The Science Redefined

     This blog is a collection of my experiences and thoughts. From time to time I will express an opinion which many will not agree with. These opinions have formed as a result of spending lots of time afield and shooting. These thoughts and opinions are not meant to offend, nor to be judgmental,  but rather to promote more thought on the subject. If for whatever reason you feel my post is directed at you, it is not; I don't know you. This post is part 2 of several (don't know how many yet) on the subject of wingshooting which some will object to. Fair warning.


     Choke selection, Part 1, Range
     Shotgun sports and wingshooting are unique in that they are both a science and an art. To perfect your art of shooting a shotgun, you need to understand the science that makes it possible. Unfortunately, over the years I have discovered that many bird hunters don't understand even the basics of the science. Some of the science is quite basic, and easy to understand, some of it not so much. None of it is terribly difficult to understand, though it may at time be hard to express. One such area often misunderstood is choke.

     Often discussions of choke begin with a question of which choke is needed to break/hit a particular target, often because the target is far. The conversation revolves around a series of choke/range theories. But is choke really where the conversation should start? My good friend John, with whom I shoot a lot of clays phrased it best when he said often the discussion starts at the wrong starting point, and I agree. The conversation should start with what we want to do; break/hit a particular target, and what is needed to do that. So what breaks/hits a target? Choke? No, pellets. What causes the clay to break, or the bird to be killed? Pellets carrying sufficient energy.  That's right. To break a clay or kill a bird you must hit it with pellets carrying enough down range energy.  That means you must pick the right ammo, with a pellet size capable of doing the job. As far as science goes, this is basic physics.

     So where does choke fit into this discussion?  First we need to understand what choke is, and what choke does and does not do. Choke is a measurement of a pattern density. It is defined by the percentage of pellets in a 30" circle at 40 yards. All choke is measured at 40 yards. Why is this important? Because it is an indication of what choke doesn't do, and that extend your range. Many people think choke extends your range.  Range is  determined by a combination of pellet size/density and the speed at which they are propelled. A clay can be broken and a bird killed using any choke provided the pellets are carrying sufficient energy. What choke does, is help you shoot at greater distances more effectively, by making your pattern more dense. By default your effective range is increased because your pattern stays intact, without blowing apart for a greater distance, but ultimately it is the energy in the pellets that achieves the end result.

     Choke, being a measurement of pattern density means one needs to decide what is an appropriate density for the game at hand. I have killed woodcock at over 50 yards, ducks over head at 50 yards, and driven pheasant over head at about 40 yards with  Skeet and I/C chokes. In every case the ammo I selected had pellets which carried appropriate energy at those ranges, and the choke provided enough density to put enough pellets in to the target. The woodcock, and duck may have been pushing the limit of the pattern density, but when considering a pheasant size target skeet and I/C chokes are appropriate for a 40 yard shot. Target size plays as important a role as distance. Many waterfowlers and pheasant hunters choose tighter chokes, because they are shooting longer distances, however all patterns deteriorate quickly past 40 yards, the larger size of the target having more mass gives the decreasing density of the pattern more opportunity to find it's target. By way of comparison,  in total generalities, a Skeet choke will have 50% of it's pattern in a 30" circle at 40 yards, while a Full choke will have 70%. However, push the Full choke out past 40 yards and the performance will drop off to 60% at 45 yards, and 50% at 50 yards. Shooting the same size pellets, a Skeet choke at 40 yards and a Full choke at 50 yards perform the same. Makes it easy to see how target size can make a difference.

     Ultimately, none of this may change anything about that way you approach longer targets, but I believe with a greater understanding of the science one can begin to play around with their artistic presentation.