Aftermarket Chokes

[dan1]

I just started waterfowl hunting with my Condor and was wondering how the factory chokes stack up against a good aftermarket version. Anybody know? If aftermarket is the way to go, any suggestions of where to start looking? I mainly pass shoot ducks but also get some shooting at geese.

[timb99]

Only one way to tell, and that's the pattern board.

I use Mossberg, Browning, Winchester, and the factory Stoeger chokes interchangeably, and they seem to work fine.

If you want very good choke tubes, go to Carlson's, Trulock, Briley, Wrights, Wilson Precision.

If you're waterfowling, make sure you get tubes rated for steel shot.

[MOwaterfowler]

Factory style are all about the same. The aftermarket is best if you buy a extended choketube. The longer forcing cone tends in most cases to patteren better as the change from bore size to choke size is not as abrupt. They also can be ordered in chokes that are not normal. Stuff like light mod, superfull, im/mod, skeet 2, or by diameter from .665 to cylinder. and also exotic longer lasting materials, or for superhard shot.

[timb99]

MOwaterfowler

You said, "The longer forcing cone tends in most cases to patteren better as the change from bore size to choke size is not as abrupt"

With due respect, that is exactly what the choke tube manufacturers would have us all believe, sinc ethey like to sell their more costly product.

In reality, based on a lot of pattern testing done by some guys I shoot trap with, who are way smarter than me, extended choke tubes have not proven to throw better patterns than flush tubes.

They're just easier to unscrew.

By the way, the term "forcing cone" has nothing to do with the choke. I know what you are talking about, but the term "forcing cone" is really used to describe the transition from the chamber diameter where you put the shell (about 0.797" for a 12 gauge) to the bore diameter (about 0.729" for most standard 12 gauge guns), and is located about 3" from the end of the breech (3-1/2" from the end of the breech for guns chambered for 3-1/2" shells.)