I often get asked what the difference is between the 2 choke types. The honest truth is there isn't much difference in them at all. Why would we offer 2 similar products? Well you know the saying, "different strokes for different folks"? Thats pretty much how the 2-2-10 game is. The differences are the combination of straight and taper. The 2510 Series uses a 2-1/2" taper and a 1.0" straight. It is as basic as a choke can get, yet functions extremely well. The 2810 uses a slightly longer taper that measures in at 2-7/8 which leaves a 5/8" straight.

What does all of this mean to you? 

Not much... The reality is 10's are in a constant cycle of change. What wins today will likely not work as well next week. This isn't a matter of wear as much as it is accurately landing on the right combination at the right time.

Here's a relatable example. You are at a match and practice is going well, you are all dialed in hitting consistently, then the match starts and boom, everything takes a left turn. What you thought you had figured out, doesn't cut the paper as well as you thought and here you are sitting on the sidelines. 

What changed? 

What went wrong? 

Different batch of shells?

Different paper? 

What changed was your perspective. Things are not always as they seem through the scope. How many times have you gone to a shoot and watched the guy next to you blast 30 cards in practice over the course of an hour or so then proceed to not pick up a single card from the target rack? How many times have you done it? Practice and sighting in is all good and well however putting your booger hook on the bang switch and yanking it and landing somewhat center is only 25% of the path to success.

Pick up your cards.

Study the patterns.

Learn the shooting bench.

Learn the recoil rate. Where the gun starts and lands. 

Learn applied pressure and control tactics.

These are all things that will greatly help you on your adventure to the pay table. 

Yes. I fully know I've gotten off track of what this blog is suppose to be about. However, that's what this section of the site is going to be.

It will be a history class, a shooting class, basically a library of what I've learned over the years. 

So back to the topic.. With 10's there isn't a one size fits all choke application with the existing gun format. Over the last 15+ years 10's went from being their own true guns. Today they are hybrids, a majority are all around builds. The barrels use the 3.5" chokes. Here's a quick clue... That 3.5" choke isn't the best option out there for this type of shell. Dating back 20 years ago and beyond, the average 10 choke was 4-5.5" in overall length. Why did it change? 

BUILDERS. FULL STOP.

When 10's were in their largest market expansion prime in the early 2000's, Gunworks was a prime reason for their expansion after the Federal Paper 9 collapse of the market. We literally had a financial stake in the market expansion of the 2-2-10 shell. Every box of 10 shells shot in the early 2000's we were getting .50 a box. We developed the test guns for the 10's and updated the protocols for Wagner. As well as were heavily involved in the development of the Wagner 9 prototyping phase as we had already developed a replacement for the Federal 9 that was to be loaded by Noble Sport that deal fell through when the Wad would stovepipe in (wrongly stack and clog) feeding tube of their machines. Anyways I've taken many shits there after early morning Waffle House Chili fries and eggs on trips down to the Virginia / West Virginia border town. We built fixtures for setting up the loading machine dialed in the loads we were full hands on in getting the then new loading machine to load competition grade ammunition. We achieved just that. 

So what happened? Basically dad trusted in a handshake deal. Wagner upon expansion of the 10's market as well as the development and market introduction of the 9's via us, they opted to cut us out of the deal. We stopped receiving $$ so we stopped building guns to shoot their products. We stayed well away from any relations with the company for a solid 5 years +. Dad spent that time focused on all of the other shotshell types out there and ultimately established a broad catalog of choke designs that spanned many one off shooters needs. 

So why do I blame the builders? 

Well they went back to the 3.5" standard drop-in and the traditional .730 range bore and sold the same thing they were already selling for 9's and named it something new. How did that happen? Market saturation. It became easy to win when the market was flooded with $250-300 "2-2-10 barrels" made of waterpipe. Basically this was the transition phase where the Savage 210 started to become extremely popular as well as the early renditions or railframes started taking over.

The slightly better control offered via a rail frame vs a pump gun that was sub 15lbs less and not as equipped for control and the dominate builder of the 10's market in that era, taking a by choice hiatus from the market.. It was a perfect storm for shortcuts. Anyways, the 10's market will receive a much needed history lesson. 

The current 10 chokes that we offer are consistent winners week in and week out. Its not a matter of rocket science, its a matter of shells that once did more with less. 

So how do you pick between a 2510 and a 2810? They are both winners. They will both have their days. The selection on size is more of a factor than the series layout. of the current offerings if you are shooting a 30 bore 680 to 684 will be your meat and potatoes most days.

Anyways, going to stop here and I'll touch on a lot of the subject matter within this post in due time. Much of this will offend as well as inform.  

Yes, I'm well aware that some other guy wants to take credit for everything... He showed up on the scene as a customer.. 

Drop some comments or questions for my next post.

Later!