re: Preferred Choke for Duck Hunting

Yep.

Very few shotguns pattern bad with factory chokes. The only one I've ever had was a crack barrel 20 gauge that didn't shoot anything very well. The rest have been plenty good enough with a factory choke and federal or estate steel shot. Rio steel supposedly does good too but I've never used it. Winchester xpert is all I've really had problems with and no choke is going to pattern out of round shot well. The only reason I even have a patternmaster is for buckshot.

When steel first became law everybody was still shooting fixed modified or improved cylinder guns and still killing ducks. You can always improve patterns by shooting what your gun likes, rather than making the gun like the shells. Nothing except hevi shot or bismuth will enable sky busting.

Factory full on my SX3

"IT'S EASY, YOU JUST DONT LEAD THEM AS MUCH" ~ FMJ

Don't overthink it, the modified choke that came with your gun will do everything a duck can do.

quote:

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What's he shooting? Lead?

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No joke. Even that good ol lead shot #5, back in the day, couldn't do that.

Maybe he shot them at 40 and they fell at 70???

Use a Trulock ported skeet 2 (IC?) on my Maxus when hunting over decoys. Also have the Carlsons mid range ported choke (Mod?). Shoot Kent #4s 1-1/8oz, pattern great.

From my experience rems have a tighter barrel and I shot a light mod for ducks, IC was a little too open and MOD too tight
Berettas have a more open bore and a MOD choke is fine, although for geese I will sometimes use a light full as I would rather a clean hit or miss

For chokes I have gone w/ the carlson waterfowl packs they have 3 extended chokes for about $100, an IC MOD and light full – good chokes and good value.
One of my 391s came w beretta extended factory chokes and they pattern very nicely.

Rob Roberts Custom gun works has a 3 choke system that is the best hands down. T1, T2, and T3 are setup for range of shot, pattern density, and shot string control. Beats anything that pattern aster, Carlson's, heavy metal and all these fly by night choke companies have on the market. You can even send you gun to him for $75 he will do all pattern testing and if one of those 3 chokes is being out preformed by a competitor at a certain range in your gun he tells you. Also matches cartridge manufacturer and the shot to the choke for best overall result. For an extra $75 he will hone your forcing cone which is actually the key to any shot string control.

You should put choke tubes in with assembly grease if you're not a habitual choke changer.

You're not the first and won't be the last.

Soaking it in kroil for a day or two will probably break it free if you ever need to get it out. That'd bother the shite out of me

Put it back in coated with either grease motor oil and you shouldn't have to worry about it again.

I have honestly never pulled the trigger on a duck over 50yds. Ever. 80% are 5yds to 30yds.