doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Thoughts on chokes for a 20ga. SxS

I predict you won't shoot much skeet with Polywad spreader loads.

Not that it's not a great product, it is.

It's also a standard velocity 7/8 oz. load and your gun weighs less than six pounds. All I can say is, 'ouch'.

In the field, it's no matter... at skeet it equals flinch.

Likewise, the $14/box problem. Not unreasonable for custom hunting ammo, a tad spendy for skeet loads.

Since you stated 'mostly skeet', have it skeet choked. Suggest .003 both barrels. I'd load my own 3/4 oz skeet loads for it, and switch to plated and/or buffered loads for the field situations that require an effective pattern at a bit longer range.

No gun does everything...

To Foxy, English Springers. Are there any other dogs for Grouse??? Flushers all the way! Builder has hunted over my girls and knows what they can do! I thank everyone for there feedback and think I will leave the left barrel as is and open the right to Imp. Cyl. Do some patterns and see what happens. Thanks all! Keep the tread going!

As A second thought as to dogs. Most pointers who come north Range way to far for Grouse. If kept close they can do well but most don't. This should get a topic going!

I suggest that you do some patterning with that right bbl. before doing anything choke modification wise. Try several dif loads, inclusive of some spreaders and see what it does. Actually do it with both bbls, doing a POI regulation check first and then the 'where is it shooting for you' testing. If everything is OK then its perhaps some minor skeet and local sporty clays activity during the summer to keep you tuned to the gun, but not too much, a box is plenty for an outing. Assuming the bbls are regulated well enough, if its not shooting where you are looking then a hot oil bend on the stock makes a lot more sense than opening the choke. Just an opinion.

Might try a round of gun off the shoulder skeet first [like you are coming up behind a dog and ready for the flush] & see if you are shooting the gun at least to your average. I made that suggestion to a bloke w/a new acquisition once before; told him to forget about the pattern [and the myriad of pattern/choke questions he had] and just shoot it first & see if he could hit anything with it as it was. And I was instantly skinned alive by EDM when he was still w/us. Bent his 'pattern first' feeler but good. He even took Pete hunting as a result of my stepping on his patterning nerve. I know they had a good time too. Anyway, I'll stick my neck out once again and say it is not going to hurt for you to see if you can shoot it as is first. And there can be a significant difference in what a choke is marked, what it actually measures and what it does. Look at the quality of your target breaks; shoot the skeet doubles backwards taking the first target before the centre of the field. If you are getting ink spot breaks, its probably too tight, otherwise it may not be.

Just come to Amarillo and bring the gun and with coaching from me, Amarillo Mike and Joe Wood, by the time you go back, you will have fired so many rounds from the gun that it will be at skeet and skeet and you will be smiling

Also, RST makes a speader lite in 20 gauge

http://www.rstshells.com/rst_classic_shotshells_shotshells.htm

Mike

I am also a big RST fan. I too would recommend patterning with different loads before making any irreversible changes. According to Alex at RST their spreader loads open up about 1 full choke size at tighter chokes, but the effect lessens as one goes to more open chokes.

These are reloads using the Polywad insert shot out of a IM/F 16 gauge. 7/8 oz. of 8's at 15 yards. The paper is 30" wide. They work.

I love RST's, and I've found that cyl works fine in the WI woods using their 7/8 oz 20ga loads. That being said, although I shot a lot of woods birds last season, the vast majority were woodcock. Shots tend to be a bit closer on average than grouse. When I tested spreaders, I found that the Polywads spread more than the RST's.

For skeet, I can report very positive results with 3/4 oz reloads of 8 1/2's or 9's using Claybuster's 3/4 oz 20ga wad through a 20ga choked C/IC (.000/.007).

Has anyone disassembled a RST shell to see what they use to get the pattern to open up?