At least when it comes to upland hunting, more people are undoubtedly overchoked rather than underchoked. Too often we think of more open choke as being a crutch for poor shooting. While it does give the shooter a greater margin for error, what it also does is keep from shooting up game at close range. As the late Mr. Brister expressed it: "Full choke is a demanding mistress, improved cylinder a forgiving friend." And far more upland game is shot at IC range vs full choke range.
Stan, another way of looking at your point about cylinder: Hunters who need tight chokes often lack the field skills, or their dogs are so poorly trained, that they can't get close shots and have to compensate with tighter chokes. That's the other side of the same coin. Fire back!
Ah yes, Larry. But, even Brister didn't say "cylinder is a forgiving friend", did he? How about this one, "Choke is demanding of skill, but satisfying in proper use", quote Stan Hillis.
Larry, there are more reasons to need/use choke in a gun than not having the hunting skills to get close enough to kill everything with a cylinder. Do you espouse using cylinder for turkeys? How about on a dove field in late season, like I was today on the last day of dove season here, when doves will almost
NEVER come within "cylinder range", or pass shooting ducks, doves or geese. This afternoon I took 14 doves on a 15 bird limit with a 20 gauge and 7/8 oz. shot. Tough, rangy birds that were flying fast and high, for the most part. IC and LM did the trick. Sometimes in late season I use my 32" Elsie 16 ga. that is choked XF and XF. How could having better field skills get me in closer to those doves? If you think that is possible you are dreaming. I use decoys, but all game birds are not sneaked up on like your beloved Chinese pheasants.
I am classed Master by the NSCA at the current time. I may well get bumped down to AA at this review for shooting too few registered targets last year, but my point is that I worked my way to Master class by winning my class in major tournaments and I did it shooting .020" and .020" in a fixed choke MX-8. I put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, no?
Go to a major sporting tournament or FITASC event and shoot cylinder all the way through and then tell me you felt you missed
NO targets because of lack of pattern density. Look back at the original post. I never qualified my statement as being hunting only, like you did.
Different chokes, for different folks.
SRH
