Now guys, I may be wrong, but I think I finally have my answer to who made Star Dot chokes for Highlander Sports and it only makes logical and economical sense now that I did some research. And I'll show you what I found. But first I would like to thank the guy that posted the Star Dot choke look alike for the Moss 835 on here. That sort of got me thinking. But then I was just on ebay and I found this choke and it really got my attention. I was really focusing my attention on the angled ports and how they look. Then I looked at my Star Dot choke. Well let me first show you the choke. Now it's not a 835 choke but rather a Browning Invector Plus choke.
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/526/medium/KGrHqJ_pwE8WkJi_jfBPTEPtIRU_60_58.jpg)
Very similar to the ports on my Star Dot even though the ports are angled the opposite direction on how they were drilled. Again I am looking for the similarities in the cut.
Now this is where the 2 and 2 way of thinking starts to come in to play.
Well then I said let me go find out the address of Colonial Arms for I knew that Highlander Sports, Inc. was in AL.
Colonial Arms, Inc.
1504 Highway 31
PO Box 250
Bay Minette, AL 36507
1-800-949-8088
Now look at the address on the back of my 835 Star Dot choke package.
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/526/DSCF2888_Small_.jpg)
Now what a coincedence. Same exact state.
Now lets look at the ports on my Star Dot to compare it to the ports on the Colonial Arms choke above. Now granted the ports are angled the opposite direction now, but they do look about identical in depth and in cut but the holes may be a little different in dimensions.
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/526/DSCF2893_Small_.jpg)
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/526/DSCF2894_Small_.jpg)
2 + 2 = 4
But again I might be wrong. But I may very well be right.
Now I took this picture off of Colonial Arms website showing their turkey choke now. Compare it to the Star Dot choke. Pretty similar and notice the knurling at the top looks the exact same as well. And notice, too, the ports are angled exactly the same as the Star Dot.
(http://www.colonialarms.com/images/cat07.jpg)
Maybe I will give them a call today and ask some info. Since the Star Dot chokes are no longer made, they should be able to hopefully tell the truth since there should no longer be a need for client confidentiality on their part.
Good work, I think you are right. Brings to mind that a few years ago I tried to order an accu-dot sight system from them. It was the same as a star dot sight that wal-mart sold. I placed the order only to get a notice that they were sold out and it was no longer manufactured. I never thought about them making the choke, too. I just sent an email requesting the exit diameter size of a browning inv +.
You may be right, Colonial Arms is not too far from my house, they moved from Selma a few years ago to Bay Minette now. They do look alot alike.
Go ahead and get ya one for the 835 and blast a few through it and let is know
Naturally, after I finally get a Star Dot someone discovers this. ;D
Well here's what I got so far after my conversation with a lady at Colonial Arms. At first, she told me that Highlander Sports stole their design and made their own chokes. Well I wasn't buying that one 100%. Then I told her more in detail that I was convinced that they in fact made these chokes for Highlander Sports. Then she said we did initially but then they stole their design. Now I'm going to call back and to talk to the owner in about an hour. But now we know the rest of the story and hopefully the truth will come out soon.
But I don't think the lady was telling me all the facts. I made her stutter step so to speak with my info and questions. :funnyturkey:
She told me at first that she worked for the company about 25yrs. I then said well this would have been back in the 90's. She then said this was before her time. LOL!
I wonder if it has the same .676 exit diameter. They are listing extra full as the tightest one with a .
040 constriction. If it's configured off the bore of an 835 that would be somewhere in the neighborhood of a .735 exit diameter. Even with a standard 12ga bore it would be .689. Let us know what you find out Brad. Maybe they could custom build some to .676. I would buy one.
It would be in their best interest, imo, to say whether their design is the Star Dot. Many people are searching for the choke so if it could be proven that it is the same choke then they should have no problem selling them, especially for the 835/935.
Good detective skills and very interesting info. So where do the Preston Pittman chokes fit in to the equation, were they made by Colonial or Highland?
Quote from: goblr77 on February 28, 2012, 09:32:13 AM
I wonder if it has the same .676 exit diameter. They are listing extra full as the tightest one with a .
040 constriction. If it's configured off the bore of an 835 that would be somewhere in the neighborhood of a .735 exit diameter. Even with a standard 12ga bore it would be .689. Let us know what you find out Brad. Maybe they could custom build some to .676. I would buy one.
I'll do my best. A lot will have to do on how honest they want to be.
They hopefully will tell me what I want to know.
I sure would love to see this same choke be reproduced with the same exact dimensions. I was told by a local choke maker that the Star Dot had a 2.5" long parallel which is extremely long. I have also been told buy another choke maker that the Star Dot may have had two tapers or conicals.
Quote from: keyser12ga on February 28, 2012, 09:34:57 AM
Good detective skills and very interesting info. So where do the Preston Pittman chokes fit in to the equation, were they made by Colonial or Highland?
I would say the same case scenario for the Preston Pittman chokes as well. Same thing as a Star Dot. The back of the package will say Highlander Sports, Inc.
Update: Owner is supposed to call me back. I just got done speaking with the same lady. I told her it would be in your best interest to admit that you made the choke and to reproduce it again.
.675 in browning inv +
Well the Colonial Arms owner Betty McDonald told me they did in fact make the original Star Dot chokes for Highlander Sports, Inc. in the early 90's. She then told me that Highlander later changed the chokes name to Preston Pitmann and that they weren't affiliated with them and that Highlander had somone else make these chokes. Well I thought I remember seeing some package labeled Preston Pitmann and Star Dot but I may be wrong. So I will take her for her word. She told me that it was her idea to get Highlander to market a choke with their fiber optic sights. Later on things went bad financially for Highlander Sports, Inc. and that they weren't paying their bills so Colonial Arms stopped producing these chokes for them and I'll leave out whatelse she said.
So now we know.
And here is whatelse Betty told me. She said the turkey chokes that they have on their website should be the exact same dimensions internally as the old Star Dot chokes. She said the 12MOTPX which stands for 12GA Moss turkey ported xtra full should be the same choke as the Star Dot. They also make a 12MOTPF which is a 12GA turkey ported full. These chokes are $54.95 on their website. And she said they also make a nonported version which are the same as above and are 12MOTK1(full) and 12MOTK2(xtra full) and are $31.95 on their website.
Thank you Betty for your help. She did want to know why I was asking all these questions. She thought I was a choke maker. LOL!
Good info, thanks for looking in to this!
Brad, I called and talked to her myself just to check the constriction. It's a .680, pretty dang close to what the Stardot was. I ordered one. Should be here soon. Preciate the info Bud. :thanks:
This is what happens when you work swing shift. I stayed up all nite looking for something to do. LOL! But I feel like it was worth it.
I have always wanted to know who made these chokes. And I didn't think that Highlander had any CNC machines to do it themself. Betty told me that Highlander Sports did not have any CNC machines and confirmed all of what I figured out. So now we know the rest of the story. Good day!
My next quest is to figure out who makes the Jelly Head chokes for Primos. And I think I am very close.
Wow! Thanks for the awsome info man! We outta see if they would do a group buy and make us some of the old style stardots!
Your welcome Myles.
Very interesting - thanks...
Im still learning and trying to understand.
And now I think I understand where the first lady I spoke with said that Highlander stole their design. That probably occured when the Preston Pittman chokes started being made. The rest we can only speculate to what happened. But I bet we can assume.
I'll have to check that place out next time I go to the beach
Quote from: CASH on February 28, 2012, 01:22:49 PM
I'll have to check that place out next time I go to the beach
Well do me a favor and tell Betty that Brad said he wants a cut of their future 835 turkey choke sales.
That is great info and detective work. I am in marketing and I have to do quite a bit of competitive research and have always enjoyed it. I have a Star dot for my 835 and have talked it up to my friends...now I can let them know where to get a similar choke.
It will be real interesting to see how the "NEW STAR DOT" really shoots!! For any that buys one let us know what your results are please.
Poor turkeys!!
:funnyturkey:
The 3 best SD chokes I've used were Inv, Inv+, and 835/935. The INV were both .667, the 835 .676. I have also heard some say the 835 chokes came in all the way to .682.
Quote from: ILIKEHEVI-13 on February 28, 2012, 01:10:50 PM
My next quest is to figure out who makes the Jelly Head chokes for Primos. And I think I am very close.
I'm thinking Carlson's???
Quote from: mightyjoeyoung on February 28, 2012, 03:59:15 PM
Quote from: ILIKEHEVI-13 on February 28, 2012, 01:10:50 PM
My next quest is to figure out who makes the Jelly Head chokes for Primos. And I think I am very close.
I'm thinking Carlson's???
I know they made chokes for HM in the dead coyote and H13 turkey shells and I assume they still do?
This is really good info
:z-winnersmiley: good info keep it coming !
Quote from: mightyjoeyoung on February 28, 2012, 03:59:15 PM
Quote from: ILIKEHEVI-13 on February 28, 2012, 01:10:50 PM
My next quest is to figure out who makes the Jelly Head chokes for Primos. And I think I am very close.
I'm thinking Carlson's???
That's my hunch. Or maybe Tru-Lok.
I would like one for my 835. Someone needs to buy one and post pattern pics so we can be sure it's the same.
Nice work !!! :thanks:
Quote from: cannonball on February 28, 2012, 07:35:29 PM
I would like one for my 835. Someone needs to buy one and post pattern pics so we can be sure it's the same.
Well they made the choke. Betty said all is right about the exact same.
Nice Work ! Do you do all this research for your flashlights ? :icon_thumright:
I have the original pkging for mine and it has STAR DOT on the front and Preston Pittman, a Division of Highlander Sports, Inc on the back.
Keep us posted.
Awesome!!!! Now we need patterns!!!
I had a colonial arms non-ported choke in a 835 I once had. Shot real good with lead loads. Hevi shot wasn't made then.
Shane
Nice work...
I see your star dot in the picture has knurled top as opposed mine has straight lines so Wat era is my choke from or at this point is it even a star dot?
Mine has straight lines too, not sure what the difference is.
I would imagine they were made at 2 different production times and after reading that would make sense but why change only the appearance so is that the only difference ?
Mine has straight lines and is about a 660 accuchoke. I bought it somewhere in the early 2000's.
Quote from: neohiohunter on February 29, 2012, 02:51:08 PM
I see your star dot in the picture has knurled top as opposed mine has straight lines so Wat era is my choke from or at this point is it even a star dot?
They probably just changed tooling and went with a straight knurl. It's still a Stardot.
I have Rem. staight line & invector knurled that fits mossy 500. Both are .668
Thanks for the replies just wanted to make sure b4 I sent some hevi 7's thru it and after brads investigation it had me wondering
Quote from: neohiohunter on February 29, 2012, 02:51:08 PM
I see your star dot in the picture has knurled top as opposed mine has straight lines so Wat era is my choke from or at this point is it even a star dot?
Well I believe the other one that I gave to a co-worker had the staright cut lines on the end of the choke and it said Star Dot just like the one I have. So I would say they are the exact same otherwise. The ones that said Pittman on them may mot be. That like I said is when the money got tight and Colonial dropped businees with them and Highlander apparently had someone else copy this design.
Thanks. I figured after seeing pattern pics from that pure gold u got off me u woulda forgot about the lousy star dot anyway :smiley-char092:
The Pure Gold is a good shooting #7 choke. But it won't match the consistency of the Star Dot. But very few chokes will in the 835 from what I have seen at least shooting Hevi-13 3.5" #7 loads.
hey ilikehevi, you really did your homework on this star dot mystery. i really appreciate you putting this up here, for us to see. really good to know. im anxious to see what kind of patterns these colonial arms chokes throw. im sure there will be some posted soon.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/150772192173?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648
so is this one????
Quote from: Nick_The_Tinkerer on March 07, 2012, 11:37:30 PM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/150772192173?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648
so is this one????
Yep.
Guys, I think we soon shall find out how well these chokes shoot with good Hevi-13 loads or Win Xtended loads. Heck they might even shoot good with the Federal Heavweight I don't know. I just talked to Nate on here and he said his Colonial choke he just got had I believe 12 ports. Myles I think said his had less port than his Star Dot. So Nate thinks they may have made some additional port changes since I'm guessing I posted this. My original Star Dot I have has 10 ports.
What I am waiting to see like you is how well these chokes will shoot what I know to be good loads like the Hevi-13 3.5" 2.25oz #7 loads lot #300325 or any other good lot that we know shoots great. That will at least give us objective data to hopefully compare these chokes with the old if they are just about the same internals. That's not stating they won't shoot other good loads or size shot. I'm almost positive these chokes will shoot about the exact same as the old Star Dots from what I was told on the phone by the owner who should in fact know since she was there during the time they made these Star Dot chokes. She plainly told me the internals are about exactly the same.
Quote from: ILIKEHEVI-13 on March 08, 2012, 01:14:17 AM
Quote from: Nick_The_Tinkerer on March 07, 2012, 11:37:30 PM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/150772192173?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648
so is this one????
Yep.
Guys, I think we soon shall find out how well these chokes shoot with good Hevi-13 loads or Win Xtended loads. Heck they might even shoot good with the Federal Heavweight I don't know. I just talked to Nate on here and he said his Colonial choke he just got had I believe 12 ports. Myles I think said his had less port than his Star Dot. So Nate thinks they may have made some additional port changes since I'm guessing I posted this. My original Star Dot I have has 10 ports.
What I am waiting to see like you is how well these chokes will shoot what I know to be good loads like the Hevi-13 .5" 2.25oz #7 loads lot #300325 or any other good lot that we know shoots great. That will at least give us objective data to hopefully compare these chokes with the old if they are just about the same internals. That's not stating they won't shoot other good loads or size shot. I'm almost positive these chokes will shoot about the exact same as the old Star Dots from what I was told on the phone by the owner who should in fact know since she was there during the time they made these Star Dot chokes. She plainly told me the internals are about exactly the same.
Finish your investigation, buy one and show us how it shoots.
:lol:
Perhaps it wasnt a good idea to post it here the price jumped to 31 already
Quote from: Nick_The_Tinkerer on March 08, 2012, 09:33:29 AM
:lol:
Perhaps it wasnt a good idea to post it here the price jumped to 31 already
Ya think?
Look at posting up a good internet deal that you would wana buy like internet scouting. You post up a location you found a bunch of birds on and then wonder why the next day there are 50 guys there...
Quote from: ILIKEHEVI-13 on March 08, 2012, 01:14:17 AM
Quote from: Nick_The_Tinkerer on March 07, 2012, 11:37:30 PM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/150772192173?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648
so is this one????
Yep.
Guys, I think we soon shall find out how well these chokes shoot with good Hevi-13 loads or Win Xtended loads. Heck they might even shoot good with the Federal Heavweight I don't know. I just talked to Nate on here and he said his Colonial choke he just got had I believe 12 ports. Myles I think said his had less port than his Star Dot. So Nate thinks they may have made some additional port changes since I'm guessing I posted this. My original Star Dot I have has 10 ports.
What I am waiting to see like you is how well these chokes will shoot what I know to be good loads like the Hevi-13 .5" 2.25oz #7 loads lot #300325 or any other good lot that we know shoots great. That will at least give us objective data to hopefully compare these chokes with the old if they are just about the same internals. That's not stating they won't shoot other good loads or size shot. I'm almost positive these chokes will shoot about the exact same as the old Star Dots from what I was told on the phone by the owner who should in fact know since she was there during the time they made these Star Dot chokes. She plainly told me the internals are about exactly the same.
Ok so I won the choke with the original buy it now option...I was the original bidder too btw. It cost me a bit more but the seller knocked off shipping so I'm getting a brand new colonial/pittman/stardot for a song. Whew! Dodged an expensive bullet right there! :you_rock:
Your welcome :toothy12:
I know this is an old post, but anybody looking? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mossberg-835-Turkey-Choke-/291036358392?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43c31e66f8
I know a guy who knows a guy that works for Preston Pittman and he is going to see him at the Turkey convention in Nashville. What would you guys like him to ask them about the Stardot Chokes?
Found this thread, thought maybe it would be a good spot to ask this...
I have come across a Star Dot for a Mossberg 835 a guy I know bought back in the 90s. It says Highlander Sports on the back, but has the straight ends and not knurled. I thought if it has straight it was NOT made by Highlander?? This one has straight ends and says Highlander Sports on the back, not PTC.
Any thoughts on this? Is this an original Star Dot still?
Quote from: kdsberman on April 23, 2015, 08:51:39 PM
Found this thread, thought maybe it would be a good spot to ask this...
I have come across a Star Dot for a Mossberg 835 a guy I know bought back in the 90s. It says Highlander Sports on the back, but has the straight ends and not knurled. I thought if it has straight it was NOT made by Highlander?? This one has straight ends and says Highlander Sports on the back, not PTC.
Any thoughts on this? Is this an original Star Dot still?
I have an original Stardot Highlander box and the choke has the strait lines and not the diamond knurling.
Sounds like you may have an original.
Thanks for the replies fellas. I wonder why some are knurled and some are straight? Guess it doesnt matter when the bird is dead, right?
I have a PTC and a Highlander both with packages and both have the straight grooves
Can you imagine that we even have a stardot conspiracy theory.
I myself have even spent hours trying to figure it out. I to have spoken to colonial to see if thwy would crack.
at the time they were quiet about it but now I think they will tell you.
the best part is that there are plenty of chokes that are just as good.
probably better. I know my PG beats my stardot every time in a head to head.
I have one that is about 12 years old, knurled ends , it fits Browning inv. plus, what would be the constriction for this choke? I lost the package it came in. I am thinking of trying some longbeards in it.
Quote from: Lucky Clucker on April 29, 2015, 12:08:17 AM
I have one that is about 12 years old, knurled ends , it fits Browning inv. plus, what would be the constriction for this choke? I lost the package it came in. I am thinking of trying some longbeards in it.
.668
Thanks. It shoots win. HV 4 shot real good. never tried it with nothing else but I will.