Why use upgraded shotgun chokes

[Capt.Bryan]

Check your pattern with a few different brands of ammo in 7.5, 8 and 9 shot. When I used to shoot Clay's I would practice with a full choke and shoot tournament with a light mod and just change my shot size depending on what the stage looked like. I liked the Briley non ported extended choke.

When I looked at getting a berreta tricked out they claimed lengthening the forcing cone was actually to help with recoil be reducing the constriction/pressure as the shot/wad left the chamber and enter the barrel. The ported chokes were supposed to strip the wad away from the shot. I never noticed them really being louder but I can't hear so well anyway.

[Wil Taylor]

I buy aftermarket chokes just because they look better than factory. JK, I shoot Muller chokes just because they pattern extremely well. I shoot a lot of sporting clays and one clay could mean winning or loosing and I need every bit of help I can get. If I was just hunting birds a few times a year stay with factory tubes.

[J-DUB]

i like aftermarket extended chokes for sporting clays as they are easy to change for the different stations/distances.

[mikemorvan]

What shotgun are you considering to add the aftermarket chokes too?

Fabarm AXIS RS12.

[locknload]

The Fabarm AXIS RS12 should already come with extended chokes, why buy after market? Spend your $$$ on ammo.

Looking at the website, front page shows a beautiful sporting model Axis with extended chokes.

https://fabarmusa.com/axis-rs-12-sporting/

Extended chokes are very popular but not technically different performance wise than a flush mount choke.
1-Extended chokes as a rule give a more even pattern than the flush versions.
2-They are easier to change.
3-The name of the constriction is normally marked on the head.

If you bought the gun without any extended chokes, you could consider Brileys, Mullers,Carlson's.

Popular choke constrictions for Sporting Clays is Light Mod (LM) and Modified (Mod).
You can combine choke configurations: LM on bottom and Mod on top barrel or LM on both barrels or Mods on both barrels.

If you have the money do it. I hope this helps.

[locknload]

PS: That Fabarm AXIS RS12 looks like a sweet shootin shotgun. Come on out this weekend at ElmFork and shoot it!

[mikemorvan]

I shoot at Elm Fork pretty regularly. I shot at Defender Outdoors this morning. SW Ft. Worth. Had a good time. I'm certainly not a great shooter. It's something i really enjoy, but am not good at. Good times.

That's the essence of my question. Is there any real reason to upgrade from the factory chokes to something else? I'm getting the drift that with good factory chokes, there doesn't seem to be a big reason to add to / or change. True?

[DUKFVR]

True. If you are hitting what you are shooting at. You are golden. Save your money and shoot more. I have shot hundreds of patterns and counted more holes in paper than carter had liver pills. The only time I really saw a difference with extended aftermarket chokrs was longer range with bigger shot.

[cajuntec]

I didn't have the chokes I wanted, and when making a decision to buy "factory" chokes, or aftermarket chokes like Briley's, I opted to spend the small extra for the aftermarket. My reasons:

Briley gives a military discount - active or retired. After figuring that in, the Briley chokes just seemed like a much better bargain because...

My Briley's are all hand-removable without tools.

The Briley's are marked on the outside portion, allowing me to easily identify which chokes are installed without removing the choke or counting little grooves and trying to remember what 2 grooves or 3 grooves meant to various manufacturers.

I like the look. My Spectrum chokes are colored, making them even more identifiable from a distance. That has, however, played to kind of a disadvantage on the Sporting Clays range. I noticed a friend would change his chokes right after I changed mine. He was watching what I would change to, and follow suit. He didn't have to ask. The color code and laser engraved identification gave it away from a distance.

Break...

If I had factory chokes that worked as well as I wanted them to, I more than likely would not buy aftermarket chokes to replace them. BUT... If I don't have the choke constriction I want, or my factory chokes aren't providing the pattern I am looking for, when I spend the money I'll buy Briley. They have taken really good care of me on multiple shotguns so far - several Brownings and a Ruger Red Label. Very good customer service, and a great product.

All the best,
Glenn

[tigerscowboy]

I'm stunned when I see a shooter with a $2,500 shotgun + $300-500 in chokes and he is shooting the cheapest you can buy store shells with the lowest grade powder and wads.

Some of what you centerfire handloaders know applies to shotshells too.

I learned this when I decided to work up a excellent turkey load for my shotgun. Dozens of combinations returned dozens of different results. Variables like barrel length, wad, powder, shot, and choke.

BTW, my turkey round turned out to be green dot, #5 nickel plated, out of a 24" barrel with a 1 1/2" extended full choke (25.5" total). At 20 yds the pattern is slightly larger than a softball, but I'm okay with that if I continue to knock them down out to 60yds.

[twostepct]

When I bought my 725 Sporting, the previous owner did not have all of the chokes. I bought Muller's and will probably not shoot anything else. I typically just use U2 in both barrels and have been very pleased with the breaks I get, even at distance.

[Wil Taylor]

When I bought my 725 Sporting, the previous owner did not have all of the chokes. I bought Muller's and will probably not shoot anything else. I typically just use U2 in both barrels and have been very pleased with the breaks I get, even at distance.

Exactly, IMO you don’t need anything else.

[berettadave]

One thing about chokes, ask 20 people which is the best and expect 20 different answers. I've shot a bunch of different chokes and many work just as good as many others. Find one that works for you and that you have confidence in. My personal rule is just make sure it's tight enough to break anything I shoot at and then leave it alone. I only change on extremely close, unpredictable rabbit targets.