What choke works best for you?
I start at factory full and move into tighter chokes as the pattern tightens down for my needs. There are things that I consider as well such as overall length, maximum range, and what's in season. I don't like an extended choke for my short shotguns as it works against the utility. The maximum range of the stand I am on if I'm standing in a driver to the choke I'd select. If I'm walking solo or man driving I prefer the long reach and I eat it when I'm in the thicket. If I'm a stander or still hunting I will tailor to the stand from flush full to the extended extra full chokes.
What's in season matters as well. If Turkeys are in I am likely leading off with 1B or 4B so I may choke to optimize the first shot. I don't like heavy buckshot for flying targets and prefer a fuller pattern that is optimized for about fifty yards or less because a Turkey is just so incredibly resilient. I won't shoot at one moving further than that for fear of wounding it and the lost bird.
Can you tell any difference in barrel length?
Yes. I can tell the difference in both maneuverability and pointability. These two qualities I often find to be at odds with each other. I like a shotgun to have sights if it is a shorter barrel (<26") due to having some clean misses at close range with ultra tight patterns. The longer barrels are at home in open hardwoods and fields where I value maximum velocity and range, but they are a pain if you have to go into laps, short pines, honeysuckle, or briars. The short barrels give up the velocity and don't swing as smoothly on running deer, but the sights can make for a more precise hold if a long shot comes up.
Is the aftermarket cokes that much better?
I feel if you are looking to extend your range the aftermarket choke tubes are really that much better. Not all are created equal and there is a boatload of BS out there marketing to hunters. I feel that Bubba Roundtree Outdoors has good fair tests on buckshot chokes because he is a reloader of buckshot shells. I currently use Patternmaster or Buck Kicker with my Remingtons. I use a Trulock or Carlson's with my Benelli SBE1. I have a Patternmaster for the Mossberg 835s, but I haven't tested it enough to know which barrel I want it on yet(20", 24", or 28").
A note about the Pattermaster/Wadwizard: if all the information about shot string length and shot cups is to be believed, then the changing of shells can greatly tighten or expand the pattern especially by taking the shot cup out of the equation. I have experienced some very tight patterns at close range that were rifle-like in the Remington. So much so that I moved it to a dedicated barrel with sights and zeroed the elevation for 80 yards.
I will be using a 12 gauge
Would it be worth going to a 3.5" gun?
Hmm. This is a good question. It will depend on the patterns you are able to achieve with your combinations at the range you find the most useful for your hunting. I have killed deer at long range with the 3½" shell and decisively so. It comes down to are more pellets better for your pattern or worse. There is also a capacity loss for your gun using a 3½" shell in anything but the chamber. I didn't mind when it was a maximum of three shells in the gun for all hunting in my state. Now that this is no longer the case, more shells in the gun equates to less in the pocket especially if you have a carrier on the stock. There is value to grab and go and being able to stay on the stand with multiple shot opportunities without needing to resupply. The longer distance away you open up on a deer, the more shots it will likely take to finish the job. As long as you are shooting 00B I don't think you'll notice the velocity loss from the heavier shells. With 4B you're going to have to watch out because the energy loss is a real issue at 80+ yards. Despite whatever YouTube coyote hunters say I have dug 4B out of the hide on the front side on deer and 1B out of the far side ribs and hide on 80-100 yard shots from 2¾" shells. I feel like the 3"& 3½" 4B should be used only when Turkeys are in season and expected shots are closer.
If slugs are not an option and using buckshot is mandatory...the Beretta A400 and Benelli SBE3 I have extensive experience with and both pattern very well with what I have tested. Very slight edge to the Beretta A400 with pattern testing, however I've not tested buckshot out of either one.
If I were buying a gun to hunt deer, it would be a 3½" Benelli or Beretta with as short a barrel as I could get because I think the tight 12gauge barrels throw the best patterns and these companies give you a lot of choke tubes with the gun.
@BeeMaa said:
My best patterns have come with non-ported chokes from Müller and Carlson's. That said the combination you come up with will depend on the combination of your shotgun the load you use and the choke. It could take some time to sort things out.
I have no experience with Müller, but will second the Carlson's recommendation. I haven't noted anything wonderful about ported chokes other than it dirties up my magazine extension. I never thought to test them against unported siblings until I watched the video stating it does make a larger pattern. What I do know about chokes is that almost every factory choke (even Beretta & Benelli) have been incredibly inconsistent when it comes to the actual diameter measurement vs what it's supposed to be. Every Müller & Carlson's choke I have are within 0.001 of what they are supposed to be. BTW - I must have about 25 of these chokes and several other brands as well. None have been as consistent as these two brands. I have a Trulock for my SBE1 and I like it just fine so far. I would like to do a head to head with the Carlson's Coyote Choke and see which comes out on top with 00B
Barrel length? Get what you like. I hear all kinds of talk about what's better for this or that...I haven't seen any concrete data supporting it. Keep it 26" if you want it shorter for working inside a blind. Longer 28" and 30" will give you a little more speed on your shot, but it's not that much. It would make more difference if you were wing shooting because of the weight added with the extra inches and how you swing the shotgun.
Personally, I like my SBE3 with a 28" barrel for turkey, goose and clays. If I were going deer hunting with buckshot, I'd probably use the same shotgun. It just works for me.
I like my options. I lugged a 28" 835 around for a while without issues and stacked deer. I liked it for wing shooting also. Eventually I found Mossbergs less attractive for their pointability. I put sights on them because they aren't the same like Remington and Benelli where I hold under. My best swinging gun is the Benelli SBE1 26" with the Nordic Components magazine extension. That said my deep woods deer gun is a 20" 835 with low profile fiberoptic sights and a flush fit full choke. I feel like I could shoulder it in a phone booth, but knowing that they make an 18½" now has me foolishly wondering if it can be improved upon.
As for the 3" vs 3.5" - I like the 3.5" chamber because I like BIG turkey loads. <snip>. It's good to have the option. <Snip> In the hunting fields you will never notice the difference.
I too enjoy the option. I'm never out of the game due to shell length. The pump shooters will notice the longer action, but not in the moment. The semi shooters have to be pretty fast to out shoot the big gun's splits. Not many people can run under 0.15 seconds while managing 12 gauge recoil.
