Can you explain to me the basics of how a shotgun choke tube works? Thanks.
A choke tube is a device that is attached to the muzzle of a shotgun. It is designed to control the spread of the shot and to improve the performance of the gun in terms of accuracy and range.
The most common type of choke tube is the full choke, which is intended to produce a tight pattern of a shot at long range. The full choke can be identified by its construction; it has a relatively small bore diameter, and it tapers sharply toward the muzzle. This design gives the full choke its characteristically narrow pattern.
The other common type of choke tube is the improved cylinder (also sometimes called Victory). Improved cylinder chokes are designed for short-range shooting, and consequently have a much wider bore diameter than full chokes. They also have a less pronounced taper, which gives them a correspondingly wider pattern of shot.
You might also encounter choke tubes labeled “modified” or “improved modified.” These are somewhere in between full and improved cylinders in their constriction and will produce patterns that are similarly intermediate in width.