Like any good hobby, there’s lots to learn and you can take it to the level you want. For me it started for hunting, and was a means to an end. But to be good at hunting (or trap, skeet,sporting clays) you need to get good. I’ve been shooting for 50 years. Best advice I ever got seems obvious, but, it’s simple..practice. Once you get a gun that fits you, get a good pro to spend a little time at the beginning,,and then practice... it’s funny cause I only started to be better than average after I did that after shooting mediocre for 25 years...
Cheers Peter, I’m trying to soak it up like a sponge, without overloading on info. I seem to be able to shoot fairly well instinctively, but I want to blueprint some techniques so I can improve my consistency with the more challenging targets. It’s a great game that seems filled with some great characters.
@@mattralphwright nice change from golf. It's a discipline like billards, archery, darts, only better. Seriously though if I had to do it all again, I'd start with something that fits(cost doesn't matter), a little instruction and then shoot alot. I've met some great shooters who helped alot, and had good sport and recreation.. best regards
Ed and Jonny, probably one of the most informative videos yet. Ed, you are correct, I believe, after 50 years of studying shooting myself, in that most people are poor at judging distances. A friend took a pheasant, laid it on a big piece of cardboard, spread the wings and drew the outline. He then had 10 made out of plywood and painted like a pheasant. If you mount them on four 10 foot pieces of rod so they are 40 feet (13 yards) high and put them 10 yards behind each other at an angle so each shows fully, you have birds at 10 to 100 yards for an accurate view of what that looks like. Birds coming over against a clear sky with a black underbelly exposure are almost impossible to judge for distance, and that is why technique is so important in, especially, this kind of shooting. Towers for practicing high birds should be a minimum of 150 feet high, (50 yards) over sloping terrain so that heights of 50, 60, and 70 yards can be clearly marked. Clays can be hit,, and birds can be killed at these distances, but they are the exception, not the rule. Chokes, loads, ability, et al. go into one's ability to hit the target, whatever that is, and this video spoke volumes to that. WELL DONE!
I'm okay at judging yardage with the air rifle because you have context when birds/rabbits are on the ground, with a shotgun however and a pheasant against the sky there's no way you can realistically judge the range. Your best chance is to just guess, i think the American call it Kentucky Windage
Goes to show and prove 99% of public sporting clay courses can’t be conquered using SK/SK but our egos typically won’t allow ourselves to consistently leaves them in because we just gotta see smoke which in fact handicaps us
I have never met Ed, but I have a respect for his abilities and sensible approach to shooting, he is clear and concise, I would imagine a fantastic instructor, with the right mixture of wit and knowledge, as an instructor myself I learn a lot from him.
I remember when I started shooting clays back in the mid 80s my old mate said 1/4 choke will be enough to hit everything on a sporting shoot. And I stand by that today
70 yrs old, shot improved cylinder, for decoying pigeons, and sporting. Remington model 1100. Same gun since the 70s, Trap and high pigeon flighting, I use my 30 inch Remington 1100, full choke. Does exactly what it says on the tin.
I've in my 45th year of shooting clay targets ... When I started nobody was talking about choke constrictions cause there were almost only fixed chokes. Most guns had IC/M or F/F. I have a 1963 F/N B25 A1 Broaadway Trap with 32" barrels in F/F that I started shooting with in 1977 and I shot everything with it successfully, skeet, trap ... sporting clays didn't exist back then. I think if people would spend as much time on their pre shot routine and focus on the target they would get more out of the sport. I have for years now shot M/M or M/IM in sporting clays and trap. For skeet I use IC. That is all the chokes I need and i came to this realization after a lot of patterning at 25 and 40 yards.If you're really wanting to finesse chokes you must, must, must pattern your gun/chokes with the shells you're using. This is the only way to really know what you got. I promise you will have some surprising findings when you do this. For some shotguns (those that came originally with very short choke tube systems like WinChoke, RemChoke, Beretta Mobil, and yes, Krieghoff K-80 chokes) it also makes a huge difference in pattern if you use the OEM chokes or much better aftermarket chokes with more extensions to more gradually constrict and have much longer parallel sections like those from Extreme or Muller!
You started shooting back in 1977 when "sporting clays didn't exist"..... well in that era I entered quite a few sporting competitions and the CPSA averages book classed me as a A class shooter in the sporting section of their big yellow book ? Choke wise I note you use the older terminology for choke, ie- improved cylinder / modified etc and I vaguely remember Perrazi bringing out the MT6 with interchangeable choke tubes and us more traditionalist shooters judging it would never catch on......yes that prediction went well didn't it ! Pattern plates tell only part of the story but wont go on about it now but the Krieghoff K-80 still reminds me of a Remington 3200 I once owned, beast of a thing and I recall Bob Braithwaite using it one evening at Westhoughton gun club and claimed it was the worst he had ever used ! Bob could shoot a bit, he got a gold medal in the 1968 Olympics for 198 / 200 at Trench. RiP Bob. PS Do mention the Remmy 3200 likeness to the Krieghoff owners when you can, they will love you for it :-)
American shooter here... Steel shot over decoys, improved cylinder(1/4??) has been my go to with carefully prepared handloads...of course with game, if it's too far just enjoy the view with a hot cup of coffee.. great shooting by the way.
I have come down to using 3/8 and 3/8 for sporting clays, using plastic wad 28gram 7.5s. They cope well with very close clays provided you are on target, and are very effective on the equivalent of trap targets - fast going away risers. For me, different chokes in each barrel just messes your head!
Interesting. In the ATA, a lot of folks believe in only using Full, Fuller, or Fullest. And the farthest you may get from the house in Regulation is 27 yards, and you should be hitting the target before it's leveled off on its 50 yard journey, so your longest shot should be about 50 yards... On the other hand, the targets are departing, which reduces the effective impact velocity, so it's best to have at least three pellets on target. And one lost target, and the rest of the shoot is usually just practice. So, the incentive is there to maximize the pattern density.
When I was still a noob at clay shooting I wanted to do a skeet shoot and took a club gun and started the skeet, I got all 25 the instructor was baffled because I had taken a gun with 3/4 and full choke. I was never able to do that again so luck is factor 2? This is one hell of a fine chanel.
Just a few week ago I shot 7.5 shot at a standard clay target at 100 yds hanging on a large tree, the clay target was flat on the tree and at 100 yds the first clay was hit once and the second recieved 2 and broke about 1 inch of the rim off the clay, I used a full choke. Well maybe not that scientific, going to some more testing later. Such a great channel.
I think what would be better, would be to go through a clays course load 1 gun with skeet tube and 1 with full and see how the choke changes your break percentage in a wide variety of target presentations. just stepping back at the same target is interesting It just doesnt completely tell you when you should choke down or choke up.
Interesting, really. Thx for the content. After getting my 694 the first thing I did was to shoot at paper that I put in front of a shotgun coverage testing thingy. I tested the various chokes with the three types of cartridges, skeet 2.2mm 24g, skeet 2.2mm 24g with spreader and trap 2.4mm 24g. Full choke with skeet spreader was interesting since it resulted in a huge diameter already on a very short distance of 12-15m, whereas with trap it was a very tight group. So, yes, choke matter!
Great combo of personalities and some fine shooting. I agree that most people overestimate range. I use a range finder when shooting clays to educate myself and others on estimating range.
I'm an avid follower of your channel but, I especially enjoyed this video. Not just for the information you guys imparted but the attention of the cameraman to the guns you were using showing the engraving and the beautiful wood used for the stocks. A really nice touch. My first gun was an AYA Yeoman side by side with fixed ¼ & ½ chokes and I learnt to hit most things I pointed it at. After a break of twenty years, in 2019 I bought my brand new Browning O/U multichoke and then proceeded to buy a complete set of extended chokes and other flush chokes, in addition to the ones the gun came with. I was forever faffing about, changing chokes while on sporting clay shoots after referring to my choke size range guide. At the same time my lad with his MK38 with fixed chokes was consistently out shooting me. I was being a total plonker with choke fixation. I now stick to a combination of ¼, ⅜ & ½ chokes and they serve me fine. You guy's have just undoubtedly proved that, if you have the skill to point the gun in the right place at the right time you can still break clays well beyond the chokes advertised range. Thank you. 😊👍
Brilliant shooting by Ed, would not have expected anything else. Fair shout JC and good filming by Sash (I hope it's Sash) or I might have just made a tit of myself, which is quite easy being me. Well anyway guys great 17 mins from the humdrum of life. Looking forward to more action and words of wisdom. I have been watching the channel now for over two years and have learned quite a lot. Cheers!!!
Wow,,that man can shoot. Awesome ! I’ve only see a couple people who could pass shoot ducks at 75+ yards, and they use hand loads, large shot, and are very experienced. Did you notice how long it took the shot to get to that distance...wow. Thank you for all the info. That’s really interesting.
At 75 yards you're just sky busting anyway. You can be dead on and they'll fly through the holes. You might break a wing, but if you get a clean kill, that's just luck. You get the golden BB award.
@@mikefarmer4748 the one guy who could do it fairly consistently, said that it was sky busting. It’s not really proper bird shooting. The birds fall so far you need to put the dog in a taxi cab and give her special instructions.
@@peterparsons7141 take a tape measure and measure off in 5yd increments starting at 40yd and drive a stake in the ground at each of those distances and you’ll then know your buddy is no way dropping ducks at anywhere near 75yds, Especially using steel shot.
@@FYMM69 i shoot a lot, and have been shooting .12 gauge for ducks for 53 years. I really understand what you are saying. 40 yards is a very long shot to kill a duck or goose. I don’t even bother much, it’s mostly just wounded birds, if at all. I always put markers so I know incoming bird distances. When people say 50-60 yards it’s unlikely, or a fluke . The Leeds for those shots are extreme, you need a really good dog, the amount of practice is immense. But there are a couple of people who can do it. Large BB lead shot hand-loads at very high speed.
Unreal shooting from Ed. Remember the old video of George Digweed at a show just seeing how far he cud step back from target & still make a kill. By any stretch of the imagination isn't easy to shoot from them distances. A lot of variables to consider & skill as Ed said. Jonny is a very good shot but got instructions to make the kill at the longer distances. Us mere mortals are not like them freaks of nature. Great content again gang👌🏼👏🏼
If you're just a once a month Sunday local club sporting clays guy, out with your mates for a bit of fun, bacon sarnie and a mug of coffee type day then Skeet and Skeet with 28g 7 1/2's will reward you well, there is not much that you will not break as pretty much all targets are within breaking distance and the spread will make up for your lack of skill!
One time I went to my local club wanting to shoot skeet with my gun choked with a SKEET I choke. Unfortunately due to a snow storm combined with an Icey rain storm two days before the weekend, a big tree fell on the low skeet tower and was out of commission that weekend, so I ended up shooting American trap at the 16 yard line with a skeet choked gun. I was surprised to break clays moderately decent up to 40 yards approximately. This video is a confirmation of my observations
I feel because of our egos and wanting to see smoke, we handicap ourselves by shooting too tight of chokes. Sure the breaks aren’t as impressive using more open chokes but scores will improve
I used to shoot an all out Olympic trap gun (Russian made but not Baikal). The chokes were ridiculously tight. On the really close driven, it just knocked chunks out, like they had been hit with a slug. It was the best fitting gun I ever owned and really wish I had kept it.
Improved modified on top, full on bottom is my go to for trap, occasionally, IM on both barrels. I know some that go modified and full but I do well enough with my setup. Occasionally for fun I'll try the different chokes (like cylinder and turkey) and see my hit average drop. I may pick up a skeet and give it a go.
@Mike Collon in trap, the clay moves away from you. You have one "close" shot and then a far shot. You want to have a spread that will take out both clays at different distances.
Skeet/ cyl is great for someone starting out, close slower stuff while learning consistency and gain some confidence, it can be used well when experienced just doesn't have the kill power on fast long crossers/edge on targets for me, 3/4 and half is a great medium to long setup, top video lads, vintage makeover jonny? Bringing a nikko 5000/101 into the modern era would be an epic series
The biggest thing I had to shoot a lot to adapt was the changeover from lead. The steel shot size needed to increase, the pellet count increased, and the speed need to be as fast as possible. So 3” #4 @1500 FPS, replaced 23/4 #6 at 1200fps,, these changes require radically different chokes and different barrels behave differently. I know many people shoot a non-tox lead equivalent but if you shoot a lot the cost starts to be...silly. I can’t see a morning duck hunt costing an average mans take home pay.
Skeet Cylinder for me on the OSK range. Remember a video way back of George Diggers on the rifle ranges at Bisley shooting a clay from a bloody long range
i literally use 3/8 for everything unless you go to barbury and josh puts on 5 extreme singles, then ill use 2 5/8 or if there is a rabbit or something you could throw your gun at ill use super cylinder
Agree that a lot of folks judgement of distance is poor, but it's not easy to judge 40, 50 or 60 yards against a zero reference point, i.e. the sky! Think I'll stick to the method of "bugger that's a long way up - I'll not waste a cartridge on that".
Great concept video. I agree a proper test is needed. Being from the US I had to do some conversions to get the full picture but found it understandable. I personally use modified or half in both barrels from 10 to 50 yards. If it’s a really close or rabbit then skeet or just threads (no choke). Look forward to another test. Oh yeah, nice shooting Ed.
Great video my good blokes😅. Ihunt chukars pheasants and quail with good/great English pointers almost consistently and I am relatively old and slow Birds cleanly killed at 20 or 30 yd the clean swing on the 30 yd bird put the smile on my face with a 20 gauge montefeltro with improved cylinder flush choke. With my skill-set I don't think I could do better with anything else🙂 I enjoyed your shooting best of everything to you guys! By the way I'm not English now but my family was in the early 1700s yours truly and good shooting, Rick of Orange
I have shot European Hares in January at -20°C using #6 copper plated 3 inch 1 5/8 magnum at 60+ yards with my Beretta A302 with a 28 inch full fixed choke .I have seen people take out a rabbit with BB over 70 yards away .It's amazing what can be done and how much of a fluke that 2 or 3 pellets out of 150 can hit a rabbit and take it out .I know someone who shot the same rabbit 11 times before taking it out .Always beyond the 50 yard mark factory rounds .When we field dressed the the rabbit pellets were falling out of the fur and the most were just sitting in the skin .Some shot shells are far too slow and over loaded with lead .There is nor reason why you can't get 1.0z travelling at 1500fps out of a 12 gauge 3 inch gun .
Skeet/cyl for me out to about 40yds more if showing a good face, may go to 1/2 for longer targets. Clays a break is a break, you don't have to destroy it. For me, the bigger the pattern the better.
@@rookstorm1 sk is about 50-60 inches wide with about 45-50% pellets in 30 inch circle, so OK if you can see a fair bit of face. 1/2 is about 40 inches with about 60-70% pellets in 30 inch circle. A lot depends on pellet size and cartridge. Try some open chokes on targets you know you can hit consistently, you may be surprised what you can get away with.
Very interesting test and video. I was surprised that you could consistently still hit targets at 60 yards with a skeet choke! It looked like you had two extremes, skeet and full choke, so I wondered why you didn't consider and test improved and improved modified tubes as well! Thanks for sharing.
It all depends on how close/far/fast the clays being thrown are and if you’re putting the pattern around the clay every time. For normal mortals who don’t get the clay into the centre of the pattern every time, a bit of choke to improve pattern density isn’t a bad idea.
Well, yes, if the gun is pointed in the right place a skeet choke will get the job done, but everyone doesn't shoot enough to point that consistently. The edge of the pattern from a skeet choke is pretty darn thin at 40 yards.
Jonny... why did you roll in mud... if I may ask... 😄 Great demonstration!, BTW Couldn't illustrate the point(s) you're making in a better way! I changed my kit of chokes after watching (several times) a couple of your older videos with Ed Solomons.
Choke has little affect on distance if using the same shot size. Shot size is what dictates how far you can break a target. For example, a load with 7.5 shot using a skeet choke will be extremely effective until 40 yards. Number 9 shot with a skeet choke will either chip a target or a miss a target at 40 yards. To me, the real test is using a full choke using 7.5 shot on a regulation skeet field. You will go from a 25” pattern on your 12 gauge to a 19” pattern. Now two things will need to happen. Not only will your leads need to be precise, but the elevation of the shot becomes equally important. I use cylinder choke in both barrels when shooting skeet competitively. When I’m fortunate enough to run a hundred I get 25 smokes, 60 nice breaks, 10 weak breaks and 5 (boy I got lucky) chips. If I were to use a full choke using the data above I would probably break between 78 - 86. There is only one station that has a 21 yard shot in skeet. Stations 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 are all inside of 10 yards. What does a full choke pattern look like at 10 yards, 12”?? On the flip side, I shot 16 yard trap using a improved modified choke and #9’s, I ended up breaking a 17 and probably because a #9 loses a great deal of inertia after 20 yards. You can shoot whatever you want for fun, but when you need to be perfect you use the recipe that gives you the greatest advantage. Right?
Think Ed clarified this fairly well in the video. Larger shot size will provide better breaks at range, however the pattern density is what is largely in question here.
Is there any truth to the concept that, irrespective of choke (within reason) there's a 'core' that remains cogent that's perhaps 9 inches in diameter? Does that explain the occasional long range shot even with open chokes? Just wondering....
Is 1/2 and 1/2 ok for general clays? Only I've only had mixed success with O/U guns (which admittedly, I'm fairly new to) and wondered if it's ok to bust clays with a SxS with fixed halves
This was well worth watching. It validated ideas from years of shooting and went beyond. Thank you. If possible, can you reveal the bore diameters of the guns being used and the constriction of the chokes involved? I’m not sure what 1/2 or 3/4 choke etc, actually means. In the US labels like full or modified are regularly used, but those terms have wide definitions. I’ve come to understand more about chokes in terms of measured constriction. I’d appreciate it if you can.
Chokes Us vs English IC = 1/4 choke LM =3/8 choke Mod = 1/2 choke Imp Mod =3/4 Full = Full Measurements may be slightly different. Not sure about that.
Felix D choke constriction is a product of taking the true bore diameter of the barrel, then comparing that to the internal diameter of the end of the choke. Research "points of constriction" and you should find some charts that will assign a description like "modified" or "full" etc based on the actual measurements. Example: using a standard 12 ga bore of 0.729" a 0.700" tube gives 29 points of constriction which should place it in the Full range. Using a modern Browning with a 0.745" "Overbored" barrel and a 0.715" choke tube gives a full 30 points of constriction which again is a Full pattern. Therefore know your bore diameter so you can utilize a choke tube that provides the pattern and range you require. Final note: do not buy aftermarket choke tubes based on the manufacturer's designation like Full Mod etc. Go strictly by actual measured diameters. A Remington 11-87 Premiere Trap has a 0.745" Overbored barrel and has its own tubes labelled for that barrel. The Full Trap Choke measures the same as a Skeet Choke for a Remington 870 shotgun with a 0.729" bore.
In your opinion with a beretta 682gold e which chokes compination would be better to go general hunting (perdridge-wood pigeons) for medium to long range shots?Thank you!!
Enlightening excellent reality check chaps.Concludes the fibre wad/plastic wad and good cartridge debate.Steel tests will be interesting.Some years back now we noticed a marked difference on the same high bird shoot when fibre wads became mandatory.Nobel Speed 32grm 5's were king of the hill.With the fibre it has been a journey but upping the shot size and the load/grams was the formula with Teagie 7/8 on the archangels.On the average ''shootable''birds 30grm 4's and 3/8 worked well.
Love these videos. I've recently got back into Air rifles (HW97k) after about 30 years ! I'm now looking at getting my very first Shotgun, would Full & 3/4 be good for a first gun shooting some clay and some game ? Keep the videos coming they are brilliant.
Good stuff , one thing which gets my goat is the differences Countries have in shot diameter diameter verses size number , eg : here in New Zealand a 7½ is 2.40 mm , In Britain 2.4 mm is a 7 . I would really like to see an international standardisation of shot sizes , maybe in metric diameter , the way load weights are standardised . As for chokes I have been using Light Modified or 3/8 or 0.15" or the metric equivalent ,for about 30 years now , I never change my chokes in sporting clays just my loads . Shot size , hardness, wad type & velocity make a considerable difference to pattern and range in the same choke .
In Denmark a 1. is 4mm and for every number you go up the diameter decrease .25mm, so a 2 is 3.75 a 3 is 3.5 and so on. A 7 would be 2.5 mm. We don't really use half measures, only if the ammo is made in countries that cannot give it a proper number.
I'm a relative novice recreational clay shooter and I've started doing exactly this. I'm also cheap and don't want to spend almost as much as my shotgun cost on choke tubes 😆
Most clay courses only require skeet/skeet. Or Skeet/IC… Shooting tighter chokes looks cool when you smoke targets but let me tell ya it sure hurts our scores.
So when you moved up to the shot size 6 1/2, and increased speed by 100 FPS. what (lead ) shot speed are we talking about ? not sure I’m clear on the speed the 61/2 was travelling. #6 shot is the common lead hunting size shot, Ive never seen 61/2 lead shot in Canada, is it common in Europe ?
I don't shoot clays but my first gun was 1/2 and full with double triggers and i've used the exact same choke albeit with a much nicer gun for all that time
Mr. Solomon's! That was absolutley disgusting! stop defying the laws of physics and accomplishing the highly improbable! Insane shooting skill sir, I walked away from my computer twice in disbelief, with some of those hits.
I like sporting clays. 12g O/U M/IC .410 O/U F/M UPDATE Now my 12g is LM in both and my .410 M in both. 👍🏻 I don’t shoot good enough to make any difference by changing them.
Read High Pheasants in Theory and Practice by Payne Galloway , chokes , distances etc etc on Duck and Pheasant Penetration with different shot sizes ! Conclusion 7 shot , max Half Choke ? ?
"All those people thinking they are shooting pheasants at 60 or 70 yards arent" But just a little bit earlier in the video he admits they haven't measured yards in this test and are just guessing. So are they really shooting 60 to 70 yards 🤔
I only shoot clays and very few grounds put on anything bigger than 50-60 yards these days. 1/4 & 3/8 chokes in my CG with 28g 7.5/8s for everything other than really long or really close. I'll then use 1/2 or 3.4 for long range and Cylinder or Skeet for really close. Hull Parcour Extended Range will kill mostly anything if you put the gun in the right place. Changing your choke every other stand is an additional distraction I don't need!
Just at the beginning of my shotgun hobby.. absolutely love this channel and the content. I feel that it has been a great help so far.
Like any good hobby, there’s lots to learn and you can take it to the level you want. For me it started for hunting, and was a means to an end. But to be good at hunting (or trap, skeet,sporting clays) you need to get good. I’ve been shooting for 50 years. Best advice I ever got seems obvious, but, it’s simple..practice. Once you get a gun that fits you, get a good pro to spend a little time at the beginning,,and then practice... it’s funny cause I only started to be better than average after I did that after shooting mediocre for 25 years...
Cheers Peter, I’m trying to soak it up like a sponge, without overloading on info. I seem to be able to shoot fairly well instinctively, but I want to blueprint some techniques so I can improve my consistency with the more challenging targets.
It’s a great game that seems filled with some great characters.
@@mattralphwright nice change from golf. It's a discipline like billards, archery, darts, only better. Seriously though if I had to do it all again, I'd start with something that fits(cost doesn't matter), a little instruction and then shoot alot. I've met some great shooters who helped alot, and had good sport and recreation.. best regards
Ed and Jonny, probably one of the most informative videos yet. Ed, you are correct, I believe, after 50 years of studying shooting myself, in that most people are poor at judging distances. A friend took a pheasant, laid it on a big piece of cardboard, spread the wings and drew the outline. He then had 10 made out of plywood and painted like a pheasant. If you mount them on four 10 foot pieces of rod so they are 40 feet (13 yards) high and put them 10 yards behind each other at an angle so each shows fully, you have birds at 10 to 100 yards for an accurate view of what that looks like. Birds coming over against a clear sky with a black underbelly exposure are almost impossible to judge for distance, and that is why technique is so important in, especially, this kind of shooting. Towers for practicing high birds should be a minimum of 150 feet high, (50 yards) over sloping terrain so that heights of 50, 60, and 70 yards can be clearly marked. Clays can be hit,, and birds can be killed at these distances, but they are the exception, not the rule. Chokes, loads, ability, et al. go into one's ability to hit the target, whatever that is, and this video spoke volumes to that. WELL DONE!
👏 👏 👏
I'm okay at judging yardage with the air rifle because you have context when birds/rabbits are on the ground, with a shotgun however and a pheasant against the sky there's no way you can realistically judge the range. Your best chance is to just guess, i think the American call it Kentucky Windage
Goes to show and prove 99% of public sporting clay courses can’t be conquered using SK/SK but our egos typically won’t allow ourselves to consistently leaves them in because we just gotta see smoke which in fact handicaps us
I have never met Ed, but I have a respect for his abilities and sensible approach to shooting, he is clear and concise, I would imagine a fantastic instructor, with the right mixture of wit and knowledge, as an instructor myself I learn a lot from him.
I remember when I started shooting clays back in the mid 80s my old mate said 1/4 choke will be enough to hit everything on a sporting shoot. And I stand by that today
Agreed and yet some of us prefer smoke vs a broken bird which handicaps our scores
For those of us in the US what is 1/4 choke?
@@MrCabimeroimproved cylinder
70 yrs old, shot improved cylinder, for decoying pigeons, and sporting. Remington model 1100. Same gun since the 70s, Trap and high pigeon flighting, I use my 30 inch Remington 1100, full choke. Does exactly what it says on the tin.
As the ol saying goes, beware of the man with the one gun, for he likely shoots it well !!!
I've in my 45th year of shooting clay targets ... When I started nobody was talking about choke constrictions cause there were almost only fixed chokes. Most guns had IC/M or F/F. I have a 1963 F/N B25 A1 Broaadway Trap with 32" barrels in F/F that I started shooting with in 1977 and I shot everything with it successfully, skeet, trap ... sporting clays didn't exist back then. I think if people would spend as much time on their pre shot routine and focus on the target they would get more out of the sport. I have for years now shot M/M or M/IM in sporting clays and trap. For skeet I use IC. That is all the chokes I need and i came to this realization after a lot of patterning at 25 and 40 yards.If you're really wanting to finesse chokes you must, must, must pattern your gun/chokes with the shells you're using. This is the only way to really know what you got. I promise you will have some surprising findings when you do this. For some shotguns (those that came originally with very short choke tube systems like WinChoke, RemChoke, Beretta Mobil, and yes, Krieghoff K-80 chokes) it also makes a huge difference in pattern if you use the OEM chokes or much better aftermarket chokes with more extensions to more gradually constrict and have much longer parallel sections like those from Extreme or Muller!
You started shooting back in 1977 when "sporting clays didn't exist"..... well in that era I entered quite a few sporting competitions and the CPSA averages book classed me as a A class shooter in the sporting section of their big yellow book ? Choke wise I note you use the older terminology for choke, ie- improved cylinder / modified etc and I vaguely remember Perrazi bringing out the MT6 with interchangeable choke tubes and us more traditionalist shooters judging it would never catch on......yes that prediction went well didn't it ! Pattern plates tell only part of the story but wont go on about it now but the Krieghoff K-80 still reminds me of a Remington 3200 I once owned, beast of a thing and I recall Bob Braithwaite using it one evening at Westhoughton gun club and claimed it was the worst he had ever used ! Bob could shoot a bit, he got a gold medal in the 1968 Olympics for 198 / 200 at Trench. RiP Bob.
PS Do mention the Remmy 3200 likeness to the Krieghoff owners when you can, they will love you for it :-)
American shooter here... Steel shot over decoys, improved cylinder(1/4??) has been my go to with carefully prepared handloads...of course with game, if it's too far just enjoy the view with a hot cup of coffee.. great shooting by the way.
I have come down to using 3/8 and 3/8 for sporting clays, using plastic wad 28gram 7.5s. They cope well with very close clays provided you are on target, and are very effective on the equivalent of trap targets - fast going away risers. For me, different chokes in each barrel just messes your head!
Interesting. In the ATA, a lot of folks believe in only using Full, Fuller, or Fullest. And the farthest you may get from the house in Regulation is 27 yards, and you should be hitting the target before it's leveled off on its 50 yard journey, so your longest shot should be about 50 yards...
On the other hand, the targets are departing, which reduces the effective impact velocity, so it's best to have at least three pellets on target. And one lost target, and the rest of the shoot is usually just practice. So, the incentive is there to maximize the pattern density.
When I was still a noob at clay shooting I wanted to do a skeet shoot and took a club gun and started the skeet, I got all 25 the instructor was baffled because I had taken a gun with 3/4 and full choke. I was never able to do that again so luck is factor 2? This is one hell of a fine chanel.
Just a few week ago I shot 7.5 shot at a standard clay target at 100 yds hanging on a large tree, the clay target was flat on the tree and at 100 yds the first clay was hit once and the second recieved 2 and broke about 1 inch of the rim off the clay, I used a full choke. Well maybe not that scientific, going to some more testing later. Such a great channel.
The results were very underwhelming
I think what would be better, would be to go through a clays course load 1 gun with skeet tube and 1 with full and see how the choke changes your break percentage in a wide variety of target presentations. just stepping back at the same target is interesting It just doesnt completely tell you when you should choke down or choke up.
Interesting, really. Thx for the content. After getting my 694 the first thing I did was to shoot at paper that I put in front of a shotgun coverage testing thingy. I tested the various chokes with the three types of cartridges, skeet 2.2mm 24g, skeet 2.2mm 24g with spreader and trap 2.4mm 24g. Full choke with skeet spreader was interesting since it resulted in a huge diameter already on a very short distance of 12-15m, whereas with trap it was a very tight group. So, yes, choke matter!
Love my 694. Had it a year now
Great combo of personalities and some fine shooting. I agree that most people overestimate range. I use a range finder when shooting clays to educate myself and others on estimating range.
Very educational! Especially the relationship between shot size and chokes.
Best video you've done so far ,information wise.
I'm an avid follower of your channel but, I especially enjoyed this video. Not just for the information you guys imparted but the attention of the cameraman to the guns you were using showing the engraving and the beautiful wood used for the stocks. A really nice touch. My first gun was an AYA Yeoman side by side with fixed ¼ & ½ chokes and I learnt to hit most things I pointed it at. After a break of twenty years, in 2019 I bought my brand new Browning O/U multichoke and then proceeded to buy a complete set of extended chokes and other flush chokes, in addition to the ones the gun came with. I was forever faffing about, changing chokes while on sporting clay shoots after referring to my choke size range guide. At the same time my lad with his MK38 with fixed chokes was consistently out shooting me. I was being a total plonker with choke fixation. I now stick to a combination of ¼, ⅜ & ½ chokes and they serve me fine. You guy's have just undoubtedly proved that, if you have the skill to point the gun in the right place at the right time you can still break clays well beyond the chokes advertised range. Thank you. 😊👍
Brilliant shooting by Ed, would not have expected anything else. Fair shout JC and good filming by Sash (I hope it's Sash) or I might have just made a tit of myself, which is quite easy being me. Well anyway guys great 17 mins from the humdrum of life. Looking forward to more action and words of wisdom. I have been watching the channel now for over two years and have learned quite a lot. Cheers!!!
Just had my first sporting lesson and ever since I have been binge watching all of your content 😂
Wow,,that man can shoot. Awesome ! I’ve only see a couple people who could pass shoot ducks at 75+ yards, and they use hand loads, large shot, and are very experienced. Did you notice how long it took the shot to get to that distance...wow. Thank you for all the info. That’s really interesting.
At 75 yards you're just sky busting anyway.
You can be dead on and they'll fly through the holes. You might break a wing, but if you get a clean kill, that's just luck. You get the golden BB award.
@@mikefarmer4748 the one guy who could do it fairly consistently, said that it was sky busting. It’s not really proper bird shooting.
The birds fall so far you need to put the dog in a taxi cab and give her special instructions.
@@peterparsons7141 take a tape measure and measure off in 5yd increments starting at 40yd and drive a stake in the ground at each of those distances and you’ll then know your buddy is no way dropping ducks at anywhere near 75yds, Especially using steel shot.
@@FYMM69 i shoot a lot, and have been shooting .12 gauge for ducks for 53 years.
I really understand what you are saying. 40 yards is a very long shot to kill a duck or goose. I don’t even bother much, it’s mostly just wounded birds, if at all. I always put markers so I know incoming bird distances. When people say 50-60 yards it’s unlikely, or a fluke .
The Leeds for those shots are extreme, you need a really good dog, the amount of practice is immense. But there are a couple of people who can do it. Large BB lead shot hand-loads at very high speed.
@@peterparsons7141#8 tungsten shot out of a improved modified choke. 60 yards all day long and it crushes them when to do your part
¼&¼ for me , does everything I need it to do at club/recreational clays.
½&¾ for me, in my old Breda Vega Special ☺️👍
1/2 and 1/2 for me
1/4 & 1/2 for me. I like solid breaks. Also think a tighter choke gives better feedback to the computer in my head
Half & half - 20, 28 & 410.
Give over Ed the weather's always like that in Lincolnshire 🤣
Love this channel! Thank god for closed caption:)
Fun video ! Thanks for the efforts .
Unreal shooting from Ed. Remember the old video of George Digweed at a show just seeing how far he cud step back from target & still make a kill. By any stretch of the imagination isn't easy to shoot from them distances. A lot of variables to consider & skill as Ed said. Jonny is a very good shot but got instructions to make the kill at the longer distances. Us mere mortals are not like them freaks of nature. Great content again gang👌🏼👏🏼
If you're just a once a month Sunday local club sporting clays guy, out with your mates for a bit of fun, bacon sarnie and a mug of coffee type day then Skeet and Skeet with 28g 7 1/2's will reward you well, there is not much that you will not break as pretty much all targets are within breaking distance and the spread will make up for your lack of skill!
Does that apply also with a 12 G?
@@edgarfield9567 That is with a 12 gauge...but I do believe a 20g would do just as well
One time I went to my local club wanting to shoot skeet with my gun choked with a SKEET I choke. Unfortunately due to a snow storm combined with an Icey rain storm two days before the weekend, a big tree fell on the low skeet tower and was out of commission that weekend, so I ended up shooting American trap at the 16 yard line with a skeet choked gun. I was surprised to break clays moderately decent up to 40 yards approximately. This video is a confirmation of my observations
I feel because of our egos and wanting to see smoke, we handicap ourselves by shooting too tight of chokes. Sure the breaks aren’t as impressive using more open chokes but scores will improve
@@FYMM69 agree with that assessment
I used to shoot an all out Olympic trap gun (Russian made but not Baikal). The chokes were ridiculously tight. On the really close driven, it just knocked chunks out, like they had been hit with a slug. It was the best fitting gun I ever owned and really wish I had kept it.
Vostok?
@@mbal4052 Quite likely. I was told that it was the same model as used by the Russian team. It was not pretty, but fitted me so well.
huh... really interesting. Maybe I need a bit less choke than I used to think. Great vid... always interesting when Ed shows up... thanks for posting
Edge on is a different matter!!
@@welditmick TRUE...
Improved modified on top, full on bottom is my go to for trap, occasionally, IM on both barrels. I know some that go modified and full but I do well enough with my setup. Occasionally for fun I'll try the different chokes (like cylinder and turkey) and see my hit average drop. I may pick up a skeet and give it a go.
@Mike Collon in trap, the clay moves away from you. You have one "close" shot and then a far shot. You want to have a spread that will take out both clays at different distances.
@Mike Collon No, that's trap. Olympic doubles. You're shooting American. You can also change chokes depending on which stand you're on.
Great demo. I always question the amount of choke when shooting FITASC
Skeet/ cyl is great for someone starting out, close slower stuff while learning consistency and gain some confidence, it can be used well when experienced just doesn't have the kill power on fast long crossers/edge on targets for me, 3/4 and half is a great medium to long setup, top video lads, vintage makeover jonny? Bringing a nikko 5000/101 into the modern era would be an epic series
The biggest thing I had to shoot a lot to adapt was the changeover from lead. The steel shot size needed to increase, the pellet count increased, and the speed need to be as fast as possible. So 3” #4 @1500 FPS, replaced 23/4 #6 at 1200fps,, these changes require radically different chokes and different barrels behave differently.
I know many people shoot a non-tox lead equivalent but if you shoot a lot the cost starts to be...silly. I can’t see a morning duck hunt costing an average mans take home pay.
The ProFibres come in both 65mm and 70mm cases, I'd love to see a comparison of the two on a pattern plate through a 70mm chamber gun.
They do but only in 24g. The 28g is 70mm case only
Skeet Cylinder for me on the OSK range.
Remember a video way back of George Diggers on the rifle ranges at Bisley shooting a clay from a bloody long range
Yes, wasn't it something around 130 yards.
i literally use 3/8 for everything unless you go to barbury and josh puts on 5 extreme singles, then ill use 2 5/8 or if there is a rabbit or something you could throw your gun at ill use super cylinder
those last cartdridges ed used were rc4s. i would recognize them anywhere anytime! best ammunition for shooting sports Imo!
No they were hull parcours 28g 6.5
Agree that a lot of folks judgement of distance is poor, but it's not easy to judge 40, 50 or 60 yards against a zero reference point, i.e. the sky!
Think I'll stick to the method of "bugger that's a long way up - I'll not waste a cartridge on that".
Great concept video. I agree a proper test is needed. Being from the US I had to do some conversions to get the full picture but found it understandable. I personally use modified or half in both barrels from 10 to 50 yards. If it’s a really close or rabbit then skeet or just threads (no choke). Look forward to another test. Oh yeah, nice shooting Ed.
Thank you
Great video my good blokes😅. Ihunt chukars pheasants and quail with good/great English pointers almost consistently and I am relatively old and slow Birds cleanly killed at 20 or 30 yd the clean swing on the 30 yd bird put the smile on my face with a 20 gauge montefeltro with improved cylinder flush choke. With my skill-set I don't think I could do better with anything else🙂 I enjoyed your shooting best of everything to you guys! By the way I'm not English now but my family was in the early 1700s yours truly and good shooting, Rick of Orange
I have shot European Hares in January at -20°C using #6 copper plated 3 inch 1 5/8 magnum at 60+ yards with my Beretta A302 with a 28 inch full fixed choke .I have seen people take out a rabbit with BB over 70 yards away .It's amazing what can be done and how much of a fluke that 2 or 3 pellets out of 150 can hit a rabbit and take it out .I know someone who shot the same rabbit 11 times before taking it out .Always beyond the 50 yard mark factory rounds .When we field dressed the the rabbit pellets were falling out of the fur and the most were just sitting in the skin .Some shot shells are far too slow and over loaded with lead .There is nor reason why you can't get 1.0z travelling at 1500fps out of a 12 gauge 3 inch gun .
Skeet/cyl for me out to about 40yds more if showing a good face, may go to 1/2 for longer targets. Clays a break is a break, you don't have to destroy it. For me, the bigger the pattern the better.
At forty yards how big /wide is your pattern with skeet compared to a half choke ?
@@rookstorm1 sk is about 50-60 inches wide with about 45-50% pellets in 30 inch circle, so OK if you can see a fair bit of face. 1/2 is about 40 inches with about 60-70% pellets in 30 inch circle. A lot depends on pellet size and cartridge. Try some open chokes on targets you know you can hit consistently, you may be surprised what you can get away with.
Very interesting test and video. I was surprised that you could consistently still hit targets at 60 yards with a skeet choke! It looked like you had two extremes, skeet and full choke, so I wondered why you didn't consider and test improved and improved modified tubes as well! Thanks for sharing.
It all depends on how close/far/fast the clays being thrown are and if you’re putting the pattern around the clay every time. For normal mortals who don’t get the clay into the centre of the pattern every time, a bit of choke to improve pattern density isn’t a bad idea.
hello what choke tubes you use the brand
Great video sir. Very informative. thank you!
Nearly got through all 50 targets the other weekend, shooting no worse than usual, before realising I’d forgotten to put chokes in
Ouch😂
..I’m over here shooting Modified out of both tubes..
Great content ask Ed if he has ever tried a 100 yard left to right battue at RBSS
Well, yes, if the gun is pointed in the right place a skeet choke will get the job done, but everyone doesn't shoot enough to point that consistently. The edge of the pattern from a skeet choke is pretty darn thin at 40 yards.
Jonny... why did you roll in mud... if I may ask... 😄
Great demonstration!, BTW
Couldn't illustrate the point(s) you're making in a better way!
I changed my kit of chokes after watching (several times) a couple of your older videos with Ed Solomons.
Watch all the recent videos and you will find out 😅
Choke has little affect on distance if using the same shot size. Shot size is what dictates how far you can break a target. For example, a load with 7.5 shot using a skeet choke will be extremely effective until 40 yards. Number 9 shot with a skeet choke will either chip a target or a miss a target at 40 yards. To me, the real test is using a full choke using 7.5 shot on a regulation skeet field. You will go from a 25” pattern on your 12 gauge to a 19” pattern. Now two things will need to happen. Not only will your leads need to be precise, but the elevation of the shot becomes equally important. I use cylinder choke in both barrels when shooting skeet competitively. When I’m fortunate enough to run a hundred I get 25 smokes, 60 nice breaks, 10 weak breaks and 5 (boy I got lucky) chips. If I were to use a full choke using the data above I would probably break between 78 - 86. There is only one station that has a 21 yard shot in skeet. Stations 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 are all inside of 10 yards. What does a full choke pattern look like at 10 yards, 12”?? On the flip side, I shot 16 yard trap using a improved modified choke and #9’s, I ended up breaking a 17 and probably because a #9 loses a great deal of inertia after 20 yards. You can shoot whatever you want for fun, but when you need to be perfect you use the recipe that gives you the greatest advantage. Right?
Think Ed clarified this fairly well in the video. Larger shot size will provide better breaks at range, however the pattern density is what is largely in question here.
Is there any truth to the concept that, irrespective of choke (within reason) there's a 'core' that remains cogent that's perhaps 9 inches in diameter? Does that explain the occasional long range shot even with open chokes?
Just wondering....
Perfect lunch break pass time.
Is 1/2 and 1/2 ok for general clays? Only I've only had mixed success with O/U guns (which admittedly, I'm fairly new to) and wondered if it's ok to bust clays with a SxS with fixed halves
Hi I shoot 1/2 & 1/2, 28/8 and am happy with the results. I'm going to try Full & 3/4 with 28/7.5 this week just for the fun
@@charlesdouglas2877 cheers, Charles
1/2 choke will break ANY target on an ESP layout, no question.
@@buckshotaaa cheers mate
This was well worth watching. It validated ideas from years of shooting and went beyond. Thank you. If possible, can you reveal the bore diameters of the guns being used and the constriction of the chokes involved? I’m not sure what 1/2 or 3/4 choke etc, actually means. In the US labels like full or modified are regularly used, but those terms have wide definitions. I’ve come to understand more about chokes in terms of measured constriction. I’d appreciate it if you can.
Chokes Us vs English
IC = 1/4 choke
LM =3/8 choke
Mod = 1/2 choke
Imp Mod =3/4
Full = Full
Measurements may be slightly different. Not sure about that.
Thanks Jim. Any chance that there is a list of internal measurements for these?
Felix D choke constriction is a product of taking the true bore diameter of the barrel, then comparing that to the internal diameter of the end of the choke.
Research "points of constriction" and you should find some charts that will assign a description like "modified" or "full" etc based on the actual measurements.
Example: using a standard 12 ga bore of 0.729" a 0.700" tube gives 29 points of constriction which should place it in the Full range.
Using a modern Browning with a 0.745" "Overbored" barrel and a 0.715" choke tube gives a full 30 points of constriction which again is a Full pattern.
Therefore know your bore diameter so you can utilize a choke tube that provides the pattern and range you require.
Final note: do not buy aftermarket choke tubes based on the manufacturer's designation like Full Mod etc. Go strictly by actual measured diameters. A Remington 11-87 Premiere Trap has a 0.745" Overbored barrel and has its own tubes labelled for that barrel. The Full Trap Choke measures the same as a Skeet Choke for a Remington 870 shotgun with a 0.729" bore.
I'm a quarter man I love it 60 yrd shot iner circle
In your opinion with a beretta 682gold e which chokes compination would be better to go general hunting (perdridge-wood pigeons) for medium to long range shots?Thank you!!
1/4 1/4 works for me on clays and game.
Obviously, game cartridges are much higher load and larger lead.
Enlightening excellent reality check chaps.Concludes the fibre wad/plastic wad and good cartridge debate.Steel tests will be interesting.Some years back now we noticed a marked difference on the same high bird shoot when fibre wads became mandatory.Nobel Speed 32grm 5's were king of the hill.With the fibre it has been a journey but upping the shot size and the load/grams was the formula with Teagie 7/8 on the archangels.On the average ''shootable''birds 30grm 4's and 3/8 worked well.
I wonder if a sub 12ftlb air rifle pellet would have more energy at 100yrds than those no6 pellets?
Buenas, tengo una browning b525 sport one, que choke me recomiendas arriba y cual abajo.
Un saludo
Love these videos.
I've recently got back into Air rifles (HW97k) after about 30 years !
I'm now looking at getting my very first Shotgun, would Full & 3/4 be good for a first gun shooting some clay and some game ?
Keep the videos coming they are brilliant.
Much more open 1/4 1/4 would be fine
Good stuff , one thing which gets my goat is the differences Countries have in shot diameter diameter verses size number , eg : here in New Zealand a 7½ is 2.40 mm , In Britain 2.4 mm is a 7 . I would really like to see an international standardisation of shot sizes , maybe in metric diameter , the way load weights are standardised . As for chokes I have been using Light Modified or 3/8 or 0.15" or the metric equivalent ,for about 30 years now , I never change my chokes in sporting clays just my loads . Shot size , hardness, wad type & velocity make a considerable difference to pattern and range in the same choke .
In Denmark a 1. is 4mm and for every number you go up the diameter decrease .25mm, so a 2 is 3.75 a 3 is 3.5 and so on. A 7 would be 2.5 mm. We don't really use half measures, only if the ammo is made in countries that cannot give it a proper number.
I'm a relative novice recreational clay shooter and I've started doing exactly this. I'm also cheap and don't want to spend almost as much as my shotgun cost on choke tubes 😆
Bloody interesting video!!👌👏
Awesome video !!
As a newcomer into Sporting clays.... What would you recommend, Choke wise?
My first gun is a ATA SuperSport.. Running 1/2 and 1/4 chokes..
Most clay courses only require skeet/skeet. Or Skeet/IC… Shooting tighter chokes looks cool when you smoke targets but let me tell ya it sure hurts our scores.
me hitting a clay at 35 to 40 yard i thought i was doing good this make me feel like i got alot a practice to do
Ed, what number of shots used
Hi Ed, got the answer watch the video. Keep up the good shooting mate.👍
So when you moved up to the shot size 6 1/2, and increased speed by 100 FPS. what (lead ) shot speed are we talking about ? not sure I’m clear on the speed the 61/2 was travelling. #6 shot is the common lead hunting size shot, Ive never seen 61/2 lead shot in Canada, is it common in Europe ?
What choke brand you are you using in your Longthorne?
Just do shots on ‘paper’ for different distances in that way we can really see what happens !
Love your videos, GJ! Do you shoot steelshots with full choke?
I usually shoot 3/8 and a 1/2. On short courses I’ll move to a 1/4 and 3/8.
I waited until the very end just to see if you would do what everyone secretly wanted to see……..and ya did 🤣👍
Hi Guys,
Does the choke effect velocity, if the full choke does it reduce or increase velocity?
Presumably yes, but not by any amount that will affect your shooting.
I don't shoot clays but my first gun was 1/2 and full with double triggers and i've used the exact same choke albeit with a much nicer gun for all that time
At least Ed’s better at shooting than he is Shaggy impressions 🤣🤣
Learned from the best!
Hi Johnny, great video. I have a question for your krieghoff buddy - the champ. Will the k80 parcours x come out with a 30 inch barrel?
I don’t know for sure but I would be surprised if they did
Thank God for closed captioning.
What guns you using?
Mr. Solomon's! That was absolutley disgusting! stop defying the laws of physics and accomplishing the highly improbable! Insane shooting skill sir, I walked away from my computer twice in disbelief, with some of those hits.
I like sporting clays.
12g O/U M/IC
.410 O/U F/M
UPDATE
Now my 12g is LM in both and my .410 M in both.
👍🏻
I don’t shoot good enough to make any difference by changing them.
I like 1/2 chokes U/O some days in bad weather I like 3/4 3/4 U/O.
With 32"barrels
Read High Pheasants in Theory and Practice by Payne Galloway , chokes , distances etc etc on Duck and Pheasant Penetration with different shot sizes ! Conclusion 7 shot , max Half Choke ? ?
Thank you much. I suppose its time for me to sign up for your patreon or support page. What gun is Solomons shooting and yours as wellplease?
What jacket is ed wearing?
God, that's impressive.
Johnny did you crawl through the hedges to the clay grounds or something? 😂😊
👍👍💯💯
More of that 🙂
I thought Solomons was going to need his passport there .... 😳
Won't mention Johnny's shoes 🙄
Excellent stuff as always chaps !
Prob going through the pattern.
Always use full choke,a tighter pattern at distance but up close it ain't much different to a skeet pattern,,
Oh ,and the string is longer and more dense,great for sporting,,skeet just can't manage it,,
"All those people thinking they are shooting pheasants at 60 or 70 yards arent"
But just a little bit earlier in the video he admits they haven't measured yards in this test and are just guessing. So are they really shooting 60 to 70 yards 🤔
28ga skeet skeet fixed had shocking range
I’ll give it a try
I only shoot clays and very few grounds put on anything bigger than 50-60 yards these days. 1/4 & 3/8 chokes in my CG with 28g 7.5/8s for everything other than really long or really close. I'll then use 1/2 or 3.4 for long range and Cylinder or Skeet for really close. Hull Parcour Extended Range will kill mostly anything if you put the gun in the right place.
Changing your choke every other stand is an additional distraction I don't need!
Shoes?
you have to consider shot drop at that distance.
Bingo!!!
3/4 in both
This goes to show that there's no reason an experiment can't be fun.