doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Would you choke tube this sxs?

Hello Gentlemen,

I want to start buy saying I know this isn't a Purdey. I just picked up this Miroku and it is seriously like new. It's 100% on wood, blue and case colors. It honestly looks like it has never been fired. It has 28" barrels bored Imp/Full. My question is would you just open up the left barrel to mod. or light mod., or slap some choke tubes in it and never look back? I am thinking of having the forcing cones lengthened anyway and am 99% certain I will at least have that done.

Thanks for your opinions,

Bill

Guns International Miroku

No.
To any of it.

If you want a different gun, go buy it. Don't ruin a pristine gun trying to make it into something it isn't.

That one is very nice and should be left alone.

I would do some shooting with it and see how well I hit targets and how well it fit my style. After that, if I really liked the gun, and planned on keeping it for myself as my go to gun, I would then consider opening the left choke, only to ease my own mind, because, IMO, it isn't going to make a hoot of difference in your kill ratio.

binko

I agree with Binko, learn to shoot it. I cant imagine why people mess with opening up chokes...you cant put that metal back. If its choked really tight, say " I must be patient" when a bird flushes close, before you mount the gun, then kill it.

This is definitely a shooter and will be used/hunted with. It won't be pristine forever. I can't recall denting or scratching a shotgun ever (except for an 870 Express duck gun that gets downright abused every winter and religiously cleaned every few years). The Miroku is a 2 3/4" extractor gun. This one won't ever see the inside of a duck boat or blind however. And I will definitely shoot it a while to see how we "bond" prior to shipping it off for any work.

You maybe right about the chokes. I had an old Miroku/Daly Superior Grade o/u choked mod/full that I shot dove, skeet and sporting with many times. I didn't want to mess with it and I couldn't tell it was choked tight. It smoked everything and I just ignored the choke markings. I think guns like that are few and far between however. That one was just "Right".

Bill

From the listing, I couldn't tell if the left tube was improved cylinder, or improved modified. My experience has left me with the conclusion that most shooters don't shoot tightly choked guns very well. If the shooting you intend for the gun is early season woodcock and ruffed grouse, those chokes won't likely work out too well, since the bird will be long gone by the time you say "I must be patient" in your head after the flush. Everyone who is chanting the mantra of leaving tightly choked guns alone will be silent when the regulations mandate non-toxic shot, which will be here sooner than they think.
I would pattern the gun, for sure, to see what you have. I'm not a believer in spreaders, but, different loads throw different patterns. Don Zutz was able to change his gun chokes with his reloader, and you can find his loads in a few of his books. But, if the guy who bored the barrels was thinking about goose hunting, and you want to shoot 1 oz loads at woodcock on september 1st, opening the guns chokes up may be the only way out. Putting tubes in a double is considered blasphemy by many here, but, they didn't buy your gun, and don't invite you to go hunting with them, so make the choice on your own.
Good luck. Make the decision after careful study of what your needs are, and what the gun provides.
Best,
Ted

"My experience has left me with the conclusion that most shooters don't shoot tightly choked guns very well."

My experience is that usually good shooters often don't shoot tightly choked guns very well, Ted.

Last day this season I was with two crackerjack buddies using 870 and Browning s/a choked Modified and Full.

Twice over tollers they missed 20-yard gear-down blacks with everything they had. I told them it's reassuring to gun with mere mortals.

Personnally, I would probably have them opened to light mod(.015) and use it for everything.

We just had this big long discussion on how cylinder choke (or non-choke) is so great. Now we are telling Duff the opposite. It is his gun and although I don't like cleaning choke tubes and tend to prefer fixed choke but it will improve the versatility of the gun. It will be good for early season quail and woodcock and late season birds. It could even shoot slugs if need be.

I have a 20 gauge 28" barreled BSS sidelock which I would never touch. First there are very few of them and adding choke tubes or even changing choke size would effect the value of the gun in a major way. Second, for some reason, I shoot it so well I find it no handicap. I have no idea why it works so well for me. It is not the only gun that fits me.

I bought a Remington SPR 20g. (Baikal) for rainy days with 26" barrels partly because it was so cheap. For some reason it also is deadly on targets. I know it is a disposable gun but it should last long enough to pay for itself on bad days. It came with mod and full changeable chokes. I bought skeet and IC chokes for it since I am near a skeet range. The scores were the same.

I was in South Dakota shooting pheasants and we came out of the corn into a weed patch in the field. Several pheasants rose and my body just lifted the gun and fired. No thinking was involved. It was about 30 feet away and my modified choke and 12g. #5's just about cut the bird in half. Chuck H. was to my right and he said he saw the blood come out the back like a TV movie shot. This was an Ithaca 37 and Mike Orlen is now putting changeable chokes in it.

My advice for Duff would be shoot it and then evaluate what to do with the gun.