16ga.com ~ View topic - What chokes to use in 16ga. O/U with #4 & #5 shot

Joined: 19 Apr 2011 Posts: 44

What chokes would be best using #4 & #5 shot in a 16ga. O/U on wild pheasants?

Joined: 29 Nov 2018 Posts: 23 Location: United States

I use #5 only with pheasant and put in a modified in the bottom barrel and improved modified in the top. They pattern better for me than #4 shot.

Joined: 13 Oct 2015 Posts: 151 Location: SE Ks

I use I/C and Mod in my SxS, but they are a little tighter than most. Took a pair of roosters opening weekend with the I/c barrel at 35-40 yards. 1 1/8 oz load that does pattern tight.

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1257 Location: Nebraska

I haven't used 4s in a while and never patterned them, but did construct 1oz loads of 5s for pheasants and big grouse and ran them through a variety of choke tubes in my Citori. They made Full choke patterns starting around .020" of constriction and looked fine although I did not compare with an eye toward best distribution. The shot was Lawrence Brand Magnum, known to be very high quality, softer shot might have performed very differently.

The particular shells you buy or reload will function with their own particular set of attributes in your chokes. Patterning will let you know for certain, but lacking that I'd go with anything appropriate to the ranges you expect to be shooting.

When I used 4s the barrel was straight cylinder, this was on opening days in Iowa where the shots were very close and very common.

https://shotgunreport.com/2014/04/21/choke-designations-really-explained/

Really nicely done article, choke is a compromise you never have exactly what you feel like you need most of the time.

Buy a couple of boxes of your shells you have in question , go shoot a round of Skeet with one a round of trap with the other , the answers will reveal themselves to you.

I have bought soooo many of these European SXS' and O/U one barrel is Cylinder the other is Full , I find that those folks had some grey matter between the ears.

Good luck with your hunt it sure is a barrel of fun .

Best regards Nick

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1257 Location: Nebraska

Just a fair notice, W-S, most trap and skeet ranges and all but one that I've shot do not allow shot any larger than 7.5's. For most it is a safety issue and for some it is an environmental concern. There is no doubt larger shot occasionally finds its way to the shooting stand with no harm done, but if you are discovered to be violating stated policy you will in all likelihood be asked to leave and not return. I have shot registered Trap at a range built on a friend's property with a very long cleared downrange area, and expect he would have let us try out large shot loads informally, most ranges would not have that luxury.

Gentlemen,

kgs is correct, most ranges do not allow any shot bigger than 7 1/2, you can get in big trouble with the management of most of these places testing your #4 & #5 shells shooting clays. For this reason I set a patterning board on my own property to test pattern my different shells for our Classic American and Best German double guns.

Sometimes the management of these places will let you use their patterning boards using #4 & #5 shells, I would ask before using their patterning set ups however.

kgb,
Please contact me at Pine-Creek@live.com Ken G and I are going to set up a Grouse hunt in the UP next season, was hoping you might show up and bring one of your Grouse hunting buddies.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 477

Early in the year over pointing dogs, IC/Mod works fine. Later in the year or over flushing dogs, I have had good results with LMod/ImpMod.

Same for 6s...Modified and Full.

But, which shot you use is less about a range of constriction and more about the other elements of the shot/bird....and what will, odds on, work.

4s let out air better and 5s win on paper, imho....modified or full will allow either to show their stuff.

Truthfully, either shot size or constriction is less important then knowing when to shoot and when not to shoot.
Neither will either trump our mistakes, often enough.

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2126 Location: Hudson,Wy

Here's the truth of the matter. Nobody can tell you for sure. Only the pattern board will give an absolute answer. Now, on to some generalizations that may be helpful. Larger shot sizes pattern tighter in a given degree of choke. Larger shot sizes will also exhibit problems of being "over choked" sooner than smaller sizes: in other words, you can squeeze 7 1/2's through a much tighter choke than #4's before the patterns deteriorate.

In a 16, full choke and #4 shot (or even #5-been down that road) will likely not play well together, especially if the full choke is as tight as the standard once was. Modern screw in chokes are often not as tight as once was the standard though. Measuring the constrictions will provide a good comparison and the Hallowel choke chart online gives a great listing of choke measurements.

If you are just wanting to make a guess and do expect long shots, go with improved modified...and buffered loads (if you can find them).

Also, #5 will typically do all that a 16 ga. is capable of doing on pheasants anyway. There just are not enough pellets in a 16 ga. charge of #4 and the bore really is a bit small to handle them well. I wouldn't expect 4's to have a reliable and consistent pattern beyond 50 yards, which is where you would actually need that extra punch. If 4's are required to get the job done, it's time to step up to a 12 or 10 ga. gun. This comes from a guy who has spent his life doing such things. Good luck and enjoy your pheasant hunts.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1842 Location: Central ND

I will assume you are hunting pheasants.

Chokes for native birds.

.010" to .015" for the under barrel.

.020" to .025" for the over barrel.

My Citori is choked .012" and .023"

1 1/8 oz. of #6 magnum lead shot have been killing native birds for me since 1993. I do not hunt preserves. I hunt private farm land in Nebraska.

#5's are OK too, but #6 for me have the edge.

#4 shot has never patterned well in any of my 16 gauge guns.

The only change I might make is a more open choke for the under barrel.

When I was shooting an 1100 16 Gauge the choke was .015" it proved to be a good compromise.

Guest

We tend to overanalyze choke and no one is more guilty than I am. Here's a quick story. I've always liked my 12 gauges when I travel to hunt pheasants, and it's just how my comfort zone has evolved. I started going to Iowa in 1983 and hunted through the whole glorious 90's CRP thing. This year out in South Dakota I started with my usual 12 gauge OU with my standard 1 1/4 oz. of 5's. I missed my first three birds which threw a monkey wrench into my shooting. I felt like my off-eye was grabbing the barrels and soon I was squinting and riding, not good. I rebounded for the day, but felt "off" with the normally reliable 686-12. I had been shooting my FAIR Iside pretty well this past summer, and took an extra step by sand-fitting the slightly high comb before UplandDanFan did his amazing work. The next day it rained and I took a bird with my A5-12, but we quit when the rain got heavy, and pheasant hunting in the rain is a waste of time imho. That next day I grabbed my 16 gauge Iside and left the Cyl/Mod tubes in place and shot the B&P 5's. I was thinking i probably should have swapped the Cyl for the IC tube, but I had had enough thinking and just grabbed the gun and went with it. All that said, from that point on I don't think I've ever shot better on a trip, and the birds were spooky and not holding for points, and of course there was wind. Didn't matter, the gun just came up and on, and did its job. In the end it wasn't so much about the perfect pattern, it came down to removing the brain, and focus on the bird. Not the technical answer you probably wanted, but it's the main ingredient. Not knowing how you shoot, I'd go with IC/Mod, and even SK/Mod if you have a skeet tube in your Citori.

I agree with Dave don't overthink the choke thing. Charles was trying to point out that shooting a clay bird will tell you a lot more about your 3 dimensional pattern than 2 dimensional patterns on paper. Large shot, heavy payloads and tight chokes tend to lengthen your shot string.

The more I shoot in the Dakota's the more I really find that Cylinder or just a few points of construction is the best thing going .

THE VAST majority of folks do not have the skills to make shots past the capabilities of what CYL or Skeet can deliver.

Prove it yourself roll up your sleeves and GO SHOOT , your scores will tell you what is needed to know , shoot only low gun same as hunting.

I acquire lots of powder burners to find the ONE I CAN HIT WITH , now I must admit I have went a bit overboard and have now a goodly number of magic wand's .

A magic wand is a tool that irregardless of choke can be used low gun only and run a Skeet field .

I keep those only, the others goes to others in need.

Regards Nick

Choke for most is between the ears , monkey see target , monkey shoot target , monkey get banana.

I work with lots of folks , those that learn shorter stocks , shooting square with the gun , shooting loads that do not kick , smaller shot at higher speeds
Put more game in the bag.

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1257 Location: Nebraska