Question about fixed chokes in a double gun for duck hunting?

Basically regulating a double involves shooting it from a fixed position, usually off a benchrest at one or a couple of set ranges on a patterning board at a visible, fixed point-of-aim. Based on the choke of the gun's barrels, point-of-aim should be nearly identical from side to side or top to bottom. You should be allowed to do this, or request the seller do this and provide proof via a pattern board, prior purchase. If the gun has a barrel or both barrels throwing the center of the shot string on the pattern board well-off point-of-aim, someone didn't silver solder the barrels well or in good in-alignment. A foot off with an open pattern is one thing. A foot off point-of-aim with a tight pattern is something quite different.
 
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RL-

Thanks for the explanation. That makes perfect sense. It would be much nicer if the barrels were aiming at the same thing. I just kind of took that for granted as it hasn't been something I have thought much about.

Chad
 
I am interested in the chokes of the 16ga.. I would get ITX shot and wads from ballistic products for the 16ga.. ITX is all right to shot in older doubles and it is the cheapest to reload of the non-toxic shot other than steel. ITX #4 or #6 shot with 1300 fps. load would be good for ducks over decoys. If you only want data for the 16ga., get The 16-Guage Manual otherwise, get the ITX Manual with other gauges. Cheddite (multihull) or Fiocchi hulls will be the easiest to get primers for. The new primed hulls will reload good without doing anything to them and you can get several reloadings. The VP80 wad will be the one to use for field loads. You will have to cut petals in the wad, a 4 petal cut of 1 1/8" long will work the best.

Keep shooting the 16ga !

.
 
two of my sxs have screw in chokes and 90% of the time I have a pair of modified chokes in the guns. ones a 20 and the other a 12
my 10 ga sxs if full/full and seems to do just fine with geese and sea ducks with that combo
 
If the gun has chrome lined bores then taking out the chokes to IC/M would negate any benefits of the chrome lining. If its not a chrome lined bore then you need to take the chokes out to at least Mod to shoot steel.
 
Thanks Bill. I didn't think about them being chrome lined. I suspect they are, so I will have to double check.

Unfortunately I don't reload anymore, although I have my 16ga press just in case I wanted to start back up. That and I am still in the habit of keeping all of my 16ga hulls.

Chad
 
The reason is the SKB 100/ 200 is a conventional steel barrell and basically thin at the fixed Choke area. Steel shot may not shoot the ckoke out as in an older NID or Flues but Parkers Fox et-al often develop bulges
just before the choke area. The advantage of shooting ITX is its not much harder than lead and a lighter shot weight gives high performance. Downside When I load 10 ga 3 1/2 inch Swan and Goose 1 3/8 oz loads It costs about 5 bucks a round I dropped a couple through the bottom of a blind last year watched a tenner go swimming. That being said i have a SKB 235 28 ga that has screw in chokes and very stout barrels i think it would handle steel fine but when they built it they forgot that all good shotguns have two triggers.
 
Allen-

That is the lone drawback and hesitation on the Ithaca-SKB guns. I have really grown to like the double trigger of my Fox Sterlingworth. The Ithaca of course is a single. I will likely still go that way, but I did find a nice 16ga gun with double triggers and a Prince of Whales grip that would be a lot of fun. The price was reasonable but it looked a bit nice to be dragging into the salt marsh.

I can shoot the double trigger quickly, but I like the fact that it gives a split second pause to consider the follow up shot.

Chad
 
I don't confess to liking the skb's but my dad does. the ones he has owned are chrome lined and steel safe, he has had a number of 100's over the years.
 
I have been looking at the CZ guns off and on. I could have my pick of 12, 16 or 20ga. I have scoured the web in search of reviews. I have read plenty of bad and plenty of good. The problem is they are unknown to me. I have never handled one. I don't know how they feel and how well they point. I would find it hard to buy a gun sight unseen, especially when I have never handled it. I would like to give them an honest look but no one has them locally.

They offer the Bobwhite with the double triggers, but it comes with an English grip. It has been quite a while since I shot an English stocked gun. If I chose the Prince of Whales grip on the Ringnecks model, then I would have to accept a single selective trigger. That seems to be a point of contention with the cheaper level double guns.

Chad
 
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