Most all of my shotgun hunting for more than 50 years has been with doubles with one or both barrels choked full, or full and half, or full and something more open, like cylinder or slightly tighter. I have always done well with all these guns. Sometimes I take along some scatter loads, especially for first shot on decoying ducks, quail or grouse that get up from under my feet. Lots of geese, ducks, grouse and desert quail have dropped to full choked barrels, probably lots more than to open choked barrels. The same guns were used for all birds, with suitable loads. Over decades I have found many loads that pattern well above nominal cylinder percentages from long, cylinder-bored barrels -- sometimes up to 50%.
There are a few things that lead to my extensive use of full choked barrels. One is that I am not a very fast shooter and have gotten slower and more deliberate over recent decades. Another is that shoulder injuries and degredations have lead to use of lighter and lighter guns (6,0-6,5 lbs has become common) long barreled doubles and lighter loads, so, tighter patterns are a real advantage. I have always hunted under conditions were longer shots (out to 40-45 yards) were common enough that tight, even patterns are a big plus.
My use of lighter shot loads means that it is easier to get nice even patterns from tight choked barrels -- 24 to 30 oz shot in 12 and 16 bores has become standard with me -- muzzle velocities range from 1150 fps to about 1300 fps for some hunting loads. Often these are shot loads for which these old barrels were designed. Even going to 32 oz ( 1 1/8 oz) gets more open patterns, even with shot cups, as well as thin fringes from full choke constrictions -- not to speak of the additional recoil and batterning of old guns and bum shoulders.
To me guns with two open chokes are special use guns or guns for fast shooters.
Niklas
