Condor questions from a newby

[degroot93]

first off I want to say this 12 GA O/U looks and feels great and was priced extremely low for what I plan on using it for I have a few questions that may sound dumb so please be patient.

1) which barrel fires first ? if i only am going to load 1 shell where should it go?

2) mine came with 2 chokes one with 3 dots and 1 with 4 so a modified and an improved , shouldn't they both be the same ? which one belongs in the top barrel or should they be replaced with aftermarket chokes?

3) which chokes are ideal for sporting clays ? Carlson seems to be the most common brand , are there any brands to stay away from?

4) the Condor can shoot the 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells , since I currently only plan on shooting clay targets the 2 3/4 should be fine or will 3 inch be a better choice ? do they shoot farther or just more force?

Thanks for your answers

[Dick Hertz]

Answers to your questions

1. Bottom barrel fires first.

2. Most people want different chokes in double barrels as the 2nd shot would be at a farther distance. Some people want the more open choke for the first shot, some want the more constricted choke for the first shot. Personally I find most people place WAY too much emphasis on chokes and not enough on fundementals.

3. All my Condor chokes are from Stoeger. I bought extras when I bought the guns.

4. 2 3/4" shells will be fine. Shooting 3" shells out of a Condor is, well don't take my word buy a box and try it.


Hope this helped.

[timb99]

degroot,

Better to ask a stupid question than to make a stupid mistake, I always say!

Dick Hertz answered your questions perfectly, but I will expand on them.

1. If you bought a standard Condor (the no frills model) then yes, every time you break the gun open to load a shell, the first trigger pull will fire the bottom barrel, and the second trigger pull will fire the top barrel. If you got a supreme or a fancier model, there is a selector switch, and you can change it to shoot top barrel first if you want.

2. The standard Condor chokes are fine, but some people like to replace them with aftermarket chokes. There are a lot of companies that make aftermarket chokes for the Condor. Just make sure you get the right thread pattern, as there are many. The Condor uses the "Browning Standard Invector" pattern. Carlsons, Briley, Wrights, and a long list of other brands make that thread pattern.

To expand on which choke to use in which barrel, the double barrel affords you an advantage that single barrel guns do not, that is, if you are shooting at a going-away target, such as a clay, or a pheasant, and you miss with the first shot, you will want a "denser" pattern with the second shot because your target is further away. Hence, most folks shoot with the more open choke in the bottom barrel, and the tighter choke in the top barrel.

But like Dick said, most people think too much about this. If you put the bead on the bird, you'll kill it, whether it is a clay or a pheasant.

3. If you plan to shoot sporting clays, the two chokes you have will, most of the time, be all you need. It depends on the sporting clays course you are shooting. In some cases, the clays are close, and a skeet choke tube will be all you need (a skeet choke is more open than an IC.) Some clubs like to throw challenging long crossers, and in that case, you might need an improved modified or a full choke, both of which are more dense than modified. Its nice to have a full spectrum of chokes, but again, most of the time, an IC and a Mod are all you need.

And most of the time, when you miss, it wasn't the choke, its the nut pulling the trigger who was at fault...that is, a different choke wouldn't have gotten the bird for you...you just missed.

4. You do NOT need to or even WANT to shoot 3" shells for clay targets. Hurts my shoulder just to think about it. Indeed, most clay shooting clubs won't even allow 3" shells to be used at their club. I know ours doesn't. You'll do fine to start with the Wal-Mart 4-packs in 7-1/2 or 8 shot (Federal, Remington, or Winchester.) They will break just about any clay target thrown. The only time I EVER use 3" shells is hunting turkeys, and that's because they are tough, tough birds, and you need all the pellets you can get.

Clay targets break easy.

Best of luck.

If I may suggest if you are new to wingshooting, that you strongly consider taking classes offered by an NSCA Certified wingshooting instructor in your area. It will do you a world of good.

As men, we have what I like to call "Y chromosome poisoning" which somehow convinces us that we should be able to pick up a gun, any gun, and be proficient with it.

It just ain't so.

Most of us wouldn't think twice about taking golf lessons from the local club pro to improve our game, but wouldn't dare take shooting lessons, because, after all, we're guys, and guys can shoot, right?

Take the lessons.

Tim

[Dick Hertz]

Tim,
I'm LMAO over your "Y chromosome poisoning" diagnosis. How true! People will dump big money on firearms, accessories and the latest and greatest ammo then "think" all that will make them a crack shot while not having a clue.

I see you're from South Africa. What are the gun laws like down there?

[timb99]

Dick,

I'm reallly an American temporarily living over here on a work assignment. Been here a year and a half, and will probably be here two more years or maybe more. Its a beautiful place, and the wife and I really like it.

In answer to your question, the gun laws over here are onerous and stupid. It was far, far easier for me to bring my trap gun over here on a temporary import license (that I have to renew every 6 months) than it is for a South African citizen to get a gun license to own a gun. It is at the mercy of whomever is filling out your license. Sometimes takes over a year from the time of application to approval. And it has absoluteluy no effect on crime. Its a joke, but for the good folks who want to shoot clays or hunt, its a bad joke.

Tim

[Dick Hertz]

Tim,
Sounds like South Africa's gun laws are modeled after the People's Republic of Massachusetts. In all my years the number of lawfully licenced gun owners I arrested = 0.

In Maine you can buy a handgun on a drivers licence and only need a permit if you're going to carry it concealed or loaded in a motor vehicle. The amount of gun crime here is very small

[john05]

Condor questions from a newby

first off I want to say this 12 GA O/U looks and feels great and was priced extremely low for what I plan on using it for I have a few questions that may sound dumb so please be patient.

1) which barrel fires first ? if i only am going to load 1 shell where should it go?

2) mine came with 2 chokes one with 3 dots and 1 with 4 so a modified and an improved , shouldn't they both be the same ? which one belongs in the top barrel or should they be replaced with aftermarket chokes?

3) which chokes are ideal for sporting clays ? Carlson seems to be the most common brand , are there any brands to stay away from?

4) the Condor can shoot the 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells , since I currently only plan on shooting clay targets the 2 3/4 should be fine or will 3 inch be a better choice ? do they shoot farther or just more force?

Thanks for your answers