doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT-- What is the best choke.......

for a 16 gauge when you're pheasant hunting? Released birds. First week. #6 shot. Model 12 shotgun. I thought I'd try IM. What say ye?

1oz 1 1/8oz or 1 1/4 oz load? Pointing dog, flusher or walk up? I'd use cyl or ic. Imp mod will be more than enough if you can wait until they get out far enough you don't turn them to dish rags.

Somebody uses 1 1/4 oz in a 16? Whew.

Released birds, 1st week, I’d think an ounce of 6s with an IC choke would be more than adequate.

Have a safe trip.

Best,
Ted

Improved Cylinder is perfect for pointed birds or released birds

These are a bit much



These smell GOOD

As the late shotgun guru Bob Brister wrote: "Full choke is a demanding mistress; improved cylinder a forgiving friend. IM is WAY too tight for preserve pheasants. I've told this story before:

I'm far from being an excellent shot. However, when I had a writing assignment where I knew that I'd have a lot of chances on good preserve roosters (birds that didn't need to be booted out of the cover), I decided to try an experiment. At the time, I had a Parker Reproduction 28ga on which I'd had the tight chokes opened to IC/M. I reloaded the standard 28ga load (3/4 oz of shot) with #7's. After flat missing the first bird I shot at, I then bagged 27 in a row. A couple of them required a 2nd barrel. And good dog work by either mine or the preserve's recovered a couple that came down but hit the ground running.

On pheasants, especially if you're shooting a 16 or a 12, 1 1/8 oz 6's is more than enough. And IC is more than enough choke unless you have unusually nervous birds. Save the IM for late season wild roosters.

I bought the Federals yesterday. I don't have a reloader to load 16 oz. Just 12 or 20. And I don't have access to #6 shot. Only 7 1/2, 8 or 9. The Winchesters are about 20 years old. I have never hunted with this gun before (only a few rounds of skeet) so I thought I would try it out. It has interchangeable chokes. I can always use my 12 gauge Model 21- chokes are opened to cyl/cyl. 1 1/8 oz. of 7 1/2. That is what I always used before. I won't be using my dog. Just walk up.Thanks

On preserve birds, I shoot 1-1/8oz #6's with LM/M.
I can see where IC/LM would probably be ok.

Those will be fine. Have a great trip.

Best,
Ted

For release birds I’d choose either cylinder or IC at most. One ounce of #7 or #6 shot and about 1175 fps. Out to about 30-35 yards you’ll bag about all of them if you do your part. Good luck!

.015
JR