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Old August 22, 2011, 01:10 AM   #1
chasep255
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Poly Choke

So I shot a gun with a poly choke today. Now I am thinking of getting one for myself. Any experience/opinions?
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Old August 22, 2011, 08:09 AM   #2
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Poly chokes are still beig installed on guns today you can send your gun directly to Ploy Choke to have one installed. Please note that the addition of any adjustable choke devise generally lowers the value of the gun.

Also note if you have removable choke tubes Poly makes a screw in choke for those barrels that have choke tubes.
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Old August 22, 2011, 08:51 AM   #3
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Aesthetics notwithstanding, it will add some weight right at the very end of the barrel which might make the swing dynamics bothersome for many. If you like it, and as mentioned above, your gun is already threaded for chokes, get the threaded one that goes into your barrel already.

The determination on whether it will work for you or not will be done at the pattern board

Last edited by oneounceload; August 22, 2011 at 02:17 PM.
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Old August 22, 2011, 01:16 PM   #4
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Typically, a shotgun choke (fixed or screw-in) has three basic sections: the entry, transition (constriction), and exit. The entry (the bore section) and the exit (the muzzle section) have parallel walls and the transition is conical. With most manufactures, the angle of the cone is fixed and its length varies. The longer the conical section, the more constriction there is. This is not the case with the Poly-Choke. With adjustable collets, the transition is not conical, but curved. The more constriction, the tighter the curve, and the more off-axis its terminus. I'm skeptical about their claim,"Testing proved to pattern as good as or better than factory choke tubes." If this were the case, why don't we see them used on comp guns?

Oneounceload's comment about added weight at the muzzle is valid. However, I suspect the same thing may be said for some of the monster extended choke tubes on the market these days. Many shooters may not have the experience to evaluate their gun's swing characteristics. My first shotgun came with a Poly-Choke, and I shot a lot of holes in the sky with that gun. For the casual shooter, a Poly-Choke may be a viable option to a pocket full of expensive screw-ins. For me, no thanks… been there, done that.
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Old August 22, 2011, 01:36 PM   #5
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I picked up a Winchester Model 50 a couple of weeks ago that had one put on it back when it was new. On that gun, set to "Improved", it patterns nicely for sporting clays. It's a whole lot better than the full choked Winchester '97 that I was using, but it's definitely a compromise.

For a guy of my shooting ability, that is, completely non-competitive and satisfied with an 18 or 20 at the skeet range, that 55 year old Model 50 and Polychoke work just fine for me. But I think that if I had a gun with removable chokes, I would stick with those. It's not that hard to change them out and they're properly made for that gun.
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Old August 22, 2011, 02:25 PM   #6
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I like mine.
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Old August 22, 2011, 02:50 PM   #7
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Having changeable screw in chokes on a shotgun these days - is really mandatory if you're going to use it for more than one type of bird - or for more than one type of clays game ...or even for hunting...

a poly choke ...is the ugliest / and lamest of all the options...in my view.

Have the barrel properly threaded for good screw in chokes --- either flush or extended ...whatever you want / makes way more sense to me.
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Old August 22, 2011, 03:04 PM   #8
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Poly... cough... ugh... choke...

Go with screw in chokes.
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Old August 22, 2011, 03:14 PM   #9
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Of course, there are those who look down upon screw-in chokes a being just a half step above Poly Chokes. Serious gentleman shooters have a different fixed choke shotgun for each application.

Last edited by zippy13; August 22, 2011 at 05:05 PM. Reason: tpyo
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Old August 22, 2011, 04:21 PM   #10
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Quote:
Of course, there who look down upon screw-in chokes a being just a half step above Poly Chokes. Serious gentleman shooters have a different fixed choke shotgun for each application.

About time I got some support.......................
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Old August 22, 2011, 04:53 PM   #11
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Poly choke era

I seem to recall that polychokes were popular in the 50s and 60s. Gradually, advertising by polychoke began to taper off and I forgot the last time I saw an ad in any gunzine. In fact, even the used gun racks in my local gunshops are pretty much devoid of any scatterguns sporting polychokes. My son has screw-in choke tubes on his pump gun and I prefer the clean look it offers.
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Old August 22, 2011, 05:28 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zippy13
Of course, there are those who look down upon screw-in chokes a being just a half step above Poly Chokes. Serious gentleman shooters have a different fixed choke shotgun for each application.
That's true, and no gentleman is properly gunned if he doesn't have at least one shotgun that patterns 24 inches high at 27 yards. What would he do on a trap field where the birds are launched into a gale force wind?

I've got a couple of old Model 12s with poly chokes. As in all chokes, you've got to pattern them to find out exactly what they're doing. Because mine were made in the '50s and '60's I don't use them with steel shot. They're an anachronism from a bygone age, much akin to the Cutt's Compensator. You've never lived until you've watched a Cutt's fill up with plastic shot collars.

Ugly? Oh, yeah, they're ugly as homespun sin, but you don't have to carry a pocketful of choke tubes around with you.
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Old August 22, 2011, 06:30 PM   #13
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Next you guys will tell me adjustable combs on serious competition guns are only for amateurs ....( vs us more discerning connoisseurs ...of finely crafted weapons...that think adjustability is a good thing).

If I don't have at least a dozen screw in chokes for my chosen gun that day ....I'm under-prepared !! ( and a T wrench to adj my comb if necessary ) ....and a pipe cleaner to clean out my barrel ports....
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Old August 22, 2011, 07:57 PM   #14
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I have several older ones with polychokes.A mossberg bolt action 16 gauge and a Franchi LW 20 ga semi auto.I think I have an old Remington 16 ga semi auto as well.
I don't shoot them often but when I do it is just for fun.
I like them but I have been told I am weird more than once.
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Old August 22, 2011, 08:14 PM   #15
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Love 'em.
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Old August 22, 2011, 08:34 PM   #16
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Years ago while in the USMC our Special Services had Remington autos with Poly chokes installed. We could check them out to duck hunt with, which I did on several occasions. On every shot it took a split second to figure out what the hell was on the end of my barrel. Felt like I was aiming a piece of pipe with a union on it. Never got accustomed to it. Bought an Ithaca 37 for the ducks, sans Poly choke.
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Old August 23, 2011, 05:32 AM   #17
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Their patterns are inconsistent. Incapable of performing like individual choke tubes...
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Old August 23, 2011, 05:42 AM   #18
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Morning Slugo,

I sent you a P/M about some camera advice over at SGW when you get a chance.

Sorry for a mini high-jack folks
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Old August 23, 2011, 01:16 PM   #19
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I have owned several guns with PolyChokes on them. They work fine if they are installed correctly, but you need to take the time to learn how to make them pattern and how to use them. My Browning A5 with an unvented PolyChoke worked perfectly, tight patterns, patterns fired consistenly as the choke was tightened. My Model 12 (with factory-installed PolyChoke) shot like a dream. My Remington 31 with PolyChoke shot slightly to one side, and would blow holes in the patterns if tightened all the way. But all in all, PolyChokes work, they work well, and they have worked for about 75 years. If you have one, take it to a pattern board to learn how it shoots.

Now aesthetically they may not be the most attractive lumps I have ever seen, but hey . . .
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