Choke and Shot Pattern

When a shotshell is fired from a shotgun, the pellets leave the barrel and begin to spread or scatter.
The farther the pellets travel, the greater the spread of shot. Shotgun barrels have a choke to control
the spread or shot pattern.

The choke of a shotgun acts like the nozzle of a garden hose. As the nozzle is tightened, water shoots
out in a long, narrow stream, similar to the full choke on a shotgun. As the nozzle is opened, similar
to the cylinder choke on a shotgun, water shoots out in a wider spray.

Your distance from the target determines the choke you need. The choke does not alter the shotgun’s
power—it just controls how tight or spread out the shot pattern will be at a specific distance.

The spread effect of the most common chokes is illustrated below. The choke controls how much
shot will hit in a certain area at different ranges.

 Cylinder choke is an unconstricted barrel. The shot pattern spreads quickly.

 Improved Cylinder choke has a slight constriction. It allows the shot pattern to spread fairly
quickly. This is a good choice for quail, rabbits, and other upland game.

 Modified choke has moderate constriction. The shot stays together longer, making the pattern
denser and more useful at longer ranges. This choke is used often for dove hunting and is the
preferred choke when using steel shot to hunt for ducks or geese. There is also an Improved
Modified choke that is slightly tighter than Modified.

 Full choke has tight constriction. The shot holds together even longer, so it’s good for squirrels,
turkey, and other game shot at 35- to 40-yard ranges. Turkey hunters sometimes use Extra Full
or Turkey choke for even denser patterns at long range.

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Shotgun Chokes
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Written by Irwin Greenstein
Adjustable shotgun chokes give you the ability to change the pattern of your shot by tailoring the
constriction. The baseline constriction is cylinder -- or the inner diameter of your barrel. From there,
the designations grow tighter.
Choke Bore Sizes and Constrictions
CYL LTSK SK IMK IC LM M IM LF F XF D
.005 and
12 Bore .000 N/A .005 N/A .010 .015 .020 .025 .030 .035 .040
Rifled!
.005 and
20 Bore .000 .003 .005 .007 .009 .012 .015 .018 .021 .024 .027
Rifled!
28 Bore .000 .003 .005 .007 .009 .012 .015 .018 .021 .024 .027 N/A
.410
.000 .003 .005 .007 .008 .010 .012 .014 .016 .018 .020 N/A
Bore

*Abbreviations:
CYL = Cylinder
LTSK = Light Skeet
SK = Skeet
IMK = Improved Skeet
IC = Improved Cylinder
LM = Light Modified
M = Modified
IM = Improved Modified
LF = Light Full
F = Full
XF = Extra Full
D = Diffusion
N/A = Not Applicable

Looking at the chart, you’ll see that SK (skeet) imposes a .005% constriction compared to cylinder.
Full gives you a .035% constriction. Yes, that’s a 600% difference.

Percentage of Constriction Based on Distance

Choke 20 Yards 30 Yards 40 Yards
Cylinder 80% 60% 40%
Skeet 92% 72% 50%
Improved Cylinder 100% 77% 55%
Modified 100% 83% 60%
Improved Modifiedz 100% 91% 65%
Full 100% 100% 70%

In this chart, you’ll notice that as the choke grows tighter (from cylinder to full) the density of the
pattern increases based on distance.

That’s because tight chokes distribute the shot in a tight, dense pattern best for long shots. Open
chokes give you a wider, diffused pattern intended for close shots.

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If this sounds counter-intuitive, here’s the way it works.

You may be thinking that you want the wider pattern for longer shots because the target is further
away. The longer the distance, logic dictates the wider the pattern giving you a better chance to hit
the target.

But what you’re not taking into account are the laws of physics.

Smaller shot (which tends to be used for close shots of 16-20 yards) lacks the energy (momentum)
to give you accuracy at longer range. The shot spreads willy-nilly and you lose accuracy.

So if you’re going for a long shot, you want to use a bigger pellet in a tighter shot string for an arrow-
head effect. Hence, a tighter choke.

For close-range shots, as in skeet, physics dictates that the more pellets you shoot the greater the
odds for hitting the target before the smaller (lighter) pellets lose their momentum. So you want to go
for a wider choke that lets the smaller, lighter pellets actually swarm around the target while they’re
still effective.

Basically, there are three types of chokes.

The fixed choke is already machined into the barrel of the shotgun. You’ll see guns that are
designated with skeet chokes, or full and improved cylinder chokes for wingshooting. The type of
chokes depends on its specialized use, and will often be accompanied by stock and sight
complements.

When you buy a new shotgun, it will include a few screw-in chokes most appropriate for its design.
You usually can purchase after-market chokes to fill out your inventory.

Screw in chokes come in two varieties: extended and flush mounted.

Extended chokes protrude above the muzzle and are generally clearly marked; they are designed to
be screwed in by hand.

Flush-mounted chokes are screwed entirely into the barrel so that in the end the choke is flush with
the muzzle. Newer flush-mounted chokes tend to also be clearly identified. But less expensive or
older flush-mounted chokes rely on a notch system to identify their constriction.

Choke Notches
Cylinder /////
Skeet /////
Improved Cylinder ////
Modified ///
Improved Modified //
Full /

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Then there’s the adjustable choke. This is a single choke with multiple settings. Turn the selector to
set the most appropriate constriction.

Once you have the choke installed, it’s best to pattern it on paper.

You’ll need a pattern target and something disposable to mount it on.

Typically, you’d want to be about 40 yards from your “pattern board.” Draw a 30-inch circle around
the center of the pattern and then count the pellets as a means to determine the accuracy of your
choke. A full choke should put 70% of its pellets in a 30" circle at 40 yards. A modified choke should
put 60% of its pellets in the circle. And an improved cylinder should give you 50%.

Perhaps the biggest risk with chokes is that they become a crutch.

For example, if you consistently missed the #3 station on skeet with a skeet choke, moving to a
wider cylinder choke probably won’t help. After all, if you’re on the target, you’re on it. The same can
be said of most other clays sports.

Missing shots is generally not a function of your choke selection. It’s a function of your skill,
technique and body mechanics.

The worst mistake you can make with a choke is using it as an excuse for missed shots.

If you have a problem station, and you’re using the recommended choke, the best thing you can do
is practice, practice, practice.

Helpful links:

http://www.mynssa.com/

http://www.shootata.com/

http://www.trapshooters.com/

http://www.ushelice.com/

http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/basictraining.asp

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