Why not full choke for everything?

[Double Naught Spy]

Why not use full choke for everything? Simple. Not everything is best shot with the tightest pattern. Up close, as noted for quail, you may manage to miss everything.

Noted above that slugs can be deformed in full choke. Not only that, but slugs can be impeded by the full choke, resulting in damage to the choke and/or barrel. Generally speaking, slugs do not benefit from passing through a choke. The slug pattern isn't any tighter with a choke as the pattern of a slug is 1 shot and 1 hole. You cannot tighten it.

 

[Trip20]

I should have better stated my question. Your right Double, and I knew a slug wasn't good in a full choke. It was intended to be more for diff shot types (minus slugs), but it would be hard to know that from my post.

 

[locked'n'cocked]

i have a remington 1100 12 ga. and i do use it for everything. (yes, even trap from the 16 yard line and skeet)

 

[K80Geoff]

Sometimes changing loads can alter patterns. People with older guns with fixed chokes learn to do this. If your gun is fixed full you can buy special "Spreader" loads to open up the pattern.

If you have great grandpa's old parker with tight chokes and you want to shoot Quail, a spreader load will allow you to hunt without turning the birds into hamburger.

Cheapie soft lead "Promo" loads will often throw wider patterns than Magnum 7.5 trap loads.

And older shells without plastic shot cups will open up more in full choke because the pellets get deformed travelling down the barrel not protected by plastic.

If you know the approximate distance you are taking trap targets, do some testing with sheets of paper at that distance with various chokes and loads. You might be surprised at the variations in pattern size.

Find a load that gives the best pattern at that distance and stick with it.