I just finished scoring a lot of patterns fired from a Benelli, using a new Polychoke 2 and the factory full choke. I was looking for a long range load and was shooting mostly #5, some #6. At the same time I wanted to compare the Polychoke to the factory choke. The results from the Polychoke were kind of disappointing, with all patterns being quite a lot sparser than expected. I was shooting from 50 yards, all loads were 1 3/8 or 1 1/2 oz. In one case I cranked the choke down to extra full and got 88 pellets in the 30" circle, then opened it up to I.C. and got 67. The same load shot a perfect 50% in the circle with the factory full choke, about 130 hits in the circle. I've used Polychokes before, have one now on a 20 gauge 870 and I like it, but I've never tried them with heavy loads and large shot. In a nutshell, the factory full choke threw exactly the patterns expected, and the Polychoke patterns were all too thin to be useful at 50 yards and beyond. Oh, and I did mike the chokes to the best of my ability; the Polychoke x-full is equal to the factory full. Any insights or similar experiences?
Polychoke 2 patterns
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McKie ,
You , unfortunately, can't rely on "one test tells all" --- Some loads , factory or reloads , won't necessarily be indicative of how good or how bad a particluar barrel , choke tube , or variable choke setting will perform on everything else .
That is why you must spend so dang many hours shooting patterns , counting pellet holes , yadayadayada .
A lot of guys who "like" ( a terribly inappropriate choice of words)to shoot patterns, use #6 loads --- easier to see , less to count , allegedly as accurate .
YMMV, 421
You , unfortunately, can't rely on "one test tells all" --- Some loads , factory or reloads , won't necessarily be indicative of how good or how bad a particluar barrel , choke tube , or variable choke setting will perform on everything else .
That is why you must spend so dang many hours shooting patterns , counting pellet holes , yadayadayada .
A lot of guys who "like" ( a terribly inappropriate choice of words)to shoot patterns, use #6 loads --- easier to see , less to count , allegedly as accurate .
YMMV, 421
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You did not say what loads that you were using,the legnth of the ammo,the legnth of the chamber,the type of shot(lead,bismuth,tungston matrix,steel,copper plated lead,nickle plated lead,etc.),the brand of ammo,the model of your Benelli and many more factors that effect a shotgun's pattern. Aso,patterns are generally shot at 40 yards. Did you use a bench with a pattern vice or without a vice or fire from the shoulder? What gauge were you testing? How many shots were tested in each shot size and load? Was the barrel back bored or adjusted after market in any way?
The above information should be provided when asking about pattern results. :wink:
The above information should be provided when asking about pattern results. :wink:
Thanks for the responses gentlemen. I used 6 different loads, only one of them factory, some 2 3/4" and some 3", all magnum lead shot. Rather than overwhelm everyone with all the particulars, I thought I'd just cut to the bottom line, which is that the same loads in the same gun fired by the same person on the same day, the only variable being the choke, resulted in good patterns with the factory choke and what I'd call blown patterns with the Polychoke, every time. I used #5 and #6 shot because I wouldn't be shooting anything smaller at 50 yard plus feathered birds, and I shot at 50 yards because that's as far back as I can get at our range. My reasoning is that if I want to know what the pattern of #5 shot looks like at 50 yards, shooting #8's at 40 yards won't tell me much. This is not an indictment of Polychoke, I just wondered if maybe Polychoke doesn't handle larger shot sizes as well. Has anyone else compared factory with Polychoke 2?
Yep , I could have told ya that poly choke and simalar like c-lect choke of mossberg , is not the way to go for super tight patterns. You would have been better with a screw in choke tube, and aftermarket choke tubes by hasting or kicks or a undertaker . I don;t know how tight of a pattern that you are looking for . I shoot the tightest pattern possible at 30 yards ( 90 feet) Using win aa 9 light mainly. I average 200 holes . For great patterns that tight you need to match you choke to your bore shooting in the neighborhood of 90 percent choke. If you want adjustable collar choke such as poly. I would suggest tru-glo titan turkey adjustable choke , I have never heard of anyone using one so far, but tru-glo says it tightens down to a .630 -------good luck to you
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The only test that I have done with a Poly-Choke II consisted of 200 rounds of factory 3 inch Remington #6 and #4 Hevishot (100ea). These shells were fired from a 28" Browning Invector Magnum barrel from a pattern vice at the standard 40 yard pattern board. These shells produced exellent even patterns with the choke set on "Slug" and improved clyinder settings. The factory choke tubes were less even and only the skeet and improved clyinder(**$ and **-) tubes were tested. At the same time the True Glo adjustable choke was tested with 50 #6 Remington Hevishot 3 inch and the same gun/barrel combination. The True Glow set up produced roughly 3% less effective patterns.
I have run about 1500 rounds of Hevishot through the Browning A5 with no ill effects. I use the Poly-Choke II on my regular waterfowling A5 12ga gun and have had great success with this set up over the last three seasons. I usually shoot 2 3/4 inch Hevishot through this gun.
I have run about 1500 rounds of Hevishot through the Browning A5 with no ill effects. I use the Poly-Choke II on my regular waterfowling A5 12ga gun and have had great success with this set up over the last three seasons. I usually shoot 2 3/4 inch Hevishot through this gun.
I would also suggest, backing off the constriction when going to larger shot sizes. Back when I was patterning "parking lot" loads with 5's, a loose I/M (.025") was as tight as I could go and keep any kind of core, and the numbers looked better with .022" or a relatively tight mod.
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308 Posts
I've noticed if i go with lighter payloads say,1 1/8 or 1 1/4 my full choke patterns increase.(less shot deformation)
for ex.If i use 7/8 oz load #6 in my o/u 20g bored m/f I get patterns running 75-80 %.(which is way too tight for me) but if I drop in a 1 1/8 oz my pattern expands and I get in the 60's %
full chokes never really seem to work like there supposed too.for good full choke pattrns you'll what to try BUFFERED loads!
Unfortunately,what everyone seems to be telling you is that evey gun to load shoots different.the only way to check what works is lots of shots/paper/and counting pellets :?
good luck Ed
for ex.If i use 7/8 oz load #6 in my o/u 20g bored m/f I get patterns running 75-80 %.(which is way too tight for me) but if I drop in a 1 1/8 oz my pattern expands and I get in the 60's %
full chokes never really seem to work like there supposed too.for good full choke pattrns you'll what to try BUFFERED loads!
Unfortunately,what everyone seems to be telling you is that evey gun to load shoots different.the only way to check what works is lots of shots/paper/and counting pellets :?
good luck Ed
Thanks everyone - I think, if it doesn't rain too hard today, I'll go back out to the range and shoot at least a few patterns at different choke settings. A5 guy, that's a lot of Hevishot! I have shot some patterns with it also, in the same Benelli but with the factory Mod. choke, and the results are impressive. I dunno why the stuff works, but it sure does. I'll post any interesting results from todays testing.
I have a poly-choke II in 20 gauge for my Remington. I had some of the same results you did. But I love my choke. With the lead loads I patterned the patterns ranged from cylinder to improved modified. Not the full range but still impressive from one choke. I have used it with great success on the skeet range and then straight over to the trap range with just a twist of the wrist. Whiile hunting doves I started out open and then closed when I was making good kill shots. Opening day that was modified. And full the next weekend. With nontox shot I got good full patterns for duck hunting. Full patterns with bismuth and the choke set on x-full. And full patterns in hevishot and steel set on improved cylinder. The only exception was with tungsten polymer. I couldn't get a good pattern on any setting. All and all I am really happy with the choke and leave it on my gun.
Rained all day yesterday, but this morning there was a short break before the wind and rain arrived, and I managed to shoot a few patterns with the Polychoke. For whatever reason, it seems that choke doesn't handle heavy payloads well, but lighter loads look much better. Some examples: 1 1/2 oz. #5, Mod. setting, 50 yards gave 67 hits in the 30" circle, should have been 105. Full choke, 91 hits instead of 125. 1 3/8 oz. loads were better but still about 20% or so under. 1 1/4 oz., full choke put 100 hits in the circle against the 104 expected. 1 1/8 oz. was light by the same insignificant percentage. All loads were running 1150 to 1250 fps. I wasn't able to shoot enough targets to make any of this statistically significant, but the trend is clear. If anyone's interested, here's that 1 1/4 oz. load: FGM hull, Federal 209A primer, 24.0 gr Unique, Federal 12S4 wad and 1 1/4 oz. #5 shot. That load also patterns well for me in other guns, and with #6 shot. It runs at 1220 fps and 10,500 psi. And now I am DONE counting pellet holes! At least for a while.
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