Chokes; Wich one for ducks?

[Alex]

I went out for a few ducks today. After needing finishing shots on two green heads, I decided to go from modified to improved cylinder. Wow, what a difference. I was knocking them dead with one shot (Black cloud #2 3'').

I'm shooting a MP-153 and before I had a 870 that I shot modified. It might be a small difference in guns but I believe it's probably more luck and circumstance...

Anyways, I was wondering what guys shot here...

Alex

[PGK]

I just shoot full....I don't like the idea of a big wide pattern. I'd rather miss outright than hit a bird with one or two pellets. When I hit em, they know it.

[Marc]

Where I'm hunting will dictate what I use. This past Saturday I changed up to improve cylinder as they were in your face. When I'm hunting the bay I usually use the modified choke as a lot of birds tend to skirt the outside of the decoys.

[Malley Whacker]

Patternmaster Extended full deadly

[Marc]

Patternmaster Extended full deadly

I've got a patermaster on my beretta but this year the ducks have been so close due to the layout boat and where I've been hunting I would have blown them up. I had a bird on Saturday no word of a lie not 20 feet from me. Had to wait for it to fly out of the decoys before I could shoot without messing it all up.

[Jimbo]

No choke tubes for me. Modified or nothing.

[Crazy_Farmer]

I've got a patermaster on my beretta but this year the ducks have been so close due to the layout boat and where I've been hunting I would have blown them up. I had a bird on Saturday no word of a lie not 20 feet from me. Had to wait for it to fly out of the decoys before I could shoot without messing it all up.

Aim for the head you dont waste any meat that way.

I hear you on the close shots though, normally once we call the shot now, and the geese and ducks are so close I wait a bit before they back peddle a few yards till I shoot, 10 feet is too close, 15-20 is best. As cool as it is, its pretty wasteful of the meat when all you've got is two wings, a head and two feet barely hanging on, with a big hole in the middle.

[Ian F.]

Pattern master over the decoys

BUT

PATTERN YOUR GUN!

Not two gun, choke and shell combos are the same! More time at the board, more time at the range means more successful shots!

[f350ps]

Shot size and load has a lot to do with it also. But I'll echo Ian's comment, pattern your gun, you'll be surprised at the results. K

[Ian F.]

BTW, my 20ga SxS is IC & IC, my 12ga SxS is IC and Light Mod, My Ruger O/U is running Mod and Light mod briley's, but I need to spend some time at the board with it. And almost forgot, my 870 has a briley duck choke in it! (that's from before the wad grabber style choke existed)

Patterning involves shooting at paper at 20-30 yards and seeing what your pattern looks like. I usually do a single shot, look and see, then 2 more to give an average. Change choke or load and shoot a new piece of paper.

A modified choke should have the vast majority of the pattern in a 30" circle at 30 yards, full 40 yards, IC 20-25 yards.

Oh and I shoot the "over the decoys" in my X2 to get a shorter shot string and clean pattern, not to get a super tight long range pattern. If I want that I'd buy an extended range patternmaster.

Ian