Trap Choke

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  • gibby

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 28, 2007
    1,996
    Bel Air, MD
    What is the best choke for Trap? Skeet? Sporting Clays?
     

    HoChiWaWa

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 27, 2007
    1,414
    Montgomery Village
    for Skeet I use a skeet choke and an IC, the difference between them is nominal and either is fine, in general you want very little constriction as skeet is always shot fairly close range.

    I haven't shot much trap but I hear it varies depending on your style, if you take them right out of the house IC-M if you take your time you may want to go as far as full.
     

    trapture

    Surplus Rifle Lover
    Apr 27, 2007
    1,878
    Dundalk-Ish
    Skeet +1 Skeet & IC

    Trap Full Choke Both Barrels or 1 Full and one Modified (or one step above Full). I know at Loch Raven they have some really long distance shots and I needed the full Choke.
     

    E.Shell

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 5, 2007
    10,247
    Mid-Merlind
    +1 on the skeet choke recommendations. More open is better, since the longest shots are "close". At Station 8, the birds are literally right on top of you and even "Cylinder Bore" will smoke them if you're on. While any shot size will do fine at these ranges, pattern density with the more open chokes is better with smaller shot, #9's have sufficient energy to break any skeet bird, so it allows one to shoot a more open choke (broader pattern) without giving up anything.

    For trap, unless shooting from the 27 yard handicap line, "Modified" #7-1/2's or #8's work well for most shooters. Regular trap puts you 16 yards behind the traphouse average shots are 20-25 yards, 30 if you take your time.

    At the 27 yard handicap line, you're that far back for the traphouse and will need to get on the birds a little quicker with more open trap chokes. Unless you're really quick, you'll want at least "Improved Modified", and would have more decisive breaks with "Full", and #7-1/2's are better, due to more pellet energy giving better breaks and more visible chips, which count as a broken bird if you can see them.

    Shooting "International" style in either game, where the gun is not shouldered until the bird is launched, typically requires chokes on the tighter side. This is because the bird is getting away and ranges increase during the gun mount.

    #7-1/2 is a good compromise for both games, and #8's will only cost you the very farthest targets that are on the pattern fringes with 27 yard trap.

    As with many shotgun sports, it's common to inadvertently handicap one's self by going to a too tight choke, whether for too close targets, or too soon in the learning curve. Anything beyond "Skeet I" or Skeet II" places unnecessary challenge on the beginner on the skeet field, and anything beyond "Modified" does the same for the new 16 yard trap shooter. Shooting "American" style from "regular positions", there are no skeet targets too far for "Cylinder Bore" and any reasonable shot size, and no 16 yd trap targets that cannot be broken decisively with a "Modified" load of #8's.

    LOL, IDriveB5, when you consistently _smoke_ them at Station 8 with your Turkey Choke ("Extra Full"), you KNOW you're on top of your game. :thumbsup:
     

    bulabula

    Member
    Nov 27, 2007
    62
    Millersville, MD
    +2 on the open chokes. For trap shooting, if you're a beginner and shooting from the 16 yard line, you can use skeet or IC and smaller shot without issue. Its when you start backing up towards the 27 yard line/or shooting doubles/or international that you need a tighter choke and bigger shot for down range energy.
     

    GTOGUNNER

    IANAL, PATRIOT PICKET!!
    Patriot Picket
    Dec 16, 2010
    5,492
    Carroll County!
    Thanks for posting. I don't own a dedicated Trap gun, have experimented with chokes, but this does provide some insight. Time to change guns again.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    Read this article recently and thought it would be a good post for those like me looking for some guidance on this whole issue of choke selection for Clay shooting. Some interesting insight here that I wasn't necessarily expecting after reading recommendations for choke selections on several different forums.

    https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/longgun_reviews_st_headintheclouds_201002/99884

    That is an awesome read and it really explains a lot. So, no matter what choke you use, there will always be a 15" killing pattern from the muzzle through the end of the effective penetration level of the pellets being used. Now, how large or small the fringe killing area around that 15" core killing pattern is, is what the choke selection does.

    Gist of it is, if you can get the bird within that 15" core killing pattern, you will always have a dead "bird". Chokes just allow more room for error.

    Shot sporting clays at PG this morning and the only chokes I used were IC and M. Shot in the low, low 40's and when I missed, I knew why I missed and it wasn't because of choke selection.

    Of course, I own every tube from Cylinder to Extra Full. Some have never even been used.
     

    Boats

    Beer, Bikes n Boomsticks
    Mar 13, 2012
    4,073
    Howeird County
    Depends on shot size and barrel length and shooting Dynamics like aim and reaction time.

    A longer barrel reduces swing time and keeps the wad together longer so it may benefit from a more open choke.

    A shorter barrel increases swing and reduces time the wad stays together and may benefit from a more restrictive choke.

    Similarly, quick reflexes may benefit from a looser choke to ensure a little more margin of error in getting a hit

    Slower reflexes may benefit from a tighter choke to keep the pattern together longer, since the clay is moving away
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    One data point to add. It takes 3 pellets to hit the clay to get a reliable break.

    One of the instructors that used to work with Gil and Vicki (he and Gil taught the OSP course I attended), actually did testing. He hung clays above a plastic sheet, shot them, and then put the pieces back together. 1 or 2 pellets MIGHT break it or chip it, but 3 will break it.
     

    pbharvey

    Habitual Testifier
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    30,160
    One data point to add. It takes 3 pellets to hit the clay to get a reliable break.

    One of the instructors that used to work with Gil and Vicki (he and Gil taught the OSP course I attended), actually did testing. He hung clays above a plastic sheet, shot them, and then put the pieces back together. 1 or 2 pellets MIGHT break it or chip it, but 3 will break it.

    When we shoot at a friend’s farm we go and collect the unbroken birds. Most have a hole or two punched through them.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    When we shoot at a friend’s farm we go and collect the unbroken birds. Most have a hole or two punched through them.

    I read an article in Sporting Clays magazine many moons ago wherein the author walked the clays field to find unbroken clays. He found lots of them at several different ranges. He found some with one pellet strike, some with two pellet strikes, but never any with three pellet strikes.

    What I learned from the article posted, keep it within the 15" sweet spot and then you do not need to worry about the choke. Should break 50/50 the next time on the sporting clays range. lol
     

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