Cabelas sxs 12 ga.

[stone knife]

I was looking at theses on line and see they come with choke tubes, is it more difficult to load properly with the x full choke as far as distortion of the card? Does any one own one? what are your thoughts of it?

[BrownBear]

A bud has one, but there appear to be more than a few versions around.  His has screw-in chokes, but some are fixed.  I'd be certain the one you're looking at has the screw-in version.  That's cuzz it's a PITA to get wads other than overshot-cards through the choke.  You can fold the cards a little and turn them sideways to get past the choke, but for fiber wads and the heavier .125 cards you really need to unscrew the choke in order to load it.  He's ended up tracking down more open chokes and uses it almost exclusively with the skeet and IC chokes. 

[Daryl]

BP loads usually pattern 1 choke tighter than the choke designation. This goes for BP loads in ctg. guns as well. Did a bunch of testing, ie: patterning -  30" circle, 40 yards - counting pellets in, pellets in the patterns for average percentages- it's a lot of work, but showed in spades, the inconsistancies of some loads & terrific shot to shot copnsistancy of others. It's pretty much all in the wad column.
 
Seems modified is about the tightest that's easily loaded from the muzzle. In 12 bore, modified is about .020 constriction. The shape of the choke, length of forcing cones, etc, also makes a big difference in patterning. BP is less critcal than smokeless in modern guns.

I turn all the wads sideways at the muzzle when loading - only way I can get them in.  A large diameter tulip shaped knob on the end of the loading rod helps turn them back and fold out the 2 bent edges. A lubed fibre wad helps considerably with fouling. The chokes allow a 'normal' wad column, 1/8" hard card over powder, 1/2" lubed felt, shot, then 1/16" over ("B") shot wad.

[B Staley]

I have the 10 gauge, I usually unscrew the choke tubes to load but can load using the fiber wads without taking the tubes out. I use this gun mainly for turkey so usually there is only one shot and no need for a bunch of loading.......B Staley

[Steve-In]

If you are using steel or hevi-shot and the very thick plastic cup wads used with this shot you will need to remove the tubes.  Guys on the trapline are using false muzzle type devices and short starters.  On a double this would be a challenge to fit correctly but could be done using a lathe and a mill.
You can use correct over powder and over shot wads and undersize cushion wads too.

[Feltwad]

Stone-Knife
If you shooting is wing shooting forget about screw in chokes they are not needed  you will kill as much game with a true cylinder and a volume load.
 OK I am a traditionlist and I personally believe screw in chokes have no place in a sxs  muzzle loading shotgun .
Feltwad

[Daryl]

I'd go further and say plastic wads have no place, but if using one of the 'hard' shot makes, they are necessary.

If my gun had screw-in's I'd use the IMP cylinder and never remove it. With such little choke, loading is easy, yet the choke holds the wads back as designed.

[BrownBear]

I have to toss in that I've been experimenting with ITX shot which requires no plastic column from my NA/Pietta SxS 12 with CYL bores.  Using 1 1/4 oz of #4's on top of 80 grains of 2f with hard card, lubed fiber wad and OS card, I'm getting very good duck killing patterns to at least 30 yards, and maybe a bit beyond.  That's plenty for me and my usual decoy spots, but a jump/pass shooter would want something tighter.  As it is, I bet most hunters will find it easier to hit with inside 30 yards than steel and a lot of other non-tox alternatives, simply because of the smooth big pattern.

My opening day duck hunt yesterday was broken up by a cranky brown bear and birds were scarce, so I'm still waiting for my first kill.  I have used it a few times on ptarmigan, and I'm impressed.  It's actually cheaper than bismuth and patterns better from my gun.  I'll confess that I robbed the Bismuth from some shells I had around rather than new production bismuth shot, but at this point I'm reluctant to pay higher prices than ITX for bismuth.

[nosrettap1958]

Dixie has them for sale with chokes but no choke tubes.  With a muzzleloader you should be able to make your own choke out of the load by varying the "weight" of the shot charge and the "weight" of the powder charge.