Safety Blankets and Choke Tubes

Last weekend I found myself waist deep in a marsh more fantastic than real. It may have been the fact that I was there 1.5 hours before sunrise, but the water was crystalline clear and the algae beds seemed like plush green carpets installed by some unbalanced drunkard. I thought about all of this as I slogged toward the edge of a raft of marsh-grasses, wondering if my wingshooting ability would be keen enough to make the journey worthwhile. An hour later, I forgot all about the walk in as the tearing-silk sound of Blue-Winged Teal streaking overhead erased all other thought but "More shells!"



The night before, I was in first class waffle mode. I had been shooting my scattergun quite well at the clays range and had even been doing respectably on Mourning and Eurasian Collared Dove. I attributed to this to two factors: (1) many of the doves had been decoying and (2) I had really learned the nuances of the Skeet constriction Carlson's Sporting Clays tube screwed into the business end of my 12 gauge Stoeger M3500. In fact, I had grown so attached to the choke that it was with much trepidation that I replaced it with the factory Modified constriction choke prior to the teal hunt. This was a logical decision, based on my host's recommendations and my knowledge that much of the teal would be harvested by pass-shooting.

So why so much to do over a choke? No doubt choke matters, but as Field & Stream's shotgun guru Phil Bourjaily puts it, most people miss by feet but choke only gives you inches.  For more of Phil's input on chokes see his two-part blog post (Part 1: http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/the-gun-nuts/random-thoughts-on-choke-pt-1, Part 2: http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/the-gun-nuts/some-random-thoughts-on-choke-part-ii). Despite only giving you inches, even a little wider pattern or a few more pellets on target can make the difference between a heavy game bag and a day ending in disappointment. Sure, sportsmen shot fixed choke guns for decades without issue. However, a bit of thought and a quick choke change can bring you closer to a bag limit or a winning clays score.

For true wingshooting (not turkey-hunting) I find myself reaching for two choke constrictions almost exclusively. The first is the aforementioned Skeet constriction (SKT) Carlson's Sporting Clays Tube and the second is the same style tube in Improved Modified (IMP MOD). These are actually pretty uncommon chokes, as most shotguns will come from the factory with Improved Cylinder, Modified, and Full chokes. Before I get into when and where I use SKT vs IMP MOD it is important to understand what each of the designations means.

Chokes constrict the internal diameter of a shotgun barrel. This restriction is measured in thousandths of an inch. As constriction increases, patterns tighten. Of course, all of this varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The following chart gives a general idea of constrictions and the percent of pellets that each choke will deliver in a 30" circle at 40 yards. The percentages are approximate and some of the lesser-used chokes do not have percentages provided.







Keeping this chart in mind, I generally choose a Skeet constriction choke for the following scenarios:

Sporting Clays.  My local range throws true doubles exclusively. The targets are fast, but often close range.

Doves. This tube is especially effective on decoying doves. I had a number of beautiful doubles on doves committed to a spinning wing Mojo decoy this year thanks to the generous pattern of the Skeet choke at close range.

Decoying Ducks. See Doves.

Bobwhite Quail. Self-explanatory. The perception of blistering speed makes the Skeet tube a great confidence booster, though it probably isn't necessary.

Cottontail Rabbits. See Bobwhite Quail.

Despite the excellence of the SKT tube for many situations inside 25 yards, there are hunting scenarios where it just doesn't give the pattern density needed to make clean kills. This is where the Improved Modified tube comes into play. Higher pellet counts offset reduced impact energy as a result of extended ranges and as a result of less dense steel shot. I pick the IMP MOD in the following scenarios:

Jump-Shooting Ducks. This is where I spend the majority of my time wingshooting. Birds can be large (we sometimes encounter Giant Canadian Geese), ranges long, and steel shot (even at high velocities) doesn't perform as well as lead.

Pass-Shooting Waterfowl. With steel, IMP MOD delivers Full choke performance and often patterns better with large shot (B, BB, BBB, T) than an actual Full choke.

Squirrels. A tighter choke makes it easier to reach bushytails way up in the treetops.

Pheasant Hunting. See Jump-Shooting Ducks.

Now about those teal. It turns out that the Modified choke choice was the best one. I did miss quite a few birds, but that can be attributed to my absolute, indescribable sense of being overwhelmed by the number of birds flying. Once I settled down and picked my shots the shell to bird ratio decreased substantially.

Ode to the Shotgun

I would rather have a shotgun than a car, home or steady career. In the well-crafted shotgun is the spirit of adventure, the soul of nostalgia and the dream of wilderness. A shotgun justifies the worn boot-leather of a wayward traveler. A shotgun provides a brace of game to both the pampered nobleman and the famished vagabond. A shotgun is the only worthy rival to the dog as utmost friend of man. The broken double-gun bespeaks the raw character of the olden sportsman for whom the beckoning fields are not an escape, but home itself. When the trigger is broken and the charge is sent to greet fur or feather the heart beats with a vigor rarely witnessed. A shotgun is the nobler firearm simply because its nature is that of fluidity and grace. As the cock flies in the copper-burnished sunset so the tempered barrels swing to it with equitable beauty. Even the residual trinkets of a sporting encounter are romantic. Those red hulls topped with gleaming brass release the fragrant curls of nitro—their pungency is the greater peer of bergamot. Hands that have not cradled the form of a fine shotgun have no more claim that those that have not touched smitten lass. Neither person should be entitled to the designation of “man”. Such is the understated merit of the shotgun!

Neither Fish nor Fowl: Well, Maybe Fowl

As part of my Advanced Composition class today we were supposed to write a Villanelle poem. An excellent example of a Villanelle is Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night": http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15377 That poem was always one of my favorites! While my work certainly isn't of that caliber I enjoyed writing it. It may not even be a Villanelle, but it's about duck hunting, so it has to be good! :)

The steel grey skies are dark with wings.
A weather-worn barrel with bird-shot sings.
Chopped ice, cork blocks, gun dogs, cold socks.

A drake swings wide and circles the pool.
My hands are cracked; the wind bitterly stings.
The steel grey skies are dark with wings.

I squawk into the call and sound like a fool.
Snow falls downward like heavenly rings.
Chopped ice, cork blocks, gun dogs, cold socks.

I am coated in ice, pond scum and drool.
My fortune is great as fate rarely brings
the steel grey skies are dark with wings.

I sit here alone on this rickety stool.
I drop my shotgun and add to the dings.
Chopped ice, cork blocks, gun dogs, cold socks.

I sip at my coffee and gag 'cause its cool.
A shotgun shell bounces and pings.
The steel grey skies are dark with wings.
Chopped ice, cork blocks, gun dogs, cold socks.