Choke tube buying guide

[compton30]

So I've been wanting to get a new choke tube for my 535 Tactical Turkey because I don't like the one that came stock, but the thing that holds me back is the not knowing of whether or not the one I purchase will pattern well for my gun. I assume that once installed and used that a turkey choke just can't be returned/ refunded if not found to be satisfactory. Basically what I'm trying to do is find a sure fire choke that won't require me to buy several and test each to find a quality choke.

With that being said, I'm asking for any and all advice on the matter because I'd prefer to not spend a ridiculous amount of money on chokes I won't use....lest the Old Lady find out!

[Happy]

About the best choke buying guide you can find here is under the turkey guns and shooting section. You can browse through that and find some common themes. Truth is just about any reputable turkey choke with the right shell will take turkeys cleanly at 40 yards and in.

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[Bowguy]

The advice given so far is good but spending money on chokes depends on what you want or how tight you want your pattern.
You could prob kill a Turk w an skeet or ic. Is that the best choice? Prob not but if you pattern the gun n stay with whatever it's effective range is the turkey isn't gonna know.
If you don't like your factory choke you may not like the next choke. If you don't spend much you prob won't get a return policy.
You also didn't say what shot you're using,  type, size, etc all matters n unfortunately every time we squeeze the trigger to check a pattern it costs.
Imo your best bet is to help others help you w what you're looking to achieve. Is it a forgive able pattern that works great relatively close or something super tight that we can easily miss w at close range?
If you already have a turkey choke maybe some load tests may be in order to even rule it out. Might be surprised w some of the stuff available.
Now another option is the classifieds but you should qualify folks to what you're trying to achieve besides the obvious uniform pattern before you get the new choke. Just my opinion. Good luck

[1iagobblergetter]

Like Bowguy said. What shells did you pattern with? I prefer Heavy shot #7s also #6s seem to pattern well. Somewhat expensive but once you get it patterned in most generally it only takes one shot.When I find a shell that gives me a pattern I really like I also go buy several boxes with the same lot # feeling I have a better chance of the shells being consistent.

[Ihuntoldschool]

What Happy said.  At 40 yards a quality shell with a turkey choke tube will kill them dead as long as your gun shoots POI to POA thats the biggest thing you want to check.   The shell is more important than the brand of turkey choke or how much the choke costs.  Most of the guys that push those $100 or more chokes are just trying to sell you something.  Save your money and buy a cheap turkey choke with a good shell.  Check POI vs. POA.

[sixbird]

I know Down N Dirty will refund your money if you're not happy with their product. The same for JEBS. Rhino won't...
I'd check on here as to recommendations (load/choke/gun/bbl.length). Then I'd call a few companies and ask about return policy. You'd be surprised how many will refund, no questions asked.
Some guns perform well with factory chokes. Some are abysmal with them.
Nothing beats trying aftermarket yourself. Guns vary in regard to performance, even in the same brand/model.

[Gooserbat]

You pay for more than a choke with Jebs.  You get great performance and greater customer service. 

[jed clampett]

Contact William Sumtoy...tell him what gun your shooting..barrel length what shell and shot size and what kind of pattern you want at certain distances...he set me up and I got great patterns with his recommended choke

[Browning87]

You pay for more than a choke with Jebs.  You get great performance and greater customer service.

I agree, I called the guys at jebs last year and they gave me some recommendations for the kind of hunting I do. They ended up sending me 3 different constrictions for my winchester and after testing I kept the one I liked and sent the rest back. Great guys, great performance you won't be disappointed

[compton30]

Alright so it's been pointed out that I should've given more information regarding my turkey rig and what I was using in it. It's a Mossberg 535 ATS Tactical Turkey, 20 in barrel, and cheap Winchester ammo(I believe it's called Supreme Double X?) with the stock choke. Another thing about the pattern that I really didn't care for was that not only was the pattern not great, but it also happened to be about 6 inches high and 6 inches to the right of where I was aiming on the target. My sight is a TruGlo Magnum Gobble-Dot. If the sight can be adjusted I'm willing to learn so it can be fixed. Obviously I'm not really crazy about trying to kill a turkey or any animal by aiming essentially off the kill zone. Unfortunately or fortunately I guess, I haven't fired this gun at anything other than a target and I was hoping you fellas who know more than I do could help me figure out these issues. Sorry about the amateur hour questions but I really wanna be lethal and not the crippler. Thanks guys!

[Bowguy]

Double X isn't garbage imo, single x is the cheaper stuff. If you're main issue is poi you may just need adjustable sights. It's fairly common to be off when shooting tight chokes. What don't you like about the pattern besides where it hits? What size shot did you use? Are you sure it's double x n not single x? How far have you patterned it?

[EZ]

Thought I might chime in here with a little different perspective.
Before I would start buying choke tubes, I would shoot some different ammo and different shot sizes. Not all guns/ choke tubes like all loads. As a matter of fact, they can be very particular. I absolutely recommend trying a Heavyshot or HTL load....most all combos seem to like these.

Also, it seems when talking about a "good" pattern, the common theme now days is hundreds of pellets in a 10" circle at 40, 50 or 60 yards, in other words, VERY tight. I never bought into that way of thinking. I've shot several truck loads of longbeards with basically two guns: a Winchester model 12 w/ fixed full choke and an old 870 w/ fixed full choke. The 870, shooting the Heavyshot "Blend", is easily a 50 yard gun if I was inclined to shoot that far, but has an open enough pattern at 20 yards that I don't MISS, lol.

[compton30]

The choke that came with the gun is ported and I believe I heard that there were certain loads/wads that weren't recommended to be used with a ported choke. If this is true, could someone please tell me which those were so I could avoid buying them?

[Happy]

Federal shells with the flight control wads were the ones that most were referring to. Personally I had no issues when shooting them through a ported choke. They patterned better than winchester or remington loads in my 835. Course that was six or seven years ago. I shoot hevi shot now and prefer it. Not that I shoot any further. Just seems to hit turkeys harder.

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[Chordeiles]

I have a 535 and found the old Star Dot (check eBay) to be the best preformer in mine. I haven't done a lot of experimenting it's just a choke that I've had since Walmart sold them, probably ten years or more. I've found this choke to produce great patterns with Mag Blend and Longbeard. Some great advice above me and will probably be more after. You came to the right place.
Oh..... I forgot. All my ammo is the 3" variety, #6 in the Longbeard.