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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ An arsenal in your pocket |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 10:41 am
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2126
Location: Hudson,Wy
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The last few days I have pondered installing Briley choke tubes in my Ithaca N.I.D. 16 gauge. After all, there are days (okay, all of them) when I pick my gun based on what I expect the birds to offer. No matter how we prepare, what we know, and how well our dog is feeling, at the end of the day we have still played by the birds' rules and always will.
With experience, these predictions are more accurate. However, the day I am seven miles from the truck still chasing chukars up, over, and across canyon walls, the birds won't let me within 40 yards. Yep, I am carrying the open bored gun. Perseverance eventually pays off and for whatever reason the one bird that wears the dunce hat finally hunkers behind a rock; flushing under foot as Rusty chases him toward me, just right for that skeet choke. Hope I don't miss after all of this effort. Now if I had a pocket full of choke tubes, full and extra full would tilt the odds in my favor greatly.
Then there are the days when wind suddenly kicks up and every duck on the lake comes peeling over the cattails at eye level. Of course I started the day, when it was dead calm and clear as a crystal vase, with a gun choked for ducks skirting the far side of the spread. I use more ammo than I should, hope I don't mutilate the few I do hit, and wish for the cylinder bored O/U I used in my college days. Now with choke tubes...
I have owned guns with screw ins and they have been handy at times, but there are drawbacks too. Versatility is a double edged sword.
You never seem to have the right tube in at the right time anyway. Murphy, you know Murphy and his law, right? Anyway, Murphy is the invisible force that determines when and how far away a covey of huns will erupt. Murphy knows what choke combo you have. Don't ask me how, he just does. You can't fool Murphy. But still, there is the appeal.
Of course there are ethical implications. What happens with the other guns? Will I orphan them in the safe allowing them to collect the dust of neglect? Choke impaired guns need love too. I suppose that I could send them all to Briley. Oh wait, I still have a mortgage. I doubt that the wall thickness in the Lefever is sufficient anyway and it would be a crime to leave that one sitting home too often; I mean there is a certain amount of obligation here.
One gun that does it all? That is a perfectly sensible and logical concept, one that frees up capital resources, solves the issues of switching from one gun to another, and if I had one, would likely please a spouse as well. Choke tubes make this entirely possible.
I could happily hunt the rest of my life behind the one dog I now have and I think Rusty knows that. Logically I should be able to do the same with only one shotgun. One gun, only one... where would the fun be in that? Yep, choke tubes are evil.
[[URL=http://www.jpgbox.com/page/53732_1024x683/]
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Last edited by WyoChukar on Mon Mar 26, 2018 4:25 pm; edited 1 time in total _________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 3:09 pm
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Member
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
Posts: 1946
Location: Central CT
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I don’t know about guns but I have had 3 dogs any one of which I could have hunted behind the rest of my life......of course the little girl GSP May that I hunt with now might make that #4. |
_________________ Mark |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 3:17 pm
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I’m not convinced you should go with tubes, but you are a pretty resourceful guy. If anyone would switch choke tubes in a gun far from the truck and start dropping wild flushing birds it’s you.
Hard to beat those 16 gauge bird guns in your picture. I have a very similar trio! |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 3:56 pm
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Joined: 12 Feb 2018
Posts: 258
Location: West-central Missouri
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Screw-in chokes? Nahw. Have extra barrels fitted in varying lengths & chokes with a custom case to keep them all safe. |
_________________ An ounce of fives, the smell of nitro in paper hulls, wet gundog, and Hoppe's #9... |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 4:01 pm
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Here's my classic 16 group. Fox is the lightest and I'm debating on opening the M/F chokes a bit. The Elsie is IC/Mod and the Parker is F/F. Maybe I just need a couple gun bearers to tag along and hand me the appropriate gun when the bird goes up.
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 4:44 pm
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Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 687
Location: Ontario
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More guns, extra barrels. Screw-in chokes are bad. |
_________________ 1921 Pieper 29" 6 lbs 10 oz
2003 Citori White Lightning 26" 6 lbs 10 oz
1932 Husqvarna 310AS 29.5" 6 lbs 7 oz
1925 Ferlach 29" 6 lbs 7 oz
1923 Greifelt 29" 6 lbs 1 oz
1928 Simson 29.5" 6 lbs
1893 Lindner Daly FW 28” 5 lb 11oz |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 5:01 pm
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Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were
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I had Briley tube a Parker Steel Shot Special...probably the #1 dumbest gun alteration that I have ever decided upon.
However, it made sense at the time.....as many bad decisions often do.
Lesson learned.
Choke tubes have a place...actually two places...a 12 BUL and a drawer in an oak chest.
Options...are rarely all they are cracked up to be...chokes, triggers or spreader loads.
I make an exception for screwdrivers.
Do as you wish...we all do. |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 5:46 pm
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Member
Joined: 15 Mar 2007
Posts: 601
Location: Virginia
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I prefer to keep a gun original, especially those which are no longer made. It is a truism that tight chokes can be made to produce wide patterns by manipulating the ammunition, but there are limits on the reverse problem of getting a tight pattern from an open choke. If that is the problem you face, choke tubes may be the only answer. |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 6:17 pm
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Member
Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 680
Location: MAINE
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tramroad28 wrote: |
I had Briley tube a Parker Steel Shot Special...probably the #1 dumbest gun alteration that I have ever decided upon.
However, it made sense at the time.....as many bad decisions often do.
Lesson learned.
Choke tubes have a place...actually two places...a 12 BUL and a drawer in an oak chest.
Options...are rarely all they are cracked up to be...chokes, triggers or spreader loads.
I make an exception for screwdrivers.
Do as you wish...we all do.
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I think the choke tubes craze duped us all at one time . I too learned too late . |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 6:48 pm
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Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1395
Location: Tappahannock, Virginia
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I’m a full believer in spreader loads. I’ve patterned two of my M/F guns with my reloads and comparing those with the spreader inserts vs those without gave favorable results in opening the pattern and a satisfactory pattern density.
Having said that, I also have an Ithaca 37R that has a polychoke installed. I’ll take it dove hunting and it is nice to dial up or down when conditions dictate. Even quicker than changing choke tubes and it patterns nicely to boot. Even though aesthetically I think the polychoke ruins the lines of the gun, it is functionally fine and I like the results... I’ve sold a few other pump guns, but the Ithaca is staying. Generally prefer doubles with double triggers, btw. |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 7:26 pm
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Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 694
Location: MN
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Nothing agaist choke tubes but you can achieve very good results by just patterning different shells from different makers....and its a lot less expensive. No changing tubes or losing keys. Just pull a different shell from your vest. |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 7:30 pm
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Member
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
Posts: 1946
Location: Central CT
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I have both types of shotguns, some with tubes and some without.
I have never changed tubes halfway through a hunt.
I like tubes, I like fixed.
I don’t have any fixed choked shotgun tighter than modified and I don’t hunt any upland bird (including turkey) with anything tighter than modified.
I do like spreaders for ruffed grouse and woodcock.
Would I have another older shotgun fitted with tubes? Only if I was going to use the shotgun for both Clays and game on a regular basis. |
_________________ Mark |
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Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2018 8:17 pm
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Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Posts: 209
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Another vote for buying yourself an Ithaca 37, Model 12, or Auto5 with a PolyChoke, at least for this thread. They do look...different...but they are also awfully convenient. And you could leave your doubles alone.
8mmFan |
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Posted:
Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:39 am
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Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1257
Location: Nebraska
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WyoC, swap out a M21 for the NID and we have the same 3 doubles. My Lefever and Fox have about the same chokes, call one IC and the other Mod. The 21's Mod barrel had been opened up, so it had two very similar chokes, but you actually can tighten up an open choke which I had Mike Orlen do by recess choking that Mod barrel back to performing like it was marked. I could have left it as it was and used it as a specialty kind of thing, but it didn't cost much and was easily accomplished. Besides, the original stock was as long gone as the original choking by the time I got the gun. |
_________________ Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern |
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Posted:
Mon Mar 26, 2018 7:30 am
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Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1700
Location: Minnesota
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My 16ga Elsie was purchased off of a GB auction and it has Briley long and thins. I think I got it at a bargain price and can only guess it was because the collector types weren't interested because of the tubes. To me, it gives the gun so much versatility. That said, I cant see myself spending the $600 plus to get the brileys put in a SxS. |
_________________ Great dog, Great friends,Great guns |
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