Advice on choke tubes

Yep, depends on what range you will be shooting. Whether on the coast, a simple farm tank, or whatever, I find it's usually a farther shot than a dove so I usually have a modified choke in.

No offense, but if you don't know what choke to use, shooting at 50 yards is sky busting...

Run a modified. Wayyy to many people thing they are phil robertson and think they are doing good with their super full goose chokes and 3.5s on ducks. Shoot some 3in #2 with a modified choke and leadem.

If you want to splurge I like to shoot the hevi metals when the cases go on sale and they have 50 dollar rebates. Gets me down to about 16 dollars a box for some decent shells.

If not rio blue steel is hella cheap and kills ducks

Go to the store and get the mid-range Patten master. Wide enough to bust them at 15 yds, but with enough practice out to 60.

Steel will pattern 1 choke tighter than the chart above. Steel out of cylinder will pattern similar to improved cylinder.

Me too

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I shoot a light-modified (between improved and modified). I've made some impressively long followup shots with it, but also don't punch holes through decoying birds.

If you want to stick to the factory chokes, then modified is probably your best option for ducks, although depending on your exact situation, improved cylinder could be a better option if you shoot primarily decoying birds.

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Funny you say this as I am experimenting with a light modified from Jeb's Chokes.

Spot on. I had my Jap Browning A-5 barrel opened up from full to loose Modified. Also called skeet 2. Good for decoying birds and I can kill them at 50 yards also. The American Waterfowler magazine had an article about it this month. Barrel constriction diameters are as follows: IC-.720;L Mod-.715; and Mod is .710. As you can see, the L Mod is the exactly between IC and Mod. Be aware that Improved Mod. is between Mod and Full and should not be confused with L Mod. If interested, IM is .705 and Full is .695.

All these people talking about 15-25 yard shots are duck hunting idealist. Sure, everyone loves birds cupped in the decoys, but on a slow day are y'all really not shooting at the teal buzzing you at 35-40yards? Also, having a tight choke isn't all about distance you can shoot, it's about having the density in your pattern to kill ducks and not cripple them. Shooting a full choke on decoying ducks allows you to kill them dead as a door nail, it's either a clean kill or a clean miss. I rather miss clean then put 1-2 pellets in a duck and have it die 3 days later because my pattern was too wide and I'm a bad shot.

EDIT: Also, your follow up shots are very important and are seldom under 30 yards