cylinder choke.
A cylinder choke is too open for most rabbit hunting situations, and a full choke too tight. That leaves improved cylinder and modified cylinder. In dense cover, where you seldom get a clear shot at a rabbit more than 20 yards away, improved cylinder is a good choice.
What choke should I use for hunting?
Choosing a Choke
In general, skeet or improved cylinder work best for hunting in timber or for teal, when you’re shooting small shot that can fill an open pattern. Light modified or modified are good choices for shooting over decoys. Improved modified is the best pick for pass shooting.
What gauge shotgun is best for rabbit hunting?
A 20-gauge shotgun with an improved-cylinder choke is one of the best choices, but almost any shotgun, regardless of gauge, action or choke, is adequate to hunt rabbits. As far as shot sizes, 6s and 7-1/2s are both good choices for cottontails.
What load do you use for rabbit hunting?
Rabbit & Squirrel Shotgun Loads
6 lead shot has been the go-to shot size for rabbits and squirrels for as long as anyone can remember. For higher treetop squirrels, a more powerful shot like No. 5 is perfect. Many hunters also prefer the even-larger No.
What does 5 notches on a choke mean?
cylinder
1 notch = Full. 2 notches = Improved modified. 3 notches = Modified. 4 notches = Improved cylinder. 5 notches = Cylinder.
What can I shoot through a full choke?
Full choke has tight constriction. The shot holds together even longer, making this choke good for squirrels, turkey, and other game shot at 40-yard and longer ranges. Turkey hunters sometimes use Extra Full or Turkey choke for even denser patterns at long range.
Which shotgun choke is the most open?
Cylinder choke
A shotgun barrel with Cylinder choke actually has no constriction at all. Its diameter is the same as the barrel’s internal dimension. This choke throws the widest pattern, so it is considered the most open choke.
Where is the best place to shoot a rabbit?
In most situations, the preferred shot placement is the chest kill zone. The chest kill zone provides a much larger target area than the head kill zone, which reduces the likelihood of wounding.
What is a good rabbit gun?
Here are 11 great rabbit guns for every budget, including a lever gun that kicks the fun up a notch.
- H&R Topper Deluxe Classic 20 Gauge.
- Mossberg 500 All Purpose Field.
- Beretta A400 Upland.
- TriStar Arms Bristol SxS.
- Benelli Montefeltro.
- Franchi Instinct L.
- Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen.
- Henry Lever Action .
Is 7.5 shot good for rabbits?
Doves, grouse, pheasants, ducks (with decoys), squirrels and rabbits are perfect for 7 1/2 shot because it won’t destroy the meat or ruin a trophy. Some hunters even say that inside of 35 yards, this shot size is great for turkey as well, while other hunters speak of its effectiveness on crows.
When should you hunt rabbits?
Time of Year: Rabbit season typically runs from early November to late February. While early season may provide plentiful rabbits, many hunters choose to wait it out until the first good snow cover making it easier to follow their tracks.
Can you hunt rabbit with a 12-gauge?
“Rabbit hunters typically carry a 12 gauge or 20 gauge,” says Montague. “Either gun works just fine on both cottontail or swamp rabbits when choked with a modified, 26-inch or 28-inch barrel.”
What choke is best for buckshot?
There is no “best choke” for buckshot, for a number of reasons. First off, the shooter may want his buckshot to hold a tight pattern, or to scatter widely at short range. I hunt deer with a full choke using buckshot, because most of the time, full choke will deliver the tightest pattern at long ( for buckshot ) ranges.
Can you shoot slugs out of a full choke?
Originally Answered: Is there any danger in shooting slugs thru a full choke barrel? No, as long as you’re shooting pure lead slugs like the old Foster style slug. Lead is soft and will compress. I learned to shoot slugs with an old JC Witney 12 gauge bolt action with a full choke.
Which shotgun choke has the tightest pattern?
The full choke
The full choke is the tightest choke; it has the tightest shot pattern. This choke keeps the pellets together over a greater distance. Used it for longer shots, usually beyond 40 yards.
What choke Can I shoot a slug through?
The conventional wisdom has long been that these slugs perform best with an Improved Cylinder choke. Though ammunition is highly variable, and all guns digest ammunition a little differently than one another, I’d be inclined to start with an IC choke. If your accuracy with this choke is acceptable, stick with it.
Can you use steel shot in a full choke?
When using steel shot, you should only use stainless steel choke tubes with modified or more open chokes. You should not use steel shot with Extra Full, Full, or Improved Modified Chokes of any kind. If it is a fixed choke barrel, we do not recommend using steel shot, as it may damage your barrel(s).
Does steel shot damage shotgun barrels?
Steel shot could damage a shotgun barrel if the right precautions aren’t taken. Some shotgun barrels aren’t compatible with steel shot. Choke tubes that are too tight can also cause issues with large steel pellets.
What are the three types of shotgun chokes?
Types of Chokes
- Cylinder choke is an unconstricted barrel. The shot string spreads quickly.
- Improved Cylinder choke has a slight constriction. It allows the shot string to spread fairly quickly.
- Modified choke has moderate constriction.
- Full choke has tight constriction.
What is the difference between a full choke and a turkey choke?
It may seem a small amount, but it is actually quite a bit of constriction when you consider all that shot has to squeeze through that narrow tunnel. So, a full choke is . 030 of an inch tighter than cylinder and most turkey chokes are another 30 thousandths of an inch tighter than full chokes.
What is the difference between full modified and improved chokes?
The US improved cylinder choke has a (12 bore) constriction of 0.010” vs 0.020” of the modified choke. The effective range of modified choke is longer than that of improved cylinder so it can reliably shoot targets out to 40 yards. 30 yards is a more suitable distance for improved cylinder choke.