Field Guide / Shot Sizes & Chokes
Skeet Choke
Also called: skeet, SK
A very light constriction made for skeet, giving a wide, even pattern at short range.
- Type
- Chokes
- Constriction (12 gauge)
- About 0.005 inch
- Pattern at 40 yards
- About 45% in a 30-inch circle
- Best range
- About 15 to 25 yards
- Used for
- Clays, Upland birds
What it is good for
- Skeet and close sporting clays.
- Close-flushing upland birds.
- Hunting in thick cover.
Where it falls short
- Too open for most hunting at distance.
- Not for turkeys or waterfowl.
- Patterns fall apart past about 30 yards.
Tips
- Many hunters carry a skeet choke for close cover and switch for open fields.
- Check the choke marking before you shoot.
Works well with
- Improved Cylinder Choke: a bit tighter for bird hunting.
- #9 Shot: a common skeet shot size.
Field notes
Skeet targets are shot at short range from set stations. A skeet choke gives a wide pattern that is forgiving for that job.
Related guides
Pellet counts, patterns, and ranges are typical figures, not guarantees. Pattern your own shotgun with your own loads at the distances you hunt, and follow the shotgun manual for which shells and chokes are safe. Nonlead shot rules and legal shot types differ by state and area; our state resources directory links to each state's official regulations.