Understanding Shotgun Chokes

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:29 am
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Shotgun chokes were designed to control pattern diameters at different yards. What is a pattern? It is just the grouping of the pellets at a given yardage. This grouping or pattern is measured by a circle diameter. This particular circle must have certain efficiency. In other words, it has to have a certain number of pellets in a given area (called distribution) for it to be labeled an efficient pattern.

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Here is a quick reference chart:

Shotgun Choke..... Yardage...........Shotgun Choke Restriction

Cylinder................... < 20.......................... 0
Skeet...........................22.5......................... .005 (of an inch)
Improved Cylinder....... 25............................... .010
Light Modified...............30................................... .015
Modified....................... 32.5.................................... .020
Improved Modified........ 35.......................................... .025
Light Full....................... 37.5........................................... .030
Full............................... 40+................................................. .035
Extra Full...................... 40+.................................................... .045
Super Full......................40+........................................................ .055

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How does a shotgun choke actually work ?

There are two forces that tell the story... the mechanical properties while the shot column is in the barrel and the dynamic forces of nature that affect the shot column after it exits the barrel. When the shot column meets up with the choke it forces the column to squeeze tighter together; these forces are called radial forces. Once it is out of the barrel, wind resistance and gravity act on it. When the wind comes into contact with the outside pellets of the shot column it induces spinning and they start to flare off like a ping pong ball with english on it.

The tighter the choke the heavier the radial forces, the tighter the pellets are squeezed together so the pattern holds tighter over a longer distance.

Conversely, the less restriction you have in the choke the more loosely the pellets are held together and the faster the pattern opens up.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:45 am
This is a great post and excellent info!!!
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:07 am
Excellent post!
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:53 pm
Very nicely presented. I will also like to add that there are also a number of other factors in actual patterns. The first two are the hardness of the shot and the size of the shot. Harder larger pellets deform less deform less than smaller softer pellets, so you get fewer flyers especially with the tighter chokes. the other factor is pressure versus the length of the shot column. for obvious reasons, you will find that 3" .410 tends to pattern the worst while the 12 and 28 tend to pattern the best. Noone knows why the 28 can pattern better than a 20 with all things being equal, But the theory is that the pressures and the shot weight are just more agreeable for a tighter pattern. THis is one reason why you should never shoot steel shot through a choke tighter than modified. You have large, very hard shot using much higher pressures going through a tighter constriction, creating even higher pressures inside the bore, especially right behind the start of the choke.
--Jim
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:33 pm
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Chokes may either be formed as part of the barrel at the time of manufacture, by squeezing the end of the bore down over a mandrel, or by threading the barrel and screwing in an interchangeable choke tube. The choke typically consists of a conical section that smoothly tapers from the bore diameter down to the choke diameter, followed by a cylindrical section of the choke diameter. The use of interchangeable chokes has made it easy to tune the performance of a given combination of shotgun and shotshell to achieve the desired performance.

The choke should be tailored to the range and size of the targets. A skeet shooter, shooting at close targets might use a skeet choke (.005 inches of constriction) to produce a 30 inch diameter pattern at a distance of say 22.5 yards. A trap shooter...shooting at distant targets may use a light full choke (.030 inches of constriction) to produce a 30 inch diameter pattern at just under 40 yards.
Special chokes for turkey hunting...which requires long range shots at the small head and neck of the bird...a hunter may use a super full choke equaling roughly .060 inches of constriction. The use of too much choke and thus a small pattern increases the difficulty of hitting the target while the use of too little choke produces large patterns with insufficient pellet density to reliably break targets or kill game.

( Below for Oli... ;) )

Shotguns generally have longer barrels than modern rifles. Unlike rifles, however, the long shotgun barrel is not for ballistic purposes. Shotgun shells use small powder charges in large diameter bores, and this leads to very low muzzle pressures and very little velocity change with increasing barrel length. Since shotguns are generally used for shooting at small, fast moving targets, it is important to lead the target by firing slightly ahead of the target...so that when the shot reaches the range of the target, the target will have moved into the pattern. On uphill shooting, this means shooting above the target. Conversely...on downhill shooting, this means shooting below the target, which is somewhat counterintuitive for many beginning hunters. Of course, depending on the barrel length, the amount of lead employed will vary.

Shotguns made for close ranges, where the angular speed of the targets is great (such as skeet or upland bird hunting) tend to have shorter barrels, around 24 to 28 inches. Shotguns for longer range shooting, where angular speeds are less (trap shooting; quail, pheasant, and waterfowl hunting) tend to have longer barrels, 28 to 34 inches. The longer barrels have more inertia, and will therefore swing more slowly but more steadily. The short, low inertia barrels swing faster, but are less steady. These lengths are for pump or semi-auto shotguns as break open guns have shorter overall lengths for the same barrel length, and so will use longer barrels. The break open design saves between 3.5 and 6 inches in overall length, but in most cases pays for this by having two barrels...which adds weight at the muzzle. Barrels for shotguns have been getting longer as modern steels and production methods make the barrels stronger and lighter as a longer, lighter barrel gives the same inertia for less overall weight.

Shotguns for use against larger, slower targets generally have even shorter barrels. Small game shotguns, for hunting game like rabbits and squirrels, or shotguns for use with buckshot for deer, are often 22 to 24 inches in length.

Shotguns intended for all-round hunting are a compromise...but a 28 inch barrel pump action 12 gauge shotgun with a modified choke can serve as a general all around hunting gun for small game in semi-open wooded or farmland areas where dense brush is less of a hindrance and the ability to have more reach is important. For hunting in dense brush, shorter barrel lengths are often preferred.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:35 pm
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As everyone here already knows, Shotgun shells are generally measured by "gauge"... though in other locations outside the United States the term "bore" is used with the same meaning. Where as rifles and handguns are almost always measured in "caliber"...which is simply a measurement of the internal diameter of the barrel measured in fractions of an inch and consequently is approximately equal to the diameter of the projectile that is fired. By contrast, shotguns are also measured by "gauge"...which is the weight (in fractions of a pound)...of a pure lead round ball that is the same diameter as the internal diameter of the barrel.

For example, a shotgun is called 12 gauge because a lead sphere that just fits the inside diameter of the barrel weighs 1⁄12 of a pound. This measurement comes from the time when early cannons were designated in a similar manner...a "12 pounder" would be a cannon that fired a 12 pound cannonball, thus inversely, an individual "12 gauge" shot would in fact be a 1⁄12 pounder. Thus, a 10-gauge shotgun has a larger-diameter barrel than a 12-gauge shotgun, which has a larger-diameter barrel than a 20-gauge shotgun, and so forth.

Shotshells are loaded with different sizes of shot depending on the target. For skeet shooting, a small shot such as a # 8 or #9 would be used, because range is short and a high density pattern is desirable. Trap shooting requires longer shots, and so a larger shot, up to #7½ would be desired. The smaller the shot (#9 for example)...the more receptive it will be to being constricted or "choked" than larger shot (say #4) due to space for displacement within the load.
( ^^^ Thanks... John A. ;) )

For hunting game, the range and the penetration needed to assure a clean kill must both be considered. Shot loses its velocity very quickly due to its low sectional density and ballistic coefficient. Small shot, like that used for skeet and trap, will have lost all appreciable energy by 100 yards or meters, which is why trap and skeet ranges can be located in relatively close proximity to inhabited areas with negligible risk of injury to those outside the range.

Birdshot sizes are numbered similar to the shotgun gauges; the smaller the number, the larger the shot. For hunting, shot size must be chosen not only for the range, but also for the game. The shot must reach the target with enough energy to penetrate to a depth sufficient to kill the game. Lead shot is still the best performer for the money, but environmental restrictions on the use of lead, especially with waterfowl, require steel, bismuth, or tungsten composites. Steel, being significantly less dense than lead, requires larger shot sizes, but is a good choice when cost is a consideration. Steel, however, cannot safely be used in some older shotguns without causing damage to either the bore or to the choke of the shotgun due to the hardness of steel shot. Since tungsten is a very hard metal, it must also be used with care in older guns. Tungsten shot is often alloyed with nickel and iron, softening the base metal. That alloy is approximately 1/3 denser than lead, but far more expensive. Bismuth shot falls in between steel and tungsten shot in both density and cost.

Larger sizes of shot, large enough that they must be carefully packed into the shell rather than simply dumped or poured in, are called "buckshot" or just "buck". Buckshot is used for hunting larger game, such as deer (hence derivation of the name), and also in riot shotguns and combat shotguns for defensive, police, and military use. Buckshot size is designated by number, with smaller numbers being larger shot; sizes larger than "0" ("ought") are designated by multiple zeros. "00" ("double ought") and "000" ("triple ought") are the most commonly used sizes.

A standard 00 buck shell holds 7-9 pellets. Two types of 00 buckshot are commonly available...regular 00 buckshot shells, and reduced-recoil shells favored in law enforcement or home defense use. Low-recoil 00 buckshot allows the shooter to make fast follow-up shots, which may be needed in a combat situation, but are not typically required in hunting where the main goal is to cleanly take out the game with a single shot.

For narrower patterns...a buffering material, such as granulated plastic or similar material can be mixed with the shot to fill the spaces between the individual pellets. When fired, the buffering material compresses and supports the shot, reducing the deformation the shot pellets experience under the extreme acceleration. Copper plated lead shot, steel, bismuth, and tungsten composite shot all have a hardness greater than that of plain lead shot, and will deform less as well. Reducing the deformation will result in tighter patterns, as the spherical pellets tend to fly straighter. One improvised method for achieving the same effect involves pouring molten wax into the mass of shot...which will keep it together longer, but tends to foul the barrel quicker.

Shooting lead shot will result in more shot deformation and a wider pattern...as the lead used will have minimal alloying elements and be very soft. Spreader wads are wads that have a small plastic or paper insert in the middle of the shot cup, usually a cylinder or "X" cross-section. When the shot exits the barrel, the insert helps to push the shot out from the center, opening up the pattern...but often result in inconsistent performance. Intentionally deformed shot...ellipsoidal shape or even cubical shot will also result in a wider pattern, much wider than spherical shot, with more consistency than spreader wads. Hunting loads that use either spreaders or non-spherical shot are usually called "brush loads", and are favored for hunting in areas where dense cover keeps shot distances very short.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:43 pm
ravengunsmith wrote:Very nicely presented. I will also like to add that there are also a number of other factors in actual patterns. The first two are the hardness of the shot and the size of the shot. Harder larger pellets deform less deform less than smaller softer pellets, so you get fewer flyers especially with the tighter chokes. the other factor is pressure versus the length of the shot column. for obvious reasons, you will find that 3" .410 tends to pattern the worst while the 12 and 28 tend to pattern the best. Noone knows why the 28 can pattern better than a 20 with all things being equal, But the theory is that the pressures and the shot weight are just more agreeable for a tighter pattern. THis is one reason why you should never shoot steel shot through a choke tighter than modified. You have large, very hard shot using much higher pressures going through a tighter constriction, creating even higher pressures inside the bore, especially right behind the start of the choke.


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BTW...your points are well taken...and in support of my thoughts...thanks !

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:50 pm
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The floor is open to thoughts, additions, diversions, detractions and other comments... 8-)

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:06 pm
Wow a lot of stuff to chew on here...very interesting. Thanks for posting this. Sure are sending me to school on this one! Thanks! :)
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:19 pm
Anytime Pike...I was reading into it for my own amusement and decided to post a thread !
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 8:50 pm
Lots of good info here Shooter, Thank You!!!
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 1:53 am
Some choke makers list their constrictions in micrometers...here's a list to break the down:

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Micrometers..................Inches..................American Name

0.................................... .000......................... Cylinder
127................................ .005......................... Skeet
254................................ .010......................... Improved Cylinder
381..................................015......................... Light Modified
508................................ .020......................... Modified
635................................ .025......................... Improved Modified
762................................ .030......................... Light Full
889................................ .035..........................Full
1143.............................. .045......................... Extra Full
1270.............................. .055......................... Super Full

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:27 pm
The choke stamped on your barrel gives you a general idea what to expect but the only way to know for sure what your gun/choke/load combination will do is to put it on paper. Use the shotshell you intend to hunt with and pattern it at the distance that most of your shots come at. Changing only the shotshell can change the pattern enough to make a difference.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:01 am
SHOOTER13 wrote:==================================================================

The floor is open to thoughts, additions, diversions, detractions and other comments... 8-)

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You're most welcome,

We could probably fill this forum with reems of data and theory. Amazing how complicated it is to throw a bunch of pellets downrange.
--Jim
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:04 am
Nickel and copper plated shot will always throw the tightest patterns with all other things being equal.
That is why I like the Fiocchi 28 gauge with the nickel plated shot. Another factor you can use to insure a tighter pattern is to buffer the shot. WInchester did this with their Super X shells with the Grex buffering, which was just powdered plastic. I have heard some shooters actually using flour, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to put flour through my reloader.
--Jim
PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 11:28 am
ravengunsmith wrote : "I have heard some shooters actually using flour, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to put flour through my reloader."

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Not unless I was making bread... ;)

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 3:29 am
SHOOTER13 wrote:ravengunsmith wrote : "I have heard some shooters actually using flour, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to put flour through my reloader."

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Not unless I was making bread... ;)

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I got that from a trap shooter. Some of those guys are truly maniacs. But that is OK, they do help my cash flow.
--Jim
PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 8:16 pm
This chart will give an idea of what choke to use at what yardage for sporting clays... with the caveat that ammo, intended target, angle of presentation ( front, back, side ) also weigh in on the equation...

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Image

Red - Pattern too small | Yellow - small but usable | Green - Optimal Pattern ===========================================================

Choke Tube Selection:

Choke tube selection is a confusing issue amongst a lot of shotgunners but one that is easily explained.

The real reason you want the right choke is to be able to place at least 70% of the shot in a 30" circle at 40 yards... the minimum / maximum pattern kill zone... meaning the pattern will cleanly kill anything in this circular zone.

Selecting the correct choke tube is nothing more than moving that same exact pattern to different yardages. In other words... if you want to shoot at a target 20 yards away then select a choke tube that gives you 70% of the pattern in a 30" circle at 20 yards...same if shooting at a target that is 45 yards away, select a choke tube that will give you 70% of the pattern in a 30" circle at 45 yards.

Extra Full Choke: ...................delivers a 70% pattern at 45 Yards.
Full Choke: ............................delivers a 70% pattern at 40 yards.
Modified Choke: ....................delivers a 70% pattern at 35 yards.
Improved Cylinder Choke: ....delivers a 70% pattern at 30 yards.
Cylinder Choke: ....................delivers a 70% pattern at 25 Yards.

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:27 pm
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From a 1961 Winchester catalog...

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Image

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**Thanks to GUNNER_D of the Winchester Owners Forum for this scan**

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:31 pm
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1961 Winchester Catalog...
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Image


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**Thanks to GUNNER_D of the Winchester Owners Forum for this scan**

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 1:34 pm
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1961 Winchester Catalog...
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Image


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**Thanks to GUNNER_D of the Winchester Owners Forum for this scan**

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:09 pm
Great post guys, I think that we also need to mention (I don't think it has been said) that while the markings on the choke and the barrel are a good rough guide, they are not infallible. Not all barrels are standard bore diameter, and each manufacturer has different ideas of what constitutes a specified choke. I once had a Beretta 12 ga that had such a small bore diameter that a skeet choke was literally cyl. bore. You had to use one choke constriction tighter to get the desired choke.

Also different shells, different wads, and different powders affect the degree of choke. Change one component in the shell and you have changed your pattern. It has been my experience that Federal ammo tightens patterns in ever shotgun that I have patterened it in. Likewise Remington ammo tends to pattern what the constriction actually is. You MUST pattern each shotgun with the ammo you intend to use at the distances that you intend to shoot if you are to have any idea of what is going on out there at range.

Case in point, my dad has a Remington Sportsman 58 12 ga. He bought a new barrel for it marked imp. cyl. We patterened with Federal shells and got a great modified pattern. We patterned with similar Remington shells (same shot size) and got a good imp. cyl. pattern. You have to pattern!

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:57 pm
Shooter, that is one great page you posted, thanks for sharing it!!
--Jim
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:41 pm
The Colonel is absolutely correct...

...and thanks ravengunsmith !!
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:22 am
SHOOTER13 wrote:The Colonel is absolutely correct...

...and thanks ravengunsmith !!



You are very welcome shooter! And I will second that. Most people think a shotgun is a "spray and pray" type of firearm, but when you consider the powder charge, the type of powder, the primer, the wad, the size and the hardness of the shot, you realize that a shotgun pattern is one of the most complex things in all of the world of firearms. Even something as simple as using a different primer can alter performance.
That is why two boxes of shells, both labeled the same from different manufacturers can have such drastically different performance. You don't buy a new pistol or rifle and not check out how it shoots, you need to do exactly the same thing with your shotgun. When I consider all of the factors and parts that go into making a shotgun shell, I am amazing that I can hit anything at all.
--Jim
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