Chock on Stoeger Barrels

[Wooden Cowboy]

  How can I tell what the Choke are on my Stoeger SXS?  When I remove the barrels I notice one barrel has 3 XXX stanped on it and the other has 4 XXXX.  Does this indicate the choke size?

Wooden Cowboy

[Delmonico]

Well if someone don't know the code you can measure the amount of choke constriction compared to the bore diameter with a barrel mic or choke caliper.  (A gunsmith that caters to trap shooters can do this.

Even better get the ammo of your chioce, set up 40 yards away, pattern it and see what percent stays in a 30 inch circle.  This is the best method because not all ammo with pattern the same percentage out of the same barrel.  Powder choice, shot hardness and the type of wad used will all affect the pattern.

[Wooden Cowboy]

Thanks Delmonico for your information.  I'll set up some cardboard and see what I get.

Wooden Cowboy

[Okie Sawbones]

*** Modified

**** Improved Cylinder

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Okie is right on with his post. Some designate Modified as being tighter than Improved and some the other way around. Basically, though, the more X's, the more open the choke. XXXXX is cylinder bore, XXXX is (Modified?) or 3/4, XXX is (Improved?) or 1/2, XX is skeet or 1/4 and X is full choke. The reason for the tighter choke having the fewest X's is so if you open it up some, you can add another X to change the designation.

Regardless of what it's called, your XXX barrel has a tighter choke than your XXXX barrel.

[Delmonico]

Full choke will shoot 70% on a 30 inch circle at 40 yards
Modified will shot 60%
Improved cylinder will shoot 50%
Skeet will shoot 40 %
Cylinder will shoot 30%
Super full/turkey chokes will shoot higher percents.

Not set in stone but a guide.

Moder chokes set up for plastic wads will have about 0.040 constriction with the "more than full, about 0.030 for full, 0.020 for modified, 0.010 for improved cylinder and 0.005 for skeet.

Older guns that were set up for card wads will be tighter on constrition.

Fixed chokes can be manipulated tighter or more open with ammunition, often one can go close to two choke sizes tighter or more open, if anyone wants some ideas on how to do this just hollor.

A gun that has too much constriction can be opened up, one that has not enough can be tightened by either back boring or jug choking, how ever back boring will cause some problems with card wads.

[Wooden Cowboy]

  Thanks everyone for giving me this information.
I haven't shot it yet, but just working on getting the stifness out.  All I have left is to cut back the pin for the auto safety to make it manual.

Again, I appreciate all the information

Wooden Cowboy