new to shotguns

[swankypotter]

hay guys new to the forum and to shotgun shooting. had a shotgun before but want to get into it properly. i have just got myself a Baretta 686E an absolutely stunning gun with multi chokes.

 

 

and my question is for me starting off what chokes should i be using and what sort of cartages should i use?

 

i will mostly be shooting pigeons and crows but may venture to clays and then at some point i intend to shoot duck and pheasant (where im aloud to that is)

 

thanks

 

mark

[MrCetrizine]

I'd go standard, 1/4 and 1/2 chokes and 28/29g! no.6 cartridges. Lyalvale Express 29gm no. 6 Pigeon Power are my ammo of choice for feathery things smaller than goose.

[gbal]

Mark, shotgunners have been asking just these questions for 100 years.The Beretta o/u under series are very nice guns (mine is a 682-a tad heavy for field use,perfect for clays).

Opinions on chokes will vary from skeet to xtra full....to some extent it is relatable to what you are shooting,and at what likely distances,and for clays,which discipline (full is a handicap for skeet,which does best with ....err ..skeet or IC . DTL maybe 1/2 and 3/4 to full for second shot-clay will be out quite a bit!).

Try and see what suits you,of course.Except for long range wildfowl,I eventually saw that more than 3/4 choke was just a handicap,and much preferred IC,1/4 end of the scale....you need to be a very good shot to successfully use the restricted patterns of heavy choke at most typical distances,and if you are that good ,it hardly matters at normal distances.Do Not buy into the myth that more choke means more range-rather the contrary,for most beginners.(the great Edwardian shots did not use much,if any choke-even on the highest pheasants,but could shoot!).

Likewise,don't get into super heavy shot loads-most of the pellets are going to miss anyhow....stay with standard loads-recoil does not help smooth shooting,and 50 more pellets way off target does not help!

Pigeon...shot size 5 ,crows probably 6,pheasant 6 duck 5 or 6 .Rabbit 6.

Clays- discipline dependent - Skeet has to be 9;general clays 71/2. Anything else is specialised,and not for beginners (you're a beginner for a long time!) Don't get caught up in all the hype about choke,shot size,load weight,speed etc etc....it might just give experts an edge,but it is counterproductive for mere mortals. Success is 95% due to shooting skill,not equipment,within the above guidlines.(it was a revelation to me as a 15 year old to see that top skeet shooters were within 2% of their 12 guage scores at skeet when shooting with a .410,and the great sporting shots used 1oz/cylinder guns).

You cannot buy skill,or success with hi brass magnum cartridges-indeed you will shoot worse,in the vast majority of shooting you are likely to do.Keep it simple,as in the 'Eley' days...1and 1/16 oz of no 6 shot,modest choke.Small changes,as above,for particular scenarios.

 

Oh...and a pick up truck..... ? "for all the practice cartridges",as my keeper /guru put it,perfectly.

g

[swankypotter]

Thanks guys thats some good advice there i need to get some more trigger time behind the gun and start picking off targets i defo would like to get some pointers out in the field as in if im doing anything stupid (being a rifle shooter with a shotgun)

 

mark

[gaz6br]

I shot tight 1/2 and tight 3/4 for years and it did me proud, under 21's I was ranked 3rd in the country one year and won the county championships for under 21 got sponsored by hull cartridge and Baretta so was doing well before things changed but anyway, Clays I used a 28gr number 8, vermin 32gr number 5/6 and game 28gr number 6 black gold fastest shell on the market and fantastic. Don't get worrying about choke people get it all in the head and its rubbish a nice half choke will do everything. A lot of the big shots use full and full for everything your either on them or not bit like a rifle

 

Good luck

 

Gaz

[MrCetrizine]

Just remember the golden rule of shotgunning: Movement is everything and everything is moving.

 

Your gun should move onto and through your target never stopping.

[hunter87]

Just make sure it fits you before you do anything else and practise practise practise there are a lot of helpful videos on youtube

[swankypotter]

was getting my eye in today with a few crows and pigeons shot 5 rounds and got me a pigeon! was pretty close though so it blow it away not for eating unfortunately. very very nice gun to shoot and it comes up to me so nice my old shotty i used to be able to see the rail a fair bit but this one with the adjustable cheek piece i can see the white dot at the end of the barrel and a slither of the rail infact next to no rail so its pretty spot on. using clear pigeon no.6 works fine.

 

as far as the notches on the chokes anyone have a clue as to what the mean? i was told but i get mixed up

 

thanks

 

mark

[MrCetrizine]

No notches is cylinder, or no choke.

 

Then starting at 5 notches which is skeet or barely any choke, the fewer notches, the tighter the choke, ending at 1 which is full choke.

[Alycidon]

I would also recommend open chokes for a beginner. No more than 1/2 choke.

 

Cartridges, I find 30 gr of 5 shot kills anything within 40 yards dead ( foxes and geese excepted). Eley Grand Prix is my choice for the last 10 years but Hull, Express and Lyvale all make similar cartridges.

 

If shooting in areas other than clay grounds use fibre or photo degradable wadded cartridges. Your farmer will rapidly get jarred off picking up plastic wads.

 

A

[Simon J]

If you're shooting ducks or geese, the default position is you can't use lead shot. Precise details vary from country to country within the UK, but it is the law. Your Beretta should be proofed for steel shot. Just remeber you need to use shot at least 2 sizes bigger than you would normally use in lead.

[jollyscotsman]

1/4 and 1/2 with 6,s for pigeon and crow,on pheasant 1/2 and 1/2 with 5,s,no7 for clay bashing would be my recommendation bud.

[jcampbellsmith]

...as far as the notches on the chokes anyone have a clue as to what the mean? i was told but i get mixed up

 

thanks

 

mark

I shot my first and likely only partridge yesterday with my new to me over and under. Chokes have been confusing me too and this is the link I was pointed at

https://www.ssaa.org.au/stories/shotguns-a-beginners-guide-to-shotgun-chokes.html

Regards

JCS

[jollyscotsman]

Extra Full: No notches, no stars, XFULL Turkey, no color bandFull Choke: I notch, or * star, or F, or white color bandLight Full: No notches, no stars, LF, or grey color bandImproved Modified: II notches, or ** stars, or IM, or black color bandModified: III notches, or *** stars, or M, or green color bandLight Modified: No notches, no stars, LM, or orange color bandImproved Cylinder: IIII notches, or **** stars, or IC, or yellow color bandUS Skeet Choke: No notches, no stars, SK USA, or purple color band European Skeet Choke: No notches, no stars, SK, or red color bandCylinder: IIIII notches, or ***** stars

[rimmie]

1/2 and 3/4 for me, like to shoot birds further out if I can. Shooting birds at the end of my barrel doesn't excite me. Especially in regards to pidgeon shooting, which I love !!!

 

I use clear pidgeon 30g 6's have Done for donkeys years, good price and hit well. Shot some really high pidgeons with em. Used them for everything, fur and feather.

[Dalua]

I'd suggest

1. Keep chokes, ranges and loads modest. Imp cyl and half, 30g and max 40yds.

2. Shot sizes: bigger quarry - bigger shot. 7s for pigeons, 5s for crows or 6s if expecting both.

[Dr.T.]

My advice would be to keep things simple and not got too fixated on choke - in my experience, the real-world difference between a choke with 2 notches and one with 3 is somewhat psychological (although it is a perennial topic for discussion).

 

The consensus will be to lean towards 1/4 & 1/2 for most clays, and 1/2 & 3/4 for most birds/game - this rule of thumb has worked for very well for me. It will be obvious when you need something different [e.g. when shooting steel].

 

As for shot size, no.6 works well for most things with a pulse, 7.5 works well for most clays (and for pigeons if you contain the range). I find it "comforting" to use a game cartridge that's a similar speed to my clay cartridges, although again, this is more of a psychological issue so long as you stay within realistic distances.

 

For now, I would pick ONE game cartridge/ ONE clay cartridge and stick with it - the ability to put your pattern on target at a sensible range is ultimately what matters.

 

Good luck with your new shotgun!

[Murph]

hay guys new to the forum and to shotgun shooting. had a shotgun before but want to get into it properly. i have just got myself a Baretta 686E an absolutely stunning gun with multi chokes.

 

 

and my question is for me starting off what chokes should i be using and what sort of cartages should i use?

 

i will mostly be shooting pigeons and crows but may venture to clays and then at some point i intend to shoot duck and pheasant (where im aloud to that is)

 

thanks

 

mark

Have one of these shotguns. A real workhorse- never skips a beat.