Cheap choke problem

[slave601]

I have a few chokes now for my versa max. When I first bought it it was hard to find turkey chokes. I found one on eBay can't remember the name but it was really really tight with longbeard 5s. But it shot kind of all over the place. I have other chokes for my gun now so I don't use it. Question is though would a choke really be inconsistent and have patterns he one shot there the next? Thanks

[Longshanks]

I experienced that with LB' 5's and 6's. The choke wasn't what was making the pattern drift around it was the shells. I have seen competition guns which have a much more stable barrel than our average production guns have the same results with the POA/POI moving around. This is what made me back off of the LB's.  A shell that was shooting a pattern the size of a softball inside 25yds with the POA/POI moving around. Recipe for up close misses and most of the turkeys I shoot are up close. Harvested a turkey inside 15yds with LB 6's, which isn't an uncommon distance, and it looked like I shot him with a slug. Good thing I aimed just above the beard.

[KYStalker]

i've seen the same thing with long beard shells.  Killer pattern at 40 yards, but its too tight if the pattern drifts around a little.  I'll probably stick with my old federal shells in the blue and gold box

[Ihuntoldschool]

I agree with the above posts.   The choke is not the problem, it's the shells that you were using.  They will shoot to varying points of impact (not ideal if you have a close shot, considering the small pattern. 

[Borden811]

I've seen the same thing somewhat with Longbeards. However, it happens to a much greater degree with some chokes, and not at all with another. So, yes, the shells are to blame, but the choke has an effect on it as well. It's the combo together, but I would say the shell plays a bigger role than the choke.