Worth the cost???

Trappertod

Six Pointer
Is the pattern master choke worth the money? With deer season out I am shifting to shooting some ducks and also a booked snow goose trip with Capt Froggy. I have been thinking about buying one of these chokes for my SBE II. Any advice from the avid waterfowlers here?
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Your factory choke should be fine. But me personally, comp-n-choke or mullers are the only after market chokes I will put in my guns.

But to answer your question, no it's not worth the cost if it's just for one trip. Factory choke will work just fine. And honestly, if half the people out there that buy these aftermarket chokes patterned their guns, they'd find there is very little difference in performance from a aftermarket choke vs the factory choke.
 
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Troutbum82

Twelve Pointer
Your factory choke should be fine. But me personally, comp-n-choke or mullers are the only after market chokes I will put in my guns.

But to answer your question, no it's not worth the cost if it's just for one trip. Factory choke will work just fine. And honestly, if half the people out there that buy these aftermarket chokes patterned their guns, they'd find there is very little difference in performance from a aftermarket choke vs the factory choke.

I sent my Beretta to Rob Roberts and my factory choke performed better than all the aftermarket chokes except the T2 and the difference was minimal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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CBD21

Eight Pointer
I run the hevi shot choke tubes in my sbe ll along with about everyone I hunt with. For me it was an improvement over the factory choke.
 

Smitty010203

Twelve Pointer
Funny this came up because I just bought my first pattern master a week and a half ago. The next day I took it hunting and we had a 3 man limit of birds by 9am (no woodies) and there was only 1 cripple. The place where this hunt went down usually involves longer shots so I use my Carlsons long range tube. We actually take a seperate bag of old rusted shells to be used as "Cripple shells" because we normally have a decent bit of cripples to finish off. I can tell you first hand that patternmasters do what they advertise. I did also pattern the tube and it was much better than my carlsons long range tube (thats my gun though). I dont think I would use it in a swamp though, need to get a different patternmaster now for that!. For the record the tube I got was a Patternmaster Code Black Duck for the Browning Maxus.

The friend I was hunting with (and always have) has a thing against anything expensive... Camo, guns, shells, coolers, scopes, etc etc you name it, anything that is expensive he scoffs at. After our hunt he was so impressed that he started looking for one to put in his 870. Likewise as crazy as it sounds we could pretty much tell who shot what birds because if it was a cripple, then it was him or my wife that shot it. That day we shot limits, which was also my first time shooting the choke tube, I had killed 5 ducks in 8 minutes and that included a double. Part of the reason I got the tube is because I have not felt good about my shooting this year, after patterning my Carlsons choke tubes again I decided I wanted to try something else out and boy and I glad I did.
 
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darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
I sent my Beretta to Rob Roberts and my factory choked performed better than all the aftermarket choked except the T2 and the difference was minimal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I sent you a pm regarding ?'s about RR. Lemme know if you got it. Something was squirrelly when I went to send it. Thinking about sending them one.
 

Cootmeurer

Six Pointer
I have a PM tube (and several other aftermarket tubes) and I would say to save your money. The choke is only one part of the puzzle and will not magically make your gun better.

If you really want to be able to make long consistent shots you need to plan on spending time to work out what load and what tube work best with what gun. I tried 5 different tubes (lot of friends and we swapped tubes around) and 13 different loads until I found what performed best in that gun. With a different gun, the same load and tube were crap. My SBEI has an original PM and shoots very consistent patterns out to 65 yards with either Federal 3" 1 1/4oz #2, or Hevi-Metal #2. If I change the speed or size shot the patterns fail. My Baikal works best with a Kicks High Flyer tube, but it likes smaller shot. All of this took a lot of time and effort to determine.

Once you know for a fact that your gun will shoot a consistent pattern at a longer yardage, and you are using a shot that still carries enough energy to get the job done at that longer range, then you actually need to practice at those ranges. On trap fields the longest station is 27 yards from the trap house - which means you will probably be seeing the target at 35 yards and shooting around 40. If the trap range will let you, step back another 10 yard and shoot a full round. You will probably not do very well at first, but you will start to see the sort of lead needed to hit targets at long range.
 

ChasinTrophies

Guest
My buddy has a patternmaster and his gun is noticeably louder than anyone elses. Its bad.

That's part of the killing power. Whatever you're shooting at has a heart attack from the sound waves.

OP, My factory chokes out preformed every aftermarket choke I tried. I also found that #3's and BB's are my best shot sizes. It cost a few dollars, but you can find a load that will preform in a factory set up.
 
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Smitty010203

Twelve Pointer
My factory chokes looking back did pretty dang good compared out the 5 tubes I tested prior to my patternmaster. I patterned IC and M tubes 4 years ago and still have the paper from each one sitting beside me right now. Shot real big sheets of blue print paper and its sitting here at my office. As for the sound of a patternmaster, I had not noticed that issue, no one else mentioned anything either. The one I have is ported too.
 

Trappertod

Six Pointer
Let me know how it goes with groggy man. What are your dates? In stuck between him and fourth generation

We are going on march 18th, I have hunted with 4th generation. We did not have good luck hunting that day but aaron Matthews is a great guy. I wanted to try some where else this year and Froggy was cheaper. I think he might still have an opening or two for the 18th, his Saturdays are about full though.
 

Trappertod

Six Pointer
Thanks for all the input, I have been shooting BB's only for the last few years, but I see I am going to need to do my home work to see what really works well in my gun. I am one of those guys that buys whatever shells are on sale. Mostly Winchester in the past, I do have some hevi metal ones as well. Maybe after season I can take some time and drag out some paper and really put it to the test.
 

ChasinTrophies

Guest
Thanks for all the input, I have been shooting BB's only for the last few years, but I see I am going to need to do my home work to see what really works well in my gun. I am one of those guys that buys whatever shells are on sale. Mostly Winchester in the past, I do have some hevi metal ones as well. Maybe after season I can take some time and drag out some paper and really put it to the test.

My gun patterns Winchester cheap shot as well as it does any other shells. Just as long as they're #3's or BB's. And yes I know, the cheap shells are often not a true size, but they still shoot better than 2's or 4's of expensive brands through my factory modified.
 

britlab64

Six Pointer
Kicks High Flyer

Have a pattern master
But my SBE11 shoots the Kicks choke better
No matter
Hevi Metal or cheap Experts

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

surffishn

Spike
I patterned quit a few shotguns. The back bored guns will pattern the best. I have Brownings and 1 benelli sbe2. I can't get a good pattern out of the benelli with any tube I tried.
 

EGrdneck

Guest
Keep spending those dollars..$1000 gun and a $100 choke won't replace poor mechanics and consistency....shooting a 26 yr old 870, cheap Kent shells and a factory mod. Choke....so far batting 85% on ducks.... let em work in close and shoot em 6" off the water....if they won't come in close you need to find a new hole to hunt
 

Wanchese

Twelve Pointer
Beretta A400 with factory mod choke and 3" 1 fasteel patterns good for me. I have tried a couple aftermarket chokes and wasn't impressed.


let em work in close and shoot em 6" off the water....if they won't come in close you need to find a new hole to hunt
Everyone doesn't hunt mud puddles. 6" off the water and close sounds good but isn't the way it works all the time.
 

jboi72

Eight Pointer
Don't waste your money, I bought a 870 that came with a pattern master choke missed more ducks with it then I can count switched back to a factory modified and the dead ducks tell the story.
 

shurshot

Ten Pointer
I have a PM tube (and several other aftermarket tubes) and I would say to save your money. The choke is only one part of the puzzle and will not magically make your gun better.

If you really want to be able to make long consistent shots you need to plan on spending time to work out what load and what tube work best with what gun. I tried 5 different tubes (lot of friends and we swapped tubes around) and 13 different loads until I found what performed best in that gun. With a different gun, the same load and tube were crap. My SBEI has an original PM and shoots very consistent patterns out to 65 yards with either Federal 3" 1 1/4oz #2, or Hevi-Metal #2. If I change the speed or size shot the patterns fail. My Baikal works best with a Kicks High Flyer tube, but it likes smaller shot. All of this took a lot of time and effort to determine.

Once you know for a fact that your gun will shoot a consistent pattern at a longer yardage, and you are using a shot that still carries enough energy to get the job done at that longer range, then you actually need to practice at those ranges. On trap fields the longest station is 27 yards from the trap house - which means you will probably be seeing the target at 35 yards and shooting around 40. If the trap range will let you, step back another 10 yard and shoot a full round. You will probably not do very well at first, but you will start to see the sort of lead needed to hit targets at long range.

This is solid advise! You absolutely must put all your gun/choke/shells combos on paper for a true representation. Hats off to those who make the effort to do so!
 

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
you have a bigger problem than which choke to use. If you booked with Froggy it will not much matter, you will not shoot very much if at all.
 

Trappertod

Six Pointer
I went with another guide a few years ago and did not shoot but once and killed one bird. Me and my son will have fun whether we shoot or not. I am willing to try Froggy, he is booked solid with many repeats so he must have something going on. In my experience when it comes to hunting whether alone or with a guide, it is never a guarantee. If it was a guarantee then it would be called killing. Every one knows that if you want to pile them up like on TV you gotta pay a lot more money and travel much farther.
 

ChasinTrophies

Guest
I am not a guide, I happen to talk with many disgruntled clients. He does not live in Hyde and rarely do his clients kill birds. Just a warning, if you do not respect your money it is fine with me.

I just assumed that with your intense knowledge of Hyde county ducking that you must be a guide or maybe a game warden.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
I am not a guide, I happen to talk with many disgruntled clients. He does not live in Hyde and rarely do his clients kill birds. Just a warning, if you do not respect your money it is fine with me.

Heard same thing too but I ain't no guide either. Lol
 

MCJ1980

Ten Pointer
let em work in close and shoot em 6" off the water....if they won't come in close you need to find a new hole to hunt

That may work in flooded timber, or in swamps, but it doesn't usually work that way on big lakes, or down at the outer banks.
 
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