APRIL 1995

THE TECHNOID CHOKES... One of the most difficult things for many
sporting clays shooters to figure out is which choke/shell combination to
use on a given station. Come, let the Technoid lead you down the
garden path. He may not be right, but he is positive.

The ultra simple approach: Leave .015" (Light Modified) in each
barrel and shoot #8 shot for everything. Period. That is it. Nothing
more. Go forth and prosper.

As practical as the above is, it is not very much fun. Nor is it in
the Technoid's tradition of maximizing needless complication.
Truthfully, it also does not squeeze out the last tiny bit of performance
from your shotgun. If you do not mind fooling around a bit, the
Technoid recommends the following. You will need three chokes and
three sizes of shot to use over three distances.

Simply make up your mind how many yards away the bird will
be when your break it. Look up that distance in the recipe below and
use the choke/shot size indicated. Here are the distance combinations:

0 - 20 yards= Skeet (.005") and #9 shot
20 - 35 yards= Light Modified (.015") and #8 shot
35+ yards= Improved Modified (.030") and #7 1/2 shot

As in Finnish grammar, there are a lot of exceptions and some
personal preferences. The Technoid likes to choke up a bit for Teal,
open up a bit for driven Pheasant and refrains from using #9s on
Rabbits. However, the basic rule is sound. Find the distance and then
use the appropriate paired choke and shot size. Unless circumstances are
exceptional, never separate the choke from the shot size. You will be
defeating the purpose of the combination.

As you become more proficient you might wish to take into
consideration the size of the target and whether it will be edge on or flat
side to, but this is graduate level tinkering and probably does not help a
whole lot.

One last thought. If you want to maximize performance use 1
1/8 oz shells, not 1 oz. In shells of equal quality, choked to provide
equal pattern density, the heavier load will produce a pattern which is
approximately 10% larger. That is like opening your chokes one full
degree. When you win or lose a shoot by one bird, you have to be
crazy to give up this advantage. If recoil is a problem shoot a gas gun.

[At this point the Technoid is seen fleeing down the garden path,
dodging rotten fruit and empty one ounce hulls. Miss Manners always
warned him that it was safer to be polite than honest.]