This month I started to write this article about chokes
and shot size and why and how someone would choose which to use in which
situation based on all sorts of patterns and densities…. Then as I got into it I realized that some
technically knowledgeable person should be writing it, NOT ME! Phew, there is a lot of information out
there! I called my stepfather K.C.
Jonas who has been shooting practically his whole life and is an avid student
of detail. He has patterned more guns and read more articles on this topic than
anyone I know and he gave me a lot of information, but I was still
overwhelmed. Therefore I am just going
to explain why John and I choose the chokes and shells we use, because that I
know and understand.
When
I met John he was shooting a fixed choke gun and encouraged me to do the same
so I blindly followed his advice and never regretted it. Now we both have Gamba over and unders with
Briley chokes and we love the versatility that they provide. However, in a tournament situation we rarely
ever change chokes. John almost always
shoots light modified (light mod) in both barrels and I shoot improved cylinder
(I.C.) and light mod. That amounts to 10/1000-inch constriction for the I.C.
and 15/1000-inch for the light mod.
The
reasoning behind this decision is the mental game that we are trying to
play. If you have read our other
articles then you know that we believe that your total concentration should be
on the target and your instinct should allow you to break the bird without
having to think too much about leads or anything else. Maybe we are
simple-minded but when you complicate a tournament situation with all sorts of
options for choke and shot size there is just too much to think about and it
takes away from focusing on the bird. Also if you miss you may be thinking, “I
should have had in I.C.” and you may end up carrying that frustration to the
next station and then doubting your next choice, which is sure to lead to zeros
on the scorecard. Believe me, I’ve done it!
Now
I am certain that the argument for changing chokes and shells is valid and
based on a lot of experiments and studies. Many people have spent endless hours
shooting at big pieces of white paper from all different distances and with all
different shells and several have printed articles on the topic, so I’ll forego
that route today. I have never shot at
a piece of paper, I let Briley use their state of the art machinery to tell me
that my gun shoots where it is pointing and that my chokes shoot the proper
pattern at the proper distance. Therefore I have full confidence in that and if
I miss I know it was just me! Or maybe
the location of the sun, or that silly wind, or the time of day, whatever excuse
is convenient.
John
has been shooting for many years and has shot targets all over the world with
impressive results and through his experience he has determined that his recipe
of light mod, light mod, will break any target in a typical competition. As for
me, I won a bronze medal in the National Championships one year using a fixed
choke gun with I.C., Light Mod and therefore I believe in that recipe for my
gun. Now if we are shooting a long bird game with a 65 yard crosser then we may
tighten up and if we are shooting pen-raised quail we may loosen up so we do
like the availability of options. The point is that our goal in competition is
simplicity affording maximum focus.
As
for shells, we shoot Victory 480s with a one ounce load of shot. We only shoot
the shells with either size 7.5 shot or size 9. In a typical 100 bird event we
might shoot three boxes or 7.5s and one box of 9s for example. The reason that
we shoot these shot sizes is because of our fixed choke approach. Basically we only have two options so for
close birds we shoot 9s and for the farther ones we shoot 7.5s. It’s a simple decision and rarely a
difficult one.
I
realize that this article has not been extremely educational but still
hopefully helpful to someone who is confused with all the choices. A huge part
of sporting clays is the mental game and you just have to do whatever gives you
the confidence to enjoy it and compete at your desired level. If you want more
information on specific pattern densities or the different results provided by
round shot verses oval shot, I suggest you “ask the technoid” in this
publication.
For anyone interested in lessons with either of us, we
have moved to the Jacksonville, Florida area and plan to begin offering three
day clinics here and in Southern Georgia in December. You can also contact us if you are interested in Victory shells.
Thanks for your time.
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