[brad in NY]

well i am a avid rabbit hunting and all last year i used my charles daly 12ga semi with improved cyl with low brass 6's and it made alot of them pretty bloodshot. well i broke down last night and bought a mossberg 20 ga, now my question is this. i really like the spread of the imp.cyl in the 12ga, but shooting a 20ga will the imp spread TOO much?i want a big pattern but still have a good chance at hitting the rabbit. or would the modified be the better bet?

 

[John E]

I've only ever used fixed choke guns.

The majority of my shotguns have been choked modified and I recommend going with the modified choke for rabbit and squirrel (neither is hard to kill ) so you can still reach out for those longer shots but use a larger shot size so you don't pepper the critters more than necessary. I have shot a 20ga almost exclusively since 1976 and a 3/4 or 1oz load of #4 shot would be my pick for rabbits.

 

[joez]

Brad,
If your gun has screw chokes get a modified choke and some #5 or 6 shot. The I/C would be a good bird choke, that is what I'm using in WV.
Joe

 

[Va. Boy]

I shoot a 20ga.

at rabbits and mine choked skeet. I use #4's and have no problem. I'm not much into modified choke. I shoot fast and if I hit them with modified it tends to blow them up.
________
XN85

 

[Crowhunter]

Chokes

well i am a avid rabbit hunting and all last year i used my charles daly 12ga semi with improved cyl with low brass 6's and it made alot of them pretty bloodshot. well i broke down last night and bought a mossberg 20 ga, now my question is this. i really like the spread of the imp.cyl in the 12ga, but shooting a 20ga will the imp spread TOO much?i want a big pattern but still have a good chance at hitting the rabbit. or would the modified be the better bet?

Chokes mean nothing. The + - tolerences of the shotgun barrel making process is the reason. The barrel can be at the maximum of the + dimension and the choke reamer at the maximun of the - dimension and you can have an extra full choke on a barrel that is marked mod. I learned this years ago. Be sure to pattern the shotgun with the shells you intend to hunt with. I have had shotguns that shot high and some that shot low.

 

[JBD-TN]

Be sure to pattern the shotgun with the shells you intend to hunt with.

Great advice!

Very few people have taken the time to shoot their scatterguns on paper. Take your favorite load and pattern it at several different distances, its the only way to know for sure. Then try another brand or shot size till you find that magic combination.

My favorite rabbit load was high brass #4 Remingtons out of my imp. cylinder.
I also carried a few 3" 1 7/8 oz #4's for long range rabbits or an occassional fox. I also liked #5's when I could find them.

 

[Redneck in IL]

shotgun pattern size

the size of the shotgun pattern will not get smaller or larger with the 20 vs the 12. There will be fewer pellets in the 20 ga pattern because it has fewer pellets in the shell. True IC patterns from a 20 ga will be the same size as true IC patterns in a 12. It won't leave the rabbits as shot up as the 12 though, due to the lighter payload of shot. HTH

 

[Jerry Lester]

I also agree that you really need to pattern that gun to see just "exactly" it'll do with a given combo.

I shoot a Remington 20 gauge 870 Express Magnum (youth model) for all my shotgun needs now. I replaced the little factory stock with an adult Speed Fit stock. Now it has the nice shorter barrel for calling, but fits me perfectly.

When I first bought it, I spent another $25 for the super full turkey choke figuring I needed it for predators seeing how that's what all the "books" say . I never patterned it, and proceded to either miss, wing, or destroy everything I shot at with it for about a week .

After patterning it, I found out why. At 50yards it literally would print about a 2' circle with any kind of load with #6 or bigger shot! I tried a full choke, and it was similar. The modified choke still printed about an 18" circle with any 3" magnums out to around 35 yards. I settled on an improved cylinder, and now it's perfect in my opinion. At 40 yards with 3" magnum #4's, or #2's it prints about a 30" circle, and at 20 yards, it still doesn't turn a hide to screen wire.

Give that 20 gauge a chance. You'll love it in the long run.