Choke for Black Cloud

P

playin' hookey

New member
I am going to try some geese over decoys and expect shots to be 30-50 yds (I am not an experienced caller and have only a few decoys so my shots may be on the long side). I plan to use Black Cloud 3 1/2-inch BBs with my Rem 1187. I have cyl, IC, mod, and full Carlson's extended chokes. I don't have any of the special Black Cloud chokes. My question is whether there is any advantage to using anything tighter than cyl or IC since the FlightControl wad is supposed to hold the shot together. Does using more choke tighten the pattern or degrade it? I know it is best to pattern my gun but am looking for a little guidance from you guys instead, at least as a starting point.
 
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30 to 50 yards you may want to use a full choke to keep the patern tight. Its how we shoot them sky carp....
 
patterning results

Well, I did pattern today. I used strips of freezer paper about 25 inches wide, so this was just a non-standard, qualitative test. All shots were with 12-ga 1187 Super-Mag 28-inch barrel, chokes all Carlsons extended of varying constrictions, Federal Black Cloud BB shot, 3 1/2 inch shells, at varying distances:

40 yds, cyl choke -------sparse, inadequate for goose, 0-1 hits predicted for
a goose at center of pattern
40 yds, IC choke --------a little better, still inadequate, clumpy pattern with
too many holes, 2-10 hits predicted
40 yds, mod choke ------much better, adequate, more even pattern with
5-10 hits predicted for goose at pattern center
50 yds, mod choke ------sparse, inadequate, more like cyl at 40, 0-1 hits
predicted
50 yds, full choke -------fair, marginal adequacy, 2-5 hits predicted

Conclusions: 1) No question about it, it is worthwhile to pattern.
2) I had read elsewhere that because of the Flight Control
wad, tight choking is counterproductive. This is incorrect at
least for my gun. Patterns tightened with increasing choke
constriction.
3) I found that my gun, when shot from a position sitting
on the ground with elbows on knees, shoots about 1 foot
below point of aim. Above results are for a goose-sized
silhouette at pattern center, not at point of aim.
4) Based on this pattern testing, I plan to use mod choke and
keep shots inside 40 yds, and aim a little higher.
 
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