Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Ruger Red Label with fixed chokes Skeet/Skeet

Just bought it, how would this gun be for pheasant/quail, shot spread too wide ? Just wondering if it can be a two dimensional gun, the price was too good to pass up.

You didn't mention gauge, so likely it's a 12?
Shouldn't be a problem on quail, open chokes are a plus. I've shot a bunch of roosters with an open choked 20 up to 25 yds. Late season may be a problem, but with today's plastic shotcups, you ought to find a load that works. Chokes give you inches, misses are by feet. Don't let anyone talk you out of it until you give the gun a fair test.
art in wyoming

Thanks Art, yes it is a 12ga.

If you're hunting over GOOD dogs... and the dogs aren't flushng the birds well beyond your range, a set of "skeet & skeet" chokes are just the ticket for most all game birds except possibly pheasant.

Pheasants tend to prefer to "run" rather flush unless they're trapped between a dog that runs out, circles and hunts back at you like my German Shorthair ("Duke") use to do before he died... and for those running, wildly flushing pheasants, you need more "choke"... like an improved cylinder & modified if you are the kind of shooter who can get "on" the birds relatively fast.

If you're slow getting "on" pheasants, then modified & full chokes would probably serve you better. For all other birds, imp. cylinder & modified would probably be best.

Over my son's semi-trained yellow Lab, I use my 40 year old Belguin-made Browning Superposed with improved cylinder/modified chokes & copper-plated #6 shot for pheasants or my 56 year old Winchester Model 42 in a modified .410 bore with 3-inch, 11/16ths oz. load of 7� shot for pheasant & everything else.

Over well-trained dogs, for all other birds except pheasant, I use my 30 year old, 5� lb. Charles Daly 28 gauge over/under bored "skeet & skeet" and a skeet load (3/4 oz.) of reloaded #7's.

That's right, I reload the 28 gauge with #7 shot, not #7�'s. All of these shotguns are in excellent condition... and all have fixed chokes since none of them are newer than 30+ years old.

Just my 2�... other opinions may vary...


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I've shot thousands of rounds of sporting clays using only skeet chokes with no problems on the longer shots. Thanks...

Skeet and Skeet is never a problem in most situations. I've actually taken pheasants at 45 yds. with a heavy load of 6's through a skeet choke. A good all around choice.
Mike.

I also just picked up a Browning Golden Clays 12ga, it came with a 30" ported barrel and a Rhino extended ported choke tube in Skeet 2. I can't seem to find out anything about Rhino choke tubes doing internet searches. Does anyone know what the difference is between a regular skeet tube & a skeet 2 tube ?

Normally the choke progression runs Cyl., Skeet1, Imp.Cyl, Skeet2....etc so your skeet2 would a little tighter than Imp.Cly. Actual % of choke depends on your bore diameter.
Mike.

adkbill

Skeet is more open than improved cylinder. Skeet 2 is about like a light modified (for outgoing shots). Thanks...Bill.

Thanks Guys

The best way to answer that question is on a patterning board at the RANGES YOU EXPECT to shoot birds. You can alter your shotshell to quite a degree to change the patterns. Harder shot - or even STEEL shot, yes - will provide tighter patterns. Larger shot may do it as well. Lengthening the forcing cone can help tighten patterns, as will using a buffer in the shot column. Going to heavier loads can sometimes have the opposite effect, so don't just assume that a 1-3/8 oz load will provide a deadlier pattern than 1-1/4 (or whatever). High velocity can also do bad things to patterns. The point of it all is that you can test 10 different shot loadings and get 10 different patterns.

But have fun testing! Sounds like a great upland gun.

grouseman

One of my brothers had one of the first Red Labels to come out in Canada with the fixed chokes.There was enough meat in the barrels to have them machined to have screw in chokes put in.Just a thought.

Yes, WS-1 and WS-2 were something Winchester did with their Model 21 Skeet guns.

But does Ruger use those chokings? I don't think so. My guess is they're just using "Skeet" and "Skeet". Probably pretty open (but will work nicely on birds over pointing dogs or close-in flushers).

One thing you might consider doing for the top barrel, or for Pheasants that are further out IF you reload is to load some shells w/1-1/4 oz. loads using Remington SP12 wads that have stiffer, reinforced petals that will hold the shot column together a little further out. That should be the equivalent of almost 1 choke constriction tighter for you!

I shoot Sporting Clays with Skeet / Skeet and never change choke tubes. My red label (with choke tubes) busts clays at long ranges...Thanks...Bill.

It seems the choke makers are more and more getting away from a "progression" from one to the other - what Briley's "skeet" is prob different from Rhino, Angle Port ect. The best way is to compare constrictions - usually a choke mfg will have it either on the choke or avail from their web or HQ. Compare those to see whats up.

I know for a fee Briley will mike your barrel and make the chokes specific to your barrel dia. (they are all a bit differnt)On an auto if you are serious about absolute consistancy thats not too bad-- O/U where you may buy 2 of each - then I would definately think 2x <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> .

A great movie to watch is Chokes and Loads by Gil Ash. He actually sets up a bunch of clays on a patterning board and shows you so you can see the difference between say Skeet and light mod. Changed the way my father shoots - he doesn't choke down as much anymore - its supprising just how far a cylinder or skeet choke can bust them up.

I know the Patternmaster choke is real popular right now - basicaly a small "nub" in the choke that holds the wad back a split second to allow the pattern to really open up - they have them regulated for different ranges and are pattened - I know the old man likes his a bunch for close in shots.

Good luck.

Skeet/Skeet is great on upland birds out to 25-30 yards.
Also wonderfull for ducks over decoys!!
I hunt a lot with that combo.
I recommend you use #6 loads for pheasant and ducks in those open chokes and pattern some on paper to see which pattern best.

Thanks for all the replies.

It is not that expensive to have choke tubes installed in your RL. I had this done to a Miroku recently by Mike Orlen and the bill for both barrels with 6 chokes was only $172. I have an english setter and when I am hunting pheasants, one of my barrels is choked modified. If you hit and kill a pheasant from 45 yards with a skeet gun, the pattern gods were shining on you that day. Pattern will fail before penetration and you need a number of pellets to bring a bird down consistently. If you can't you shouldn't be shooting or you will more likely just be wounding birds on your long shots.

I just sold one of my Brownings, a 28-gauge, 26 inches SK/SK.

It was deadly on quail out to 25 yards, but didn't blow them up close in timber. My best run was 11 birds with 12 shots. The first two birds killed with it were wild Indiana pheasant at 20 yards, rising fast, with Fiocchi 7s, one shot each.

You can play with the patterns by changing shot size and dropping to light loads like the Wesley Richards 2 1/2 inch shells.

The only reason I sold my SK/SK gun was to buy a Grade VI 28 gauge. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Sometimes the more open chokes pattern number 4 very even not tight but even and will work great I would pattern it with some plated number 5's and 4's if that dosen't go to a plated 6.