Opening Up The Chockes On A Shotgun.

[graham~j 0]

Hi,I have just returned to pigeon decoying after 20 odd years.I have an old Beikle side by side which is as good as I can aford right now ,the gun shoots well enough and I am happy with it but the chockes are very tight what apears to be full and fuller using a gauge.Would it be finacily viable to have the chokes opend up and what would you take them to 1/4 and 1/2 or cylider and 1/4.I do like the option of a bit of range on the back triger and am prety used to shooting these tight chokes now.

 

 

Thanks for any advice Graham.

Edited February 23, 2015 by graham~j

[SportingShooter 0]

To have them reamed out by a local gunsmith probably won't be too expensive, about £40-50 for both,

 

I'd go for 1/4 & 1/2.

[andyf 144]

£50 for both barrels sounds about right, I'd go for IMP CYL & 1/2 myself, those old baikal's have long thick barrels.

Also maybe be a bit selective with your cartridges, for close up decoying 32gram 7's on felt wads would help even with the chokes

left as is.

28gr plasi wads are not the first choice (mine anyway).

[graham~j 0]

Thanks for the replys,so worth doing on my old gun then ,got to say I have alway favoured felt wads any way.

 

Thanks Graham.

[trenchfoot 4,243]

If my memory is correct, the Baikal has tight bores. As such a standard bore gauge may give some misleading results. you may find that your gun is choked half and full (which was a common Baikal SBS set up). in which case, only one barrel needs opening up from full to quarter. So half the price! Can you tell I'm a Yorkshireman?

[Born Hunter 17,830]

I should just pattern it before you do anything.

[graham~j 0]

I bought this gun brand new 35 years ago.It was my first gun I sold all my other because I didn't use them but hung onto this one.I bought it as 3/4 and full at the time.It shoots a very tight pattern belive me.My mates chock gauge says full and fuller,I have herd the same that baikel bores are tight but how can they be tighter than any othe 12 g I have never been able to understand.

 

 

Thanks Graham.

[Chid 6,621]

If my memory is correct, the Baikal has tight bores. As such a standard bore gauge may give some misleading results. you may find that your gun is choked half and full (which was a common Baikal SBS set up). in which case, only one barrel needs opening up from full to quarter. So half the price! Can you tell I'm a Yorkshireman?

But if you do that your tighter choke will be on the wrong barrell ...

[trenchfoot 4,243]

 

If my memory is correct, the Baikal has tight bores. As such a standard bore gauge may give some misleading results. you may find that your gun is choked half and full (which was a common Baikal SBS set up). in which case, only one barrel needs opening up from full to quarter. So half the price! Can you tell I'm a Yorkshireman?

But if you do that your tighter choke will be on the wrong barrell ...

 

depends which direction the target is going. If its coming towards you, then its the right way around. The order of front trigger, open choke, back trigger tight choke is an anachronism left over from when all game was shot walked up. The advent of driven shooting dictated that the tighter choke would be a better choice for the front trigger, but unless you order a gun to be made that way You are stuck in the past!

[Chid 6,621]

 

 

If my memory is correct, the Baikal has tight bores. As such a standard bore gauge may give some misleading results. you may find that your gun is choked half and full (which was a common Baikal SBS set up). in which case, only one barrel needs opening up from full to quarter. So half the price! Can you tell I'm a Yorkshireman?

 

But if you do that your tighter choke will be on the wrong barrell ...

depends which direction the target is going. If its coming towards you, then its the right way around. The order of front trigger, open choke, back trigger tight choke is an anachronism left over from when all game was shot walked up. The advent of driven shooting dictated that the tighter choke would be a better choice for the front trigger, but unless you order a gun to be made that way You are stuck in the past!

ill stay stuck in the past