7mm Backcountry
Experience the world’s most advanced 7mm rifle cartridge.
30 Super Carry
Hits like a 9mm Luger. Carries like a 380 Auto. Designed exclusively for defense.
Raptor Steel
Built in collaboration with Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks, these loads put more pellets on target through Raptor Series chokes.
FireStick
There’s never been a muzzleloading system like this. See all the benefits that set FireStick apart to provide the most convenient, safe and consistent performance ever.
Hydra-Shok® Component Bullets
The bullet that’s defined self-defense for a generation is now available as a component.
Federal X Duluth Pack
Check out the all-new lineup of Federal-branded Duluth Pack apparel and gear.
Model 2020 Waypoint Special Edition
We worked with engineers from Springfield Armory to create Custom Shop loads specifically designed for the utmost performance from the new Model 2020 Waypoint rifle.
Selecting the right choke constriction for standard lead loads has always been straightforward and simple. But for all their benefits, payloads of steel, bismuth and heavier-than-lead tungsten options have turned choke choice into a more complicated affair. If you’ve ever wondered if you can shoot bismuth through a full choke, or any of the other common questions regarding choke choices for non-toxic shot, you’re not alone. The following guide will give you the tools you need to make the right call every time.
When choosing the best choke for non-toxic shot, some old general guidelines still apply: Opt for tighter chokes for longer-range shooting or smaller shot, and go with more open constrictions for close opportunities or larger pellets. But Josh Vickers, Federal’s shotshell product line manager says shooters cannot solely rely on these or other preconceived notions, especially with non-toxic shot. They must conduct extensive patterning research to see which loads shoot best out of various chokes and guns.
“People have a tendency to not be familiar enough with their guns and chokes,” he says. “If they’re going to be switching back and forth with steel and tungsten, you’re going to have different pattern and even a different point of impact. Knowledge is power. If they’re not putting it on paper, they’re just assuming.”
Coupled with the right choke, this load’s 9.6 g/cc density HEVI-Bismuth pellets hit ducks and upland birds harder than steel.
For example, Vickers says one of his shotguns performs extremely well with Trulock extra-full chokes, but one of his Benelli Super Black Eagles does better with a Rob Roberts T2 or T3 tube. He learned that by putting non-toxic rounds on paper.
“If people aren’t experimenting to see what works best and patterning their guns, they’re doing a disservice,” he says. “In the worst-case scenario, they end up crippling animals. A lot of times, people have a brand loyalty or certain constriction and brand of choke they like, and when they change shells, they don’t change the choke.”
When experimenting with loads and chokes, Vickers looks for even, consistent patterns. If a combination produces a pattern with lots of holes, go back to the drawing board.
Also, the range at which you pattern non-toxic loads will depend on your intended application. If most of your shot opportunities occur at 40 to 45 yards, pattern your gun at that distance. But if most will be closer—say 25 yards or less—pattern your gun mostly at that range. However, still shoot a few farther patterns to see what your gun does at longer range, as you never know if you’ll have to reach out and shoot a bird that sailed after the initial hit.
Of course, the distance at which you’ll likely shoot most birds still factors into your choke choice.
“For duck hunting in timber, I want more of an open choke,” Vickers says. “I was hitting them just fine with the full choke or extended-range choke, but since they were such close shots, it was really destroying the birds. Up close, you might want more of an open pattern. My philosophy is that consistency equals efficiency. If you know what a choke and load are going to do, you can do your part as a shooter to adjust.”
Many shooters also struggle with the decision about using factory chokes or aftermarket models. Vickers says there’s room for both.
“Some of the newer factory chokes are fantastic,” he says. “And there are a lot of good aftermarket choke companies out there. I like to investigate which one works best for my gun and style of shells I’m going to be using.”
If you’re wondering if you can shoot bismuth through a full choke, don’t. It’s relatively brittle compared to harder non-toxic options. Therefore, over-choking bismuth loads is a mistake.
“I’ve found that if I over-choke bismuth, it seems to blow the patterns,” Vickers says. “On the patterning boards, I’ll actually see broken pellets, and it doesn’t matter what brand of shell. I just stick with a modified when shooting bismuth.”
But again, he learned that through extensive work at the patterning range. The bottom line? Take a bunch of non-toxic loads and various chokes to the range, and see which work together best in your guns. Finding that ideal combination will let you realize the tremendous potential of today’s non-toxic shotshells.