How do chokes work?

CobrayCommando · October 7, 2006, 06:53 PM

I don't understand it. The shot doesn't leave the shotcup until a foot or two after it leaves the barrel...

Pecos21 · October 9, 2006, 05:13 PM

With a choke rather than a smooth bore, you are still compressing the shot, even inside the wad, at the last 3" of the barrel. This last effort of compression tightens the wad and the shot as it leaves the barrel and therefore results in a tighter pattern during flight.

What I wrote above was nothing more than an educated guess. I think many will agree that there is no scientiffic data or theory to explain exactly how a choke works. If there was, then all choke manufacturers could make their products to exact specifications and all would work relatively the same.
Choke making however, is not a science, but an art and some chokes just work better then others.

mswestfall · October 9, 2006, 07:58 PM

Forcing cones, bbl diameter and length and the choke constriction all effect the shot length and width when it exits the bbl.

The shell itself effects the pattern density and length of the shot string. One of these variables is the hardness of the shot. Soft shot deforms more than hard shot. Deformed shot spreads out and slows down faster than spheres.

Some guns won't handle some loads very well at all. The patterning board is the place to find this out....

October 7, 2006, 06:53 PM	#1
CobrayCommando Junior member Join Date: November 21, 2004 Posts: 1,631	How do chokes work? I don't understand it. The shot doesn't leave the shotcup until a foot or two after it leaves the barrel...

October 9, 2006, 05:13 PM	#2
Pecos21 Senior Member Join Date: October 6, 2004 Location: East Texas Posts: 186	With a choke rather than a smooth bore, you are still compressing the shot, even inside the wad, at the last 3" of the barrel. This last effort of compression tightens the wad and the shot as it leaves the barrel and therefore results in a tighter pattern during flight. What I wrote above was nothing more than an educated guess. I think many will agree that there is no scientiffic data or theory to explain exactly how a choke works. If there was, then all choke manufacturers could make their products to exact specifications and all would work relatively the same. Choke making however, is not a science, but an art and some chokes just work better then others. __________________ Keep it safe...

October 9, 2006, 07:58 PM	#3
mswestfall Member Join Date: March 19, 2006 Posts: 60	Forcing cones, bbl diameter and length and the choke constriction all effect the shot length and width when it exits the bbl. The shell itself effects the pattern density and length of the shot string. One of these variables is the hardness of the shot. Soft shot deforms more than hard shot. Deformed shot spreads out and slows down faster than spheres. Some guns won't handle some loads very well at all. The patterning board is the place to find this out....