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Back when I
started shooting a shotgun, a hunter had the choice of basically
three choke constrictions from which to choose: full, modified,
or improved cylinder. Trap and skeet shooters had a few more
choices in their expensive target guns, but most were a custom
proposition, and once the choice was made, it was not easily
changed. There were available various devices that
attached to the muzzle of the shotgun, and while most worked
well, they were quite bulky, and aesthetically left much to be
desired. My first shotgun was a Stevens model 95 twenty
gauge, which could be had in any choke desired, as long as it
was full.
With the
advent of modern screw-in choke tubes, a hunter or target
shooter has an almost endless variety of choke constrictions
from which to choose. Most new shotguns come with the basic
three tubes: full, modified, and improved cylinder. There are
several manufacturers of aftermarket choke tubes to meet
the demand for other degrees of constriction, from very tight
turkey chokes, to wide open cylinder bore tubes.
Lately, I have
been using some of the finest choke tubes available for
shotgunners. These are the extended tubes from Trulock
Chokes in Whigham, Georgia. These Trulock chokes have an
extended knurled section that protrudes from the muzzle about
one inch, to allow changing without the use of a choke wrench.
The Trulocks are made from a high-quality blackened stainless
steel, hardened for durability.
Trulock choke
tubes are available in constrictions from a wide open cylinder
bore, up to a full one-tenth of an inch constriction. Of
particular interest to turkey hunters, are the various
constrictions of extra full and tighter. In my Browning
Gold Hunter, which uses the "Invector Plus" system,
Turlock’s .665 constriction gave great performance with number
four Remington High Velocity three-inch magnums, as can
be seen in the accompanying photo. I have used other brands of
choke tubes as tight as .640 constriction that did not give
performance equal to the Trulock. The pattern was shot at a
distance of forty yards, with the main shot charge contained
within a six inch circle. Various turkey loads pattern
differently, and individual shotguns also vary as to patterning
ability, so some experimenting may be necessary to find the best
constriction and load for each gun. A tighter choke will not
always be better. As a rule, the larger the shot size, the less
constriction needed. I have found, however, that a choke tube
that will pattern number four shot as well as the Trulock does,
will work even better with smaller shot. That is why, for a
turkey choke, I like to test with number four. I usually hunt
with numbers five or six shot, due to the tighter patterns
achieved, but with the Trulock, I get great patterns with number
four, allowing me to use a harder-hitting shot size, without
sacrificing pattern density.
Trulock makes
choke tubes that are flush or extended, to fit almost every
shotgun made, from a dedicated skeet gun to a specialized turkey
hunting rig. They are precision machined from quality materials.
If you think
that your shotgun could benefit from better patterns, check out
the full line of Trulock chokes online at:
www.trulockchokes.com
I use them,
and highly recommend them.
Jeff Quinn
  
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Click pictures for a larger version.

Just a few of the Trulock tubes available for the
Invector Plus system.

The Trulock tubes tested have a knurled extension for
easy changes without tools. Author prefers this to fumbling
around for a wrench.

The .665 tube has proven to be Jeff's favorite with
turkey loads of #4 to #6 shot.

Remington #4 Magnum loads exhibited excellent
performance with the .665 tube, giving a dense, even pattern
to point of aim at 40 yards. Any turkey finding Jeff so
equipped would find his last day on Earth to be a short one!
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