#7 Nickel shot

[Penguin907]

Have you tried Winch LBs since you are not willing to pay the price for TSS? You will likely never be able to load ammo with any shot size that will equal their performance. Although I will say, there seem to have been some quality control issues with those the last couple of years.

Haven't tried LBs yet, but those aren't the only loads people regularly get 100+ in 10in right? The price of TSS doesn't bother me, it just seems to me like a way to make the sport easier which I'm not interested in doing.

[Marc]

Gun is Benelli Nova, so all the chokes are Beretta/Benelli mobil.

Beretta and Benelli are NOT based on the same bore diameter!  If you received Beretta Mobil, you are very likely shooting a far more open choke than you think you are.

Following is a quote a gun website:


These two chokes have identical outside dimensions, however these chokes are based on two different bore diameters and should not be interchanged.

I previously described the same situation, when I ordered some after-market  chokes, and was sent Beretta instead of Benelli chokes.  Chokes were all effectively very open chokes compared to what I ordered.  I ordered the correct chokes, but was sent the wrong ones.

If you can get a hold of a good bore gauge, this mystery will be solved quickly...  You can also put in the factory full, and might get vastly improved chokes.

[Penguin907]

All my chokes say Benelli/Beretta mobil or ber/ben. Looking on Carlson's website there isn't a listing for just benelli mobil or just beretta mobil. Can you buy aftermarket Benelli mobil only chokes? Talked to patternmaster customer support this morning, and they said there is no difference between beretta and benelli mobil chokes.

[Marc]

All my chokes say Benelli/Beretta mobil or ber/ben. Looking on Carlson's website there isn't a listing for just benelli mobil or just beretta mobil. Can you buy aftermarket Benelli mobil only chokes? Talked to patternmaster customer support this morning, and they said there is no difference between beretta and benelli mobil chokes.

I looked up manufacturer bore diameters for Mobil chokes in Beretta and Benelli:

Beretta "Mobil Bore" shotgun chokes are based on a .732 inch (18.6mm) bore. 

The bore diameter for the Beretta/Benelli Mobil chokes, designed for models like the SBE/M1, is typically around .722 inches.

If you ordered the Beretta Mobil chokes they might be considerably more open than you wanted...  Although the constrictions you posted should give adequately tight chokes even for the Benelli at 40 yards... 

I would call Carlson, let them know your issue.  Ask their advice and go from there.

On another note:  Previously owning a Benelli (M-1 and M-2), ported chokes did NOT pattern well at all in my guns (clumpy patterns full of holes).  The more I read on ported chokes, the less I want to use them...  Looking at some YouTube gurus that posted up fairly extensive patterning, with some good technology, the ported chokes generally under-preformed non-ported in the same constrictions, and sometimes drastically so.