I know what chokes I like for all my other shotgunning, but I'm wondering about waterfowling. I just shoot my factory mod benelli choke. It seems like the patternmaster chokes are really popular among waterfowlers, but almost nonexistant in all other disciplines. Are they kind of a gimmick? Some of the claims on their website had me scratching my head. Like the one about shot string.

Marketing hype! Keep doing what you are doing!
I prefer an IC.

Hopefully you know all waterfowl chokes are made more open in constriction than a Lead shot
Choke , reason being , Nontox or Steel shot needs less constriction to perform as tight a pattern
as lead . I normally use Sporting Clays Chokes for Nontox loads but I have patterned them to
know how well they perform out of my guns . You'll need to do the same to find out , what your
gun and loads like !

For a single barrel M or LM are fine for waterfowling. If you're in timber or ricefields you might want to go IC or IM for big, open water.

I run the factory supplied extended Mod choke in my waterfowl gun but I also keep a Carlson's Cremator Ported Extended Full choke on hand as well. I use it for geese and crane's and sometimes when the birds are working further out. I think you could do 95% of all of your waterfowl hunting with a Mod.

For twelve gauge I use the Mossberg Accu-Choke II size Full #6-#4 Steel that has been seized in my Mossberg 500 barrel for the last twenty years. Works good.

Not necessarily.
I use a Carlsons ported extended Cremator extra full choke on my 870 for pass shooting geese and swan.
I think it is like .670" choked.
It is rated for any shot including steel at any speed.
You have to make sure it is rated for steel them patteran it with what you plan to shoot and just see how it does.
I reload and use "Duplex" loads for waterfowl I use 1 /4 oz #2XBB steel at 1500 fps.
For Coyotes I use LEAD "#F" 1 1/2 oz 1350 fps. The choke does an outstanding job.
In general we find a full choke does great on the smaller shots too.

If that choke is rated for both Lead and nontox with a .670 construction it's a tight
sucker with Steel shot and can't imagine Big shot pellets staying together for any
kind of decent pattern density but You would know !
I have a .664 that surely won't shoot steel shot worth a crap but in my 425 32"
it loves Copper 5's with Longshot !

I have been using the extended range and mid range chokes from Hevishot. I like the mid range
choke for pit hunting where the ducks are decoying since it has a wider pattern. Later in the season, I like to use the extended range choke when the ducks get more decoy and call shy. The extended range choke has a tighter pattern.

Ravenanme says, "Not necessarily".

I agree! Different shot types respond differently to choke. Generally, softer types like lead, bismuth, Kent itm (tungsten matrix) & nice shot respond much like lead. Hard shot like steel & hard tungsten alloys need much less choke. The chokes I use for hard shot (12 g/cm^3 tungsten alloy) range from ic to im & are all extended tubes, 10 & 12 ga., Briley & Carlson & restrictions are based on lead chokes. Only tubes rated for steel/Hevi Shot are used for hard shot. I use mostly conventional lead tubes for lead & bismuth but also use the steel rated tubes. I also use guns with built in lead chokes. I filled one of my deer tags this week with a standard 9 pellet load of "OO" out of my 30" LC Smith's full choke barrel. One shot to the neck & it was time for the skinning rack!
Nice Shot & ITM are not being produced right now due to the high cost of tungsten so that leaves only bismuth & maybe a bismuth variant & lead in the soft shot category. There is talk about copper plated bismuth which sounds good. We will have to wait & see about that one. Essentially, the choke type & restriction depends on the type of shot & the range of the target. Like others have stated, many folks get along fine with just a IC or Mod. choke. I like the way tungsten will reach out & touch with my Carlson IM choke!

The Cremator® series has no size or speed restrictions with steel shot in any of the three constrictions. You also get all the benefits of an extended choke tube, including a 25% longer parallel section for tighter and more dense patterns, wrench-less installation, quick removal and helps with muzzle protection. They are offered in your choice of ported or non-ported configurations. Like all of our tubes Carlson’s Cremator® Series Choke Tubes are made in the U.S.A., carry a lifetime warranty and are precision-machined from heat-treated 17-4 stainless steel.

Remington 12 Gauge Cremator Ported Waterfowl Choke Tubes
Item# Const. Dia.
11533 Close Range .725 ADD
11535 Mid Range .715 ADD
11537 Long Range .705 ADD
Item# Const. Dia. $
11532 2-Pack MR & LR ADD
Item# Const. Dia.
11539 3-Pack CR-MR-LR in Case

I surely enjoy your chokes as they have performed wonderfully for me !
I do think with my ,742 overbored barrels they are a advantage in the field with nontox
(steel Shot ). I prefer your Sporting Choke in .015 constriction with # 3's and # 1's and
regulate payloads with the conditions of the weather !
Thanks for a GREAT Choke !!

I gotta agree with Dr Duk, Rubberhead, et al. Since I only shoot SXS guns, all my guns have two choked barrels. I don't have a lot of experience with different brands & types of chokes so I can only comment on what I have used. Years ago when tungsten steel was new, Mr. Trulock recommended his IM extended tube for full choke applications in 12 ga. & tungsten iron alloys in #4 & #5 sizes. I don't recall our entire conversation but personally, I would use less choke with larger shot. The rt. bbl. gets his extended IC tube. I usually use steel rated tubes even for lead shot. I even use steel rated tubes in guns I never shoot steel in when it is convenient. My 10 ga. guns that take tubes, use Trulock & Briley tubes. Most all of them, even the ones with lead shot restrictions, are made with the same alloy they use for steel shot tubes. I can honestly say that I am more than satisfied with the performance of the Briley & Trulock tubes that I have.

I've been waterfowl hunting since the 90's, and started reloading before that. I've shot countless loads through different chokes looking for the right combo for the specific gun I plan to use that season. Using lead, steel, HW, and TSS I've had shotguns that preform well with factory chokes, and some that wouldn't. I have patternmaster chokes on some shotguns, Carlsons on others, its just what works for that gun with the specific ammo I plan to shoot. Some gun, choke, shot combos work well, some obviously don't. Swapping out one component can make a world of difference.