What is each shotgun choke used for?

Answer 1

Shotgun chokes, whether they be screw-in choke tubes or fixed-chokes (permanent part of the barrel) are used to control the diameter and density of the pellet pattern at a specific distance. Example: An improved cylinder (IC) choke would produce a larger diameter (more open) pattern at around 30 yards. This style of choke is used for close shooting at upland game birds over a pointing dog. A full choke (F) has a tighter constriction so the pattern would be smaller in diameter with more pellets so it would be a better choice for longer distances if hunting ducks or geese. It's always a good idea to "pattern" a shotgun barrel by shooting at a large sheet of paper at various distances to actually see how the barrel's choke and your chosen shotgun shell load react to one another. This way you can actually measure the results of your chosen combination.