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Author Topic: Stupid Question on Choke and Pattern Range  (Read 2232 times)

Offline DrJaJa

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Stupid Question on Choke and Pattern Range
« on: April 17, 2020, 05:11:42 PM »
Dumb question ahead:

I see a ton of posts/pictures of Turkey chokes patterned at 40 yards.  How often are people shooting at 40+ yards??  Field hunting i setup decoys around 25-30, in a ground blind it's much closer ~20 yards where a turkey choke is almost too tight.

When do yall make the call to use a regular full choke vs a turkey choke?

Offline Borden811

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Re: Stupid Question on Choke and Pattern Range
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2020, 05:37:39 PM »
If I’m hunting turkey, a turkey home is in my gun. I know what my gun at choke will do from 10 to however far I feel my gun will ethically kill a turkey, in most cases, 40 yards. If he’s closer, I know I have to be dead on. The 40 yard distance for patterning purposes just keeps everything comparable across the board. It makes it easy to evaluate from one gun/choke/shell, etc. to the next. Like when most people shoot rifles at 100 yards to evaluate/compare groupings. It’s just a benchmark.

Offline DrJaJa

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Re: Stupid Question on Choke and Pattern Range
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2020, 07:34:11 PM »
Good answer thanks!

Guess my thought is, patterning my turkey Longbeard XR choke at 40 yards is great, but at 20 a miss of 1-2" left or right doesn't put a ton of pellets in the killbox.  Not sure when it's necessary to choke down if you know you're shooting at 20 yards.

Offline BandedSpur

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Re: Stupid Question on Choke and Pattern Range
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2020, 08:12:47 AM »
The answer for me was an O/U. Mod choke with 1.25 TSS handload for the open barrel. Good out to 40 yds (110/10) but with a wide and forgiving pattern at 20. Turkey choke with 1.625 oz TSS handloads in the tight barrel (347/10) that is good to...well I don't want to talk about it.

Offline DrJaJa

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Re: Stupid Question on Choke and Pattern Range
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2020, 01:40:12 PM »
I think i'll go O/U next year.  I picked up a 20 GA CZ last fall, shoots like a dream, but the full choke that came with it is junk.  Poor pattern at 20 yards.  I'd need to buy an extended Turkey/Modified for top & bottom before i'd take it in the field.

Offline BINK McCARTY

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Re: Stupid Question on Choke and Pattern Range
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2020, 04:36:14 AM »
If I’m hunting turkey, a turkey home is in my gun. I know what my gun at choke will do from 10 to however far I feel my gun will ethically kill a turkey, in most cases, 40 yards. If he’s closer, I know I have to be dead on. The 40 yard distance for patterning purposes just keeps everything comparable across the board. It makes it easy to evaluate from one gun/choke/shell, etc. to the next. Like when most people shoot rifles at 100 yards to evaluate/compare groupings. It’s just a benchmark.

Well said Matt!!! How ya been?

Offline Borden811

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Re: Stupid Question on Choke and Pattern Range
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2020, 11:40:08 AM »
I’m still kickin’! Patiently waiting for our season to start. Or should I say semi patiently, lol.