Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns What chokes and what recoil pad on a SxS 12 ga?

I just picked up a VG condition Simson SxS in 12 ga - it's essentially identical to a Merkel Model 8. My gunsmith is going to set it up for me, and I need to make some decisions.

First, as typical with older German shotguns, it is choked Full and Extra Full. How much do I open it up? I'll be going after grouse and quail in the northern Nevada desert, so I'm guessing either Skeet or I/C on the right (first) barrel, and Light Modified on the left.

Second, even though I'll be using fairly light loads - max 1 oz of lead with 2 3/4 dram (or less) of powder - it will need a recoil pad. There are too many to choose from, and my gunsmith is little help - he just says get a grind-to-fit that I like and he'll do the rest. I'm guessing a Pachmayr Sporting Clays pad?

Finally, I don't reload. Anyone have a factory load they like that cuts recoil and is suitable for my kind of hunting?

Thanks in advance!

Ammo is the easy part, Winchester AA, Remington STS or the equivalent from just about anyone would work fine. Most of these will be target loads so you will probably be limited to 7 1/2 at the largest. You might find larger shot sizes with the European brands but you probably would need to order them. RST deals with light loads for older guns which might be more applicable. They are kind of pricey but may be the only option if not a reloader.

Chokes are tougher, I reload so would probably pick IC/Mod and change loads to open things up. I might go that route anyway as I would rather have tighter than more open for desert quail and even for grouse.

Picking a recoil pad is tough. I have no brand loyalty so would pick the one that I thought looked best on the gun. How the gun balanced compared to my preference would also be a factor as I would pick a heavier pad to lighten up the barrel balance or a light one to keep it as is.

You are leaning in the right direction with chokes, though for the purposes you mention, I would go just a little tighter, especially in the right barrel. I have found on wild prairie/mountain birds that I like something akin to LM in the first barrel, IM or LF in the second. Were it mine I would specify .012”/.025” choke for the right and left barrels respectively. I have shot this combination in double guns in similar conditions for years and think it’s about perfect. Incidentally, I have never regretted having a much tighter second barrel, and have many times be thankful for it.

As to pad, and I say this as a sporting clays instructor and gun fitter, I would avoid the “sporting clays” pads that have the heel of the pad cut at an angle. Some argue that this is to avoid snagging on mounting the gun. My comment is that in most cases this speaks to a poor technique. That angle reduces the pad‘a contact area at a point where it’s useful. I like Kick Eez pads, and would recommend their conventional black pad .7” thick. I would have the gunsmithing round the edges of the pad slightly.

This also is a chance to lengthen the length of pull, as most German guns, especially older ones, are too short for most people. Be careful here, though, as there is about a 3/1 rule in play in either shortening or lengthening a stock. The placement of the cheek on the stock will move about three times the amount added to or subtracted from the stock length. A small adjustment in length is a relatively large adjustment in face position on the comb.

As to ammo, I would choose a high quality one ounce load, probably #7 1/2. Get the lowest velocity you can; about 1200 fps is perfect. You might even find you like 7/8 oz. these punch above their weight in performance and are very pleasant to shoot. This promotes practice...and hitting!

My favorite choke selection in double barrel guns for upland birds is Improved Cylinder and Improved Modified. Pachmayr pads.

I'd go with 10 and 20 thousandths or what the British refer to as quarter and half choke. That's worked for them for over a century and with modern shotshells will work for you just fine. I prefer the red Pachmyar "Old English" pad for a hunting shotgun, but choose whatever works for you.

RST shotshells are top notch and run about $11.00 a box or $110.00 a flat plus delivery. If this is primarily a hunting gun, you'll find a flat lasts a long, long time. I've also used the Experiencia shotshells in several of my British sxs and like them a good deal. They can be ordered in loads as light as 3/4 ounce, although I usually buy the 7/8 ounce loads.

Do Americans refer to those constrictions as Improved Cylinder and Modified?

My goto chokes on a hunting sxs are same as Prairie Dog Shooter IC/IM , for skeet and SC SK/SK-II. I shoot light 7/8 oz loads for SC and 11/16 oz for skeet out of my 12's all in 2.5" hulls. For hunting I use 7/8oz Bismuth or 1 oz Lead. Hunting season I usually have enough clothes to eliminate the need for a recoil pad and target my light loads pretty much eliminate the need also.

You can get tubes put in pretty reasonably. I'm sending off a pair of Hungarian sxs's to Mike for tubes and they will become my dedicated target guns.

Yes. But, there is significant variance. A 12 gauge I/C could have as little as .006” to .011”. Mod could vary from about .017” to .023”.

But what matters is performance. An I/C should throw 50% of its payload into a 30” circle at 40 yards; a modified, 60%. Performance is the key measure of choke, not constriction. To further muddy the water, performance varies considerably with ammunition used. For example, an old trick for “opening“ a choke is to use cheap promotion ammo, or higher quality ammo to tighten a pattern.