How to Understand Choke Tubes
Choke tubes are used in shotguns to help hunters and shooters tighten the pattern of the BBs found in shotgun shells. The three main types of choke are improved cylinder, modified choke and full choke. The improved cylinder restricts the BBs slightly; the modified choke restricts the BBs more than the improved cylinder, but less than the full choke, which creates a very tight BB pattern.
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Instructions
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How to Understand Choke Tubes
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1
Draw a red circle in the middle of an 8.5-inch by 11-inch blank piece of white paper. If you have target paper that already has a red circle, you do not need to draw the circle.
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2
Place the paper about 40 yards away from you. Attach it to a tree, hay bale, or other object that will not be harmed by the BBs in your shotgun shells.
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3
Place a full choke in the end of your shotgun barrel. For all choke tubes, this involves putting the tube in the end of the barrel, pushing it as far as you can and screwing it the rest of the way with a choke tube wrench.
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4
Aim at the red circle and fire. A full choke limits the extent to which the BBs in shotgun shells spread out, so when you look, you should see a tight pattern in the paper.
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5
Remove the first piece of target paper you used and replace it with another. Hang on to the first piece you used, and write on it "full choke."
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6
Remove the full choke tube and insert the modified choke tube.
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7
Aim your shotgun, now fitted with a modified choke tube, at the red circle and fire. You should notice a BB pattern on the paper that is larger than the full choke pattern.
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8
Remove the piece of paper you used for the modified choke and replace it with another. Keep the piece of paper you took down, and write on it, "modified choke."
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9
Remove the modified choke tube and insert the improved cylinder choke tube.
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10
Aim your shotgun, now fitted with an improved cylinder choke tube, at the red circle and fire. You should notice a BB pattern on the paper that is larger than the modified choke pattern.
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11
Remove the piece of paper and write on it, "improved cylinder."
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12
Compare the three pieces of paper. By doing so, you can see and understand how the three different choke tubes perform.
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Tips & Warnings
The most common choke tube is the modified choke, and many hunters never use anything but this choke tube. However, a full choke is good for shooting at high-flying waterfowl, or at turkeys, since it holds the pattern together for a longer time. The improved cylinder is good for hunting grouse or other forest-dwelling species, since it results in a wider pattern and can be effectively used in heavy cover.
Check the choke tube you are using to see if it is intended for lead or steel shot. While some choke tubes can shoot both, others perform best with one type of BB or the other. Wear eye and ear protection when you are shooting at a target.
