Everyone had different experiences, mine are generally hunting in the woods with a few years hunting open fields in Germany. My all-time favorite barrels are A 60cm long, open bored set I had Heym make for my O/U mod 44N to shoot Alabama woods Bobwhite with. After shooting the whole ribcage from a hare and shooting a pheasant from between its wings, with the half and full choke "field" barrels of the same gun, I switched to the 60 cm barrels (with 1 1/4 oz #2, in Germany and 1 1/8 oz #8 or 7 1/2 in the US) for everything I hunted with a shotgun. I never looked back. I expect arguments.
Mike
I think people assume any choke combination will work for them, but, it often is a different story when it comes to use in the field. Conditions change from early season to late, the birds that live wise up, the weather can be a factor, etc.
I’ve never had great results with full choke. The longest shot I ever made happened with a modified choke on a pheasant that had full engagement of the afterburners, after my partner missed twice. Nobody save the bird was more surprised than I when he fell into a very large pond after that shot.
The most memorable part of that event was my old English Setter, who hadn’t seen the bird, being pointed out into the slew with the command “fetch my bird” and ambling off in the direction I pointed, and returning soaked, and muddy, tail gently wagging, with the bird in her maw and a hundred cockleburrs in her coat, tail and ears. A lab wouldn’t have been as much of a mess as she was, but, no lab ever made a more spectacular blind retrieve.
It took me longer to comb her out than it took to retrieve that rooster.
And it was worth every minute.
Best,
Ted
