Pattern spread for popular chokes by the diameter of pellet strikes measured in inches as the distance in yardage increases.
- Cylinder – 40-inch spread at approx. 25 yards
- Improved Cylinder – 40-inch spread at approx. 30 yards
- Modified – 40-inch spread at approx. 35 yards
- Full – 40-inch spread at approx. 40 yards
How is the shotgun barrel’s choke performing? Percentage of shot inside a 30” circle at 40 yards; keep in mind choke performance can vary with loads.
- Cylinder – 40% of shot inside 30” circle at 40 yards
- Skeet – 50% of shot inside 30” circle at 40 yards
- Improved Cylinder – 55% of shot inside 30” circle at 40 yards
- Modified – 60% of shot inside 30” circle at 40 yards
- Improved Modified – 65% of shot inside 30” circle at 40 yards
- Full – 70% of shot inside 30” circle at 40 yards
Gun makers will sometimes talk about “points” of choke. Shotgun choke is measured relative to bore diameter. One point equates to a constriction of one-thousandth of an inch. Below are averages of what one would expect in a 12-bore gun.
- True Cylinder 0-1 points
- Improved cylinder 3-6 points or 0.010 inches narrower in diameter than then barrel, average over cylinder – constriction increase 17%
- Modified 17-23 points or 0.020 inch bore reduction, average over cylinder – constriction increase 27%
- Improved Modified- (.027) inch bore reduction
- Improved modified 25-30 points or 0.025 inch bore reduction, average over cylinder – constriction increase 33%
- Full 35-40 points or 0.035 inch bore reduction average over cylinder – constriction increase 35%
Govern your ideal choke-shot combination. Practice with different combinations of changed chokes with your shotgun.
- If your patterns are the wrong size or don’t have the density required to kill game, use tighter or looser choke accordingly.
- If your patterns are uneven, you are possibly trying to push too much soft lead through too constricted a hole. Sometimes reduced lead and a less constricted choke will actually allow you to be effective at longer range.
Choke is one of those things, like gun fit, that should best suit your needs so experiment until you are comfortable and consistent with your shot success. The time devoted will yield great payments in the end.
Shop our shotgun choke tubes today to find your perfect fit.