Star dot

[cjordan]

I have been reading about the great results everyone has had with their "old" star dot chokes shooting a 835. I was wondering when did the change take place? I would like to find to find one for my old 835, but I dont know whats "new" and whats "old". Thanks for your time and help.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

I'll try and answer what I do know.  The very first original Star Dot chokes that Colonial Arms made for Highlander Sports that was sold had a choke and site in the package.  That was told to me by the owner over the phone when I talked to her last year.  These were sold in the early 90's I believe.  Cost was probably around $25.  Now they later came out with just the choke since I guess the site didn't go over to well would be my guess.  The package stayed the same from what I can remember from the pictures.  Here's a picture of my Star Dot 835 choke. 



Now according to the owner of Colonial Arms, later on, Highlander Sports got behind on their payments to her, and that is when Colonial Arms stopped their contract they had with Highlander Sports and stopped making the Star Dot chokes for them.  Well Highlander Sports according to the owner of Colonial Arms ended up stealing their Star Dot choke design and had another choke manufacturer make the exact same choke and label it Star Dot, but it had Preston Pittman on the choke and the package and looked like this. 

 

Now I'm gonna guess that was around 1995 or so.  But that is a guess.  Highlander Sports later went bankrupt and out of business.  Now the owner of Colonial Arms on the phone told me that the Extra Full ported turkey chokes that they are currently producing should be almost identical dimensions of the original Star Dots.  But Myles on here said he tried one after I found all this info out last year to compare it to his original Star Dot like the first one I posted above, and it didn't shoot nearly as well.  So the jury is still out on this.  But I got to go with what Myles said due to the fact he has some of the exact same Hevi-13 lot # of 3.5" 2.25oz #7's as I have that shoot the lights out from the original Star Dot chokes in the 835. 

So I hope I have helped.  All I can tell you or anyone here to do is what I said in another post.  Contact by phone or email the owner of Colonial Arms and request them to produce an original Star Dot choke exactly like they produced for Highlander Sports in the 90's.  That means ports, and internal dimensions exactly the same as the original and not what they are currently producing and calling Star Dot chokes.  Tell her once this is done to put on the package original Star Dot choke and have them email you since you wished to buy one.  I know I would easily pay $50 for another one if it was like the original.  If everyone on here that wants an original Star Dot would do this, I would say they would have no choice and it would only be in Colonial Arms best interest to do so.  Highlander Sports is no longer around anyway, so there should be no lawsuit concerns on their part to worry Colonial Arms.  You can't sue if you don't have any money in other words and the company is no longer around.  So I see no harm in doing this.   

Brad

[cjordan]

Thank you sir for taking the time to explain all of that. This will sound like a crazy question but whats up with the threads on the top? Is that for " fine tuning"? I guess like an invector choke? I plan on sending them an email tomorrow once I get to work, I remember reading the post where you suggested for folks to email her. Again thank you.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Your welcome.  That took me awhile to type all that. 

That's knurling at the top of the choke on the first picture of my choke I posted.  They made the Star Dot from what I ahve bben told that had cutout grooves at the top of choke that ran parallel wit hthe length of the choke. 

One thing I will tell you for certain is that any Star Dot choke that has Preston Pittman on the choke is not an original Star Dot Choke that was made by Colonial Arms. 

I also emailed the owner twice now about what I stated above and have yet to get a response.  From what I could gather when I called her on the phone last year, and started asking her questions about them making the Star Dot choke that she can be an edgy person.  We may never get a response on this.  But that's on here and her own suspicious conscience. 

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

And in the meantime rather than waiting on a miracle for this to happen, I would strongly suggest you just buy a TruGlo SSX .670 choke and be content with it.  The one I had I shot 2 times on a cool 45 degree day.  The first shot was 312 and the 2nd was 287  in the 10" at a tape measured 40yds.  Both shots whipped my Star Dot choke that day.  Star Dot did only like 240 something I believe.  Now Clark told me when I ask him the question if he thought it was possible that the SSX choke I had that I sold(silly me) could have beat my Star Dot on a 70 degree day which is when it truly shines over all the other chokes I have tested it against in the past since I never got to compare them at this temp.  His answer was yes.  And when you stop to think about it the way it whipped the Star Dot at 45 degrees, 25 degrees warmer ought to turn that SSX choke into a barn burner. 

[cjordan]

I was in the process of ordering a ssx while asking about the Star Dot. Again due to your post about it out shooting the Star Dot, and all the other post I've seen where folks were praising them on here. Were you shooting the Hevi-13 3.5" 2.25oz #7's through the ssx as well, when it shot so good? Yeah I wasnt for sure what the threads were on the the top picture, just under the ports, thanks for clearing that up.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

I'm guessing underneath the ports what your seeing is machine insert tooling marks.  Doesn't hurt a thing. They could have polished the choke more with emery cloth before putting the black anodizing on the choke. 

Yes I was shooting Hevi-13 3,5" 2.25 oz #7 loads in each choke. 

[cjordan]

thank ya sir.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

I got a response today after I sent another email to them.  Here's what they said.  I don't think this was the owner though.

We were the original OEM manufacturers for the StarDot people in Huntsville Alabama. We do offer the same tube. Perhaps when you buddy got one, we got confused. I don't know. The one we have has a .676 constriction. We can not and will not market them as StarDot because that is not our company name and we would be in lots of trouble for doing so. Maybe we need to change the website some as to not to confuse people. I'll check into that as soon as I can. We have sold many and many of these exact choke tubes at the .676 constriction and have not had a single complaint. I'm sorry your friend doesn't like his. L Tell him to send it back and we will either trade it out or refund his money. Thank you for your input. We will keep it all in mind.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Now that reply is almost humerous since they plainly state Star Dot on their website here.

http://www.colonialarms.com/

[Snoody Bastid]

I've been following this thread because as I told you I just picked up a NOS Star Dot (Highlander Sports). That response was pretty funny when you read it and then click on the link you provided.
The person that sent you that email has a job waiting for them Washington DC.

[davisd9]

The "Elite Series" looks like the Star Dot to me.  They do have it published as a Star Dot on their home page but not under their catalog.  I would call to order and find out if one of these, 12-MOTPF or 12-MOTPX, are the Star Dot.

[jamo]

After three e-mails about the star dot,they said i needed to order the 12-motpx for and 835.they said this choke is .676 dia. same old star dot.but i have not order one yet, due to some post on here.went with the ssx.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

the exact same choke and label it Star Dot, but it had Preston Pittman on the choke and the package and looked like this

There was also yet another package very different in appearance which simply said Preston Pittman.  The Choke Wasn't Labeled Preston Pittman, but the Choke was identical in appearance to the Star Dot with the vertical lines.  I was once able to compare them both side-by-side at the same store.  In some thread patterns, this choke had XFULL written on it, and in other thread patterns, there was nothing written on it.  I purchased a RemChoke and an INV+ model.  Both shot Hevi13 quite well, but were nothing special with Lead loads.  I still have the INV+.

It is my belief that most all Star Dot chokes will shoot well with Hevi13 #7 and #6.  Maybe not set all-time records, but shoot well.  Apparently some will even do so with Lead loads, such as the 835 / 935 model.  I've heard rumors that the INV models will shoot well, but I have no experience with the older INV threaded model.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

the exact same choke and label it Star Dot, but it had Preston Pittman on the choke and the package and looked like this

There was also yet another package very different in appearance which simply said Preston Pittman.  The Choke Wasn't Labeled Preston Pittman, but the Choke was identical in appearance to the Star Dot with the vertical lines.  I was once able to compare them both side-by-side at the same store.  In some thread patterns, this choke had XFULL written on it, and in other thread patterns, there was nothing written on it.  I purchased a RemChoke and an INV+ model.  Both shot Hevi13 quite well, but were nothing special with Lead loads.  I still have the INV+.

It is my belief that most all Star Dot chokes will shoot well with Hevi13 #7 and #6.  Maybe not set all-time records, but shoot well.  Apparently some will even do so with Lead loads, such as the 835 / 935 model.  I've heard rumors that the INV models will shoot well, but I have no experience with the older INV threaded model.

Thanks for the info. 

I have heard this, but I never could verify it.  All I know is if the package said Preston Pittman it wasn't made by Colonial Arms is what I got from the owner at Colonial Arms.  She specifically said Preston Pittman. 

My guess is that Highlander got another choke tube manufacture down south somewhere to make those chokes for them.  I know the owner wasn't happy at all.  I don't blame her.