Which Shotgun Choke Is The Most Open? Choosing the Best Choke for Hunting

One of my favorite guns to use when hunting would be the shotgun. It’s best for its power and when shooting far distances up in the air. From patterning a shotgun down to learning how to aim with it, you get to learn a ton of new skills as well. But of course, we all have other concerns, such as: “Which shotgun choke is the most open?”

An issue for many beginners here is that they aren’t familiar with the use of shotgun choke. So to help you out, I’ll be showing you all about the shotgun choke and how to choose the best one for you to improve your hunting skills.

What Are Shotgun Chokes?

A shotgun choke is similar to a nozzle of a garden hose. When the nozzle is tightened, the water (or the shotgun powder) will shoot out in a narrow and long stream. But if the nozzle were loose or opened, the water (aka the shotgun powder), would shoot out wider.

A shotgun choke would control your shotgun’s shot pattern or spread, allowing you to hit your target more accurately. It shapes the shot spread, which achieves better accuracy and range when hunting.

See also: What Is the Correct Way to Shoulder a Shotgun? The Truth Revealed!

Which Shotgun Choke Is The Most Open?

Shotgun chokes are a huge help with helping your targeting while hunting, but how will you know which is the best for you?

Choke	Constriction	Percent	Identification (Notches)
Cylinder	.000	40 at 40 yd70 at 25 yd	IIIII notches
Skeet 1	.005	45 at 40 yd75 at 25 yd
Improved Cylinder	.010	50	IIII notches
Skeet 2 (light Mod.)	.015	55
Modified	.020	60	III notches
Improved Modified	.025	65	II notches
Full	.030	70	I notch
Extra Full	.040	73
Turkey	.045 plus	75 plus

You will know what type of choke you need based on the distances you are shooting at. Here are the main types of chokes to help you know what to get:

Extra or Super Full

These are gobbler getters, which are best for turkey chasing. They have the extra-tight choking with the densest structure which has your shots as tightened and long when you pull the trigger.

Full

This has a tight choking with dense structures, but not as much as the super full. It can convey about 70% of your shell’s pellets in 30-inches when shot at 40 yards. This is best for trap shooting, buckshots, waterfowl, or turkey chasing.

Modified

It isn’t as tight as the full choke, which conveys about 60% of your shell’s pellets in 30-inches when shot at 40 yards. It’s the best choke to use when chasing waterfowl or upland birds, as well as small creatures like rabbits. You can use it for trap shooting, too.

Enhanced Cylinder

This choke is not as constricted as the modified variety, as it would disperse 50% of its pellets when shot at 40 yards. It’s best for waterfowl close or upland birds from near distances. You can use the rifled slugs for this choke.

Cylinder

There is no tightening with this choke, as is only disperses 40% when shot at 40 yards. This is usually used by law for administration shotguns.

Of all the types of chokes available, the shotgun choke that is most open would be the cylinder, which is known as something “unchoked.” 

Tips on Shooting With a Shotgun

Now that you’re familiar with how to choose the best shotgun choke to get an open one, what are other tips you can follow to hunt with your shotgun properly? You can perform these tips of advice: 

• When hunting with a shotgun, you have to take note of the wind as well. Avoid stands with a tight cover during windy days, as the game can smell you before you get to see them.
• Call new areas when you use a shotgun, which can help you see your game quickly and get you “first dibs”, if other predators or hunters are in the “usual” spots. Try hunting in new areas where you stay undetected, such as hunting in the waters or using an elevated stand.
• I would recommend that you bring both a shotgun and a rifle. Do so by holding the shotgun while you have your rifle on a bipod. It will be easier to target and shoot either near or far distances this way.

Here is a good video which gives you more tips on how to hunt with a shotgun:

In Conclusion

When it comes to hunting with a shotgun, you must be acquainted with the right type of tools and accessories you need for it to work well. Through having the essential parts and knowing how they work, you will then be able to familiarize yourself with how the shotgun works, making you shoot more accurately and with precision. And the shotgun choke is one of these significant accessories you need!

I hope that this article answers your question on: “Which shotgun choke is the most open?” Now that you’re familiar with the shotgun choke and how to choose the best one, then start looking into what to invest in for a shotgun choke today.

If you have any questions or would like to share your tips and experiences with using a shotgun choke, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.