# Favorite Choke and Loads



## collegekid

Not trying to start a debate. Just respond with your go to/favorite choke and load. I know it can depend on what you are hunting. But if you had to choose just one choke and load what would it be? I have been second guessing my choices lately and would like to hear what works for you.

Mine:

1. Carlsons Modified choke tube (it is a tight modified) meant for up to 40ish yards. 
2. Blind side #2's in the 3"

It seems like this set up works well for about anything from big to small without wounding and losing birds or turning them into hamburger.


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## firstflight111

now i shoot carlsons mod choke the 3/4 extended out of my rem 887 that gives me 29 ins and... i shoot winchester xpert hi-velocity 1550 fps most of the time it's 3.5 from 4s to bb and i kill ducks and geese just fine out to 80 yards ....
but if i olny had one load to get it would be winchester xpert 3.5. 2s and a mod choke ..good all around load ...


now with the blind side i did not like it at all we shot it alot last year was not happy with it way to many cripples for me ...


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## collegekid

Thanks for the reply. 

I was shooting an 887 until the first week of the North zone when the tube jammed on me. At first I thought it was the expert 3.5's that i was shooting messed something up, then I determined the orange "plug" needed cleaned. So far no problems since then. i have been hesitant to go back to the 3.5" experts in #2, but your vote of confidence in them means a lot. Thanks again.

Anyone else wanna chime in on your favorites?


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## firstflight111

collegekid said:


> Thanks for the reply.
> 
> I was shooting an 887 until the first week of the North zone when the tube jammed on me. At first I thought it was the expert 3.5's that i was shooting messed something up, then I determined the orange "plug" needed cleaned. So far no problems since then. i have been hesitant to go back to the 3.5" experts in #2, but your vote of confidence in them means a lot. Thanks again.
> 
> Anyone else wanna chime in on your favorites?


i shoot 500 to 600 rounds of them a year at duck's and geese ...and i have shot just abut evey load out there still go back to winchester .....


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## floater99

I like a mod choke with Winchester Spr X 3" BBs for ducks and geese.No more 3.5s for me I must be gitin weak.Mos 835 Ultra mag.


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## Wingbuster

Hevi Metal #2's out of a Gold Hunter rigged with a Briley LM tube. Kills birds dead when I don't miss.


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## ducky152000

Experts, 3.5 3s for duck, 3.5 BBs for geese, I shoot two cases a year and usualy only get 1 or 2 miss fires, cant beat em for price, I shoot a Carlson mod, Beretta extrema.


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## huntindoggie22

Extra full Winchester Experts 3.5 BB. 


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## collegekid

Thanks for all of the replies. It is very interesting to see how many people shoot the winchesters!


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## Plavo

Pattern Master and Winchester experts #2's. Gets the job done


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## dsoy28

Had two seasons of peppering birds and losing them with xperts, actually opened one up and it looked pretty shady, switched to black cloud this year and have had much better results, flitestopper steel has done the job for me. Particularly the new close range for ducks, snow goose loads in the field.

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## firstflight111

dsoy28 said:


> Had two seasons of peppering birds and losing them with xperts, actually opened one up and it looked pretty shady, switched to black cloud this year and have had much better results, flitestopper steel has done the job for me. Particularly the new close range for ducks, snow goose loads in the field.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


i dont know about that.. i have shot about ever load out there i dont loose but 3 or 4 birds a year and we shoot tons of them

it may be you choke is to open for long range shooting ..it may be the size of shells you'r shooting ..just remember black cloud is half steel and half flitestopper to me it waist to much meat on ducks and geese .....


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## dsoy28

Close range black cloud is 100% flitestopper I believe, have had one instance of ruined breasts on a really close goose shot, that's it though. I shoot imp modified, not saying xpert doesn't work, just sharing my experience, ya get what ya pay for.

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## firstflight111

dsoy28 said:


> Close range black cloud is 100% flitestopper I believe, have had one instance of ruined breasts on a really close goose shot, that's it though. I shoot imp modified, not saying xpert doesn't work, just sharing my experience, ya get what ya pay for.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


have you tried other chokes ..i don't know what gun you shoot or how long it is.. with my 887 it's 28 ins with my carlsons extend mod choke gives me 29 in's and with 3.5 i can crush birds out to 80 yards ...


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## Plavo

Dsoy28........ I just shoot em in the head....no need to worry about losing them


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## dsoy28

80 yards.........
I'm with plavo, I don't eat the head ha.

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## dsoy28

Anyways, does anybody have any input on the kicks tubes? Thinking about trying em

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## surffishn

I like Patternmaster choke tube with Kent faststeel #2 3.5 in. works on ducks and geese. I use this in A Benneli SBE II and A Browning gold.I like the Benelli for fit has 3 different butt pads. But the Browning is the boss on the pattern board. Every Benelli we checked patterns poor compared to the back bored barrels. Mossberg 835 will out pattern A SBE II.All patterns were at 40yds 30in circle.I heard good things about the Black cloud loads. But have never used it because it is not recomended with A Patternmaster. It is time consuming to do A lot of pattern tests. But once done it well worth it.


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## Plavo

Kicks choke tube. Kicks A$$


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## Carpn

I shoot a extrema2 with a Carlson close range extended tube. I usually love the Kent shells but have recently started shooting hevimetal and they seem to have more uummmpff for sure .


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## Carpn

I have a mid and long range Carlson but don't hardly use em. Just got em this yr. Previously always just shot mod or improved mod factory tubes .


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## turkey guy 88

I shoot a patteren master with black cloud #3 abd won't shoot anything else its awesome


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## firstflight111

dsoy28 said:


> Anyways, does anybody have any input on the kicks tubes? Thinking about trying em
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


heres my thoughts on ported chokes all of them.. i want my gasses pushing that load down my gun not out the ports ..more down range nock down power ..and it the same with a simi auto i want all the down range power i can get ...


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## NorthSouthOhioFisherman

Patternmaster Extra Range. Any shell but the cheap stuff. This takes away sky busting, you can actually bring them down! Close or far lol I love it!


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## ducky152000

Even, if you are killing birds at 60 to 80 yds up, I still call it skybusting. 99% of the time I will not fire the first shot until they are at least 30 yds and setting there wings, but to each there own.


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## firstflight111

ducky152000 said:


> Even, if you are killing birds at 60 to 80 yds up, I still call it skybusting. 99% of the time I will not fire the first shot until they are at least 30 yds and setting there wings, but to each there own.


yes but when you hunt with kid's you let them shoot first the pick up whats left ..and that not an everyday thing just when kids are there ..sometimes i dont take my gun just blind and calls and a dog and let the kids shoot it out ..like this day when i wish i had my gun ..










many ducks where shot at only 3 where killed ...









you call it sky busting i call it showing the kids a good time ...


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## JimmyZ

Last couple yrs black cloud 2 s and 3 s. 3 in. Carlson black cloud choke mid ranged. Just got a long range but I haven't fired thru it yet. Pattern master also good with kent, Xperts, and hevi metal, which got to rich for my blood. I get the bc by the case when the cabelas $20 off coupon comes in. Also cheaper by case.


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## firstflight111

the only thing with black cloud is it still just steel ...


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## walleyekiller

firstflight111 said:


> yes but when you hunt with kid's you let them shoot first the pick up whats left ..and that not an everyday thing just when kids are there ..sometimes i dont take my gun just blind and calls and a dog and let the kids shoot it out ..like this day when i wish i had my gun ..
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That's funny, because on a different forum you said you were backing the kids up after they shot. Did you take the guns from your kids reload and shoot then?


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## Plavo

from what I hear unless you have a pattern master specifically for black cloud you risk blowing your barrel up do to the wad design in clouds


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## walleyekiller

That is a nice pinnie your boy shot


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## dsoy28

Just bought the carlsons black cloud choke, talked to the manufacturer and they mentioned that a full choke can do that with large steel shot if not specifically designed for steel

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## quick draw mcgraw 15

firstflight111 said:


> yes but when you hunt with kid's you let them shoot first the pick up whats left ..and that not an everyday thing just when kids are there ..sometimes i dont take my gun just blind and calls and a dog and let the kids shoot it out ..like this day when i wish i had my gun ..
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i can attest that was a great day Calvin dropped that drake pintail and it was awesome!


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## firstflight111

walleyekiller said:


> That's funny, because on a different forum you said you were backing the kids up after they shot. Did you take the guns from your kids reload and shoot then?


no see i hunt many days ..sorry you should know that by now some day's i take a gun.. some day's i dont have my gun and just work my dog ..and let the kids shoot ..when the kids are there we let them shoot first and then we shoot ..

no i dont take my son's gun from him ..if i need to shoot i can take my own gun ..and he know how to take care of his gun ..

and when you have kid's that hunt you will get it somedays you just let them have there day and smile no matter how many great shots they miss or how many birds they get or how many shell it takes to get the birds down or the snacks pack you have to have 

IT'S all about the smile on there face ..


































now see that's what it all about ..


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## Bowhunter57

Shotgun brands and barrel lengths, along with shot sizes and ammo speeds, along with the brand/length/restriction of a choke tube are variables that never seem to end and make it tough to find the right combination for good patterns.

"Good patterns" is a variable in its' self and a lot if it depends on how the shooter is hunting. I'm a pass shooter and tend to take longer shots...plus, I prefer goose hunting over duck hunting. I'll shoot a duck, if it flys by, but I prefer geese. 

I have a Russian Baikal MP-153 (auto-loader) with a 24" barrel and I use a Terror choke with a .685" restriction. My ammo is 3 1/2" Kent Fast Steel in BBBs at 1550 f.p.s. This combination gives me a 91% pattern at 40 yards, inside a 30" circle. I've regularly killed geese at 55+ yards with this set up.










Admittedly, it's a little harsh on the ducks. 
Bowhunter57


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## Nelliboy2

Kicks full with kent 3" #1s for all around and #3s out of the layout. That choke is in my gun from doves to snows and late season honkers.


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## 2120Tom

I've become very fond of my Grand Passage ImpMod made by Briley. All season, all premium loads #2s, 1s and BB in 3 inch and now for the late season using premium 3 1/2" BB. (no BC or any gimmick ammo)
It throws a really good pattern at farther ranges, as it should, and it gives me the (needed) confidence as I'm older and slower  out of the laydown and I'm usually not the one calling the shot.
Did a LOT of trap shooting this past summer/fall and have got to say it REALLY improved my waterfowl shooting. More head shots than ever before.


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## dsoy28

Same here....shooting clays in August helped me a lot this year

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## Nelliboy2

Shooting clays in the off season helps a ton IMO. A few times a summer we will load up the layouts and toast off a few boxes of clays. Makes for a lot better gunning experience come season.


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## Captain Kevin

I run a Carlson extended range tube through my Nova with 3.5 bb's in X-perts. I've tried 1 box of the cloud, and came to the conclusion that stuff is for people who pass shoot, or can't decoy birds well. That stuff tears the living dog sh*t out of birds at 20 yards in. The x-perts shoot well out of my gun, and I'm consistant out to 45 yards. I did water swat a cripple at about 70 yards, but lets face it, when doing that it is more of a case of "the magic BB" than it is skill. My girlfriend however shoot an 870 Supermag with a Rem-choke steel full and she kills birds out to about 45 yards as well. I'm not sure of her actual effective distance because she won't shoot much past 35-40. Good Girl.


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