Chokes for pigeon shooting?

[stucane]

Just wondered what preference people had for choke sizes when shooting pigeons?
Was using 1/4 up till now, but seems to be too wide a spread, as have pricked birds with the shot pattern, but not enough pellets on target to drop them completely. Gonna try a 1/2 this weekend, have been experimenting with chokes at the local clay shoot, but for some reason never seems to do the same when shooting real pigeons. I am limited to one choke only (semi-auto)so need to choose carefully.
Just looking for some opinions on the subject.
Cheers
Stu

[Beer Hunter]

Shotgun choke changes are seen as the panacea for all ills if you talk to some folk!
You can shoot pigeon within realistic ranges with a skeet choke if you want. With the right shot placement it will kill cleanly no problem at all.
Personally I use 1/4 and 1/2 for everything. With #6 shot it takes everything from 10 yard bunnies to 50 yard pheasant.

Sorry to say it, but if you are pricking them with a 1/4 choke, it can only be one of 2 things:
1) the cartridges don't suit the gun - fix: go to the pattern plate and see what works.
2) you ain't placing the pattern in the right place - fix: more time at the clay ground.

Kev.

[Foxy]

If you are pricking birds try using a heavier shot charge through the same choke. This will give a dencer patern.
It is always a ofset of charge to choke untill you find what suits you , your style of shooting and the gun.
Other alternative is to take the gun and have it regulated to a particular cartridge ,
usually Eley Grand Prix no 7 as tis is considered the English standard cartridge
Foxy

[The Burpster]

Out of interest what shells do you use?

I've found with our grey freinds its not neccesarily the weight of the shot load its more teh velocity that gets 'em. Make sure you have some nice fast shells (in 12g I used RC 1 28g 6's) and I use 3/8 choke (light modifed in Beretta) if you havent got one, or cant get one for the Franchi, get another 1/2 choke and have it opened up a bit....

[stucane]

Thanks for the replies, chaps. Did a bit more experimenting at the clay ground today with the 1/2 choke, getting good kills with that, for some reason I wasn't getting on with it before.
At the moment I'm using Gamebore High Bird fibre wads, No6 shot 30gm, so should have plenty of knockdown ability.
Will need to try the 1/2 choke next time I'm out, now that I have renewed confidence in it.
Cheers
Stu

[Born Again]

Don't forget that the cartridge makes a difference to the pattern. I used 1/2 and 3/4 from O/U for pigeon and rabbit with plastic wads, fibre wads opened the patterns up a bit.

As you have an auto, you could load a fibre wad as the first shot and a plaswad as the second, for the "going away" birds.

[Beer Hunter]

Don't forget that the cartridge makes a difference to the pattern. I used 1/2 and 3/4 from O/U for pigeon and rabbit with plastic wads, fibre wads opened the patterns up a bit.

As you have an auto, you could load a fibre wad as the first shot and a plaswad as the second, for the "going away" birds.

I'm afraid that plastic wads having greater pattern density is nothing more than a old wives tale.
The BASC report I mentioned above, and featured in 'The Field' Nov 2007, concluded - "there is no statistical difference in pattern density and rarely do plastic wads outperform fibre".
In fact, quite the reverse is true and in the vast majority of their tests had fibre wads producing better density with fewer "flyers".

Try it on a pattern plate. Both my guns (a O/U milti-choke and a S/S with fixed 5/8 and 7/8) have better patterns with fibre.

Kev.