Best Choke tubes for O/U for Pheasant hunting

[willforu1]

Just picked up a Browning Citori 525 12 guage with a 28" BBL. I will hunt pheasants tomorrow. First time ever with an O/U. I have a few questions. What barrel should I have fire off first? Which choke tubes would be best?

For now I have the bottom going off first with IC and the top going 2nd with Modified. Any thoughts?

The gun came with 8 tubes. I have 3 fulls, 2 cylinder, 2 IC, and 1 Mod invector choke tubes that came with the gun.

[XDcarry]

When I hunt with my Citori I use the exact setup. IC in the bottom going off first and modified in the top going off second. If you want a little more reach you can go to improved modified, when you tighten up the choke you tend to tear up the birds unless you let them get way out. The only thing I use full for is for trap.

[protectionisamust]

A cylinder is designed for use when a pheasant is only 15 to 20 yards away. Open cylinder chokes will put 80 percent of the shot pellets into a 30-inch circle at 20 yards, and the pattern will be widely dispersed.

a full choke, the pattern would be significantly smaller, the full choke pattern reduces your chances of hitting the bird. If you did hit the bird with a full choke at a short distance (15-20yards), the density of the pellets would pretty much ruin any meat you wanted to eat.

An Improved Cylinder are extremely effective out to 20-25 yards. IC Chokes work great for this type of hunting.

Having a tight pattern at 20-25 yards is very optimum. This is based on the fact that in pheasant hunting, you don't want to have gaps in your pattern (in the horizontal plain) where a pheasant could escape.

IMO, I would shoot the top barrel first with a Cylinder choke (quick shots out to 15-20 yards). Then if you miss, I would fire the second barrel with a Improved Cylinder which would be effective out to probably 25-30 yards.

If you miss again, I would stop by KFC for chicken :boohoo:

Hope this helps.

[TFin04]

I've always used IC (first) and mod next, for real birds and clay ones. Works great if you do your part.

Good luck!

[Rolex Dr.]

most 26" fixed choke guns are mod over IC

shoot IC 1st then mod for longer shots

most 28" fixed choke guns are a full over mod

shot mod 1st then full for longer

most guys shoot the bottom barrel 1st (most target shooters) due to a rise of the barrel during recoil

personally i would run IC/IC (for planted birds--will be closer shots-- but this time of year the hens are full of eggs and may want to run not fly) or IC/MOD for wild birds (like out west where they tend to flush 35 yards out)

for planted birds here in MI i use a 28ga OU sk/sk or mod/full, or any of the 9 different 20gas i have, most are open chokes


PS i have seen birds killed at 50-60 yards with skeet chokes in 12 ga guns

[willforu1]

I go out tomorrow for the first time with my new O/U.

Yahoo! Its Pheasant or KFC for dinner!














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