Steel Choke Question

We hunt pheasants in northern Iowa public land where steel shot is required. We found Winchester Blindside #2 hexshot to be very effective. a little too often we miss our 1st shot and get the bird on the second. I assume its because of the tight pattern of steel. We’re shooting skeet and improved cylinder chokes. The question,…would going to a cylinder choke on the first barrel make an appreciable difference in pattern size in a 10-20 yard shot?? Yes, waiting a bit is the ez answer but after a season of grouse and woodcock hunting there is no patience in my shooting. Tx for your thoughts and/or data you might have on this.

Have you patterned your shotgun with the improved/skeet choke with the Blindside #2? That is the first thing I would do before switching chokes indefinitely. From what I have experienced with Blindside out of different shotgun/choke combinations it either patterns really really well, or God awful (the latter out of my duck gun).

Well, cylinder and skeet #1 are virtually the same.(see chart below).Best to do a pattern check as Waldo stated.You can do the pattern at the common range you would normally be shooting. If you start using differnt shotshells do another pattern with them as well.Typically, a 40 yard distance and a 30 inch circle is used. Here is a link…..

https://chuckhawks.com/pattern_shotgun.htm.

The percentage of pellet strikes that constitutes what choke varies, depending on the source. Jack O’Connor gave these percentages in his Shotgun Book, which are typical:

Full Choke: 70% or higher
Improved Modified: 65%
Modified: 55-60%
Skeet No. 2: 55-60%
Quarter Choke: 50%
Improved Cylinder: 45%
Skeet No. 1: 35-40%
Cylinder: 35-40%
It is also a good idea to do a point of impact test on your shotgun. Draw a solid bullseye out around 25 or 30 yards.This will show how well you are mounting the firearm to your shoulder and if you are flinching the trigger or pulling it to hard based on the where the pellets are hitting while shooting at the center bullseye. Ideally the pellets should be equally spread out around the bullseye more or less.

Remington point of aim link here…https://www.browning.com/support/frequently-asked-questions/how-do-i-check-for-poi-and-pattern-my-shotgun.html

I started using steel this year on public land for pheasant now required in Illinois for 2019 season. Beretta O/U 12 gauge Winchester 3″ super X waterfowl #3, 1 1/8 cylinder and Drylok #4 2 3/4, 1 1/4 improved cylinder. If everything you do still doesn’t give you an acceptable pattern you may want to look at custom chokes.
By the way Drylok and Blindside have rebates until the end of the year.
https://winchester.com/Rebates/2019-Blind-Side-Rebate
Good Hunting.Knock that rooster down.

I believe Blindside has a wad that’s designed to release the shot much later than regular shells. If your first shots are too close you may not have much of a spread yet. If you do pattern it I would also try a close range “first shot” distance in addition to the standard longer distance test.

Blind Side has a solid shot cup wad made to hold the shot in the wad out to longer ranges before separation. Inside 10-15 yards, your pattern can be nearly a slug.
Blind Side also has less aerodynamic shot in it which is why the pattern opens up faster upon separation. there’s a lot of information out there that shows those pellets don’t penetrate well either.

Reef W wrote:

I believe Blindside has a wad that’s designed to release the shot much later than regular shells. If your first shots are too close you may not have much of a spread yet. If you do pattern it I would also try a close range “first shot” distance in addition to the standard longer distance test.

This is likely the problem. I’d try a different load with a conventional wad. I’ve never found sky buster waterfowl loads to be necessary for pheasant anyway. Boring old white box 4 or 2s.

Also, steel is lighter than lead so loads reach top velocity sooner. If you’re too quick on the draw and don’t get down on the stock you’ll often shoot over the bird. Steel is faster close in so it amplifies this problem. Slow down.

My father is a master of slowing down, picking one bird, and potting it cleanly and to do it he uses a 1930s vintage 20 gauge that he got when he was 9 and he feeds it 2.75 inch 6s. If he has to gun up and “use a cannon” he shoots a 16 gauge… I find it annoying but that’s what good shooting does for you.

Grouse