I told y'all here while back about the 1952 model Ithaca 37 that I just bought. It is in great shape, had been gone through by my honest to goodness gunsmith and pronounced fit. It is smooth, but you can tell when you work the forearm that it surely ain't been shot much at all.

I patterned it the other day at 25 yards using Remington sport loads 7/8 Oz of 7 1/2's. Now we normally pattern modified choked guns st 25 and 30 yards, but it was windy and cold so 25 was it. The results, a real good light modified pattern! A littler on the tight side for improved cylinder and a little too lose for modified, but just right there in the middle. It seems more and more folks are having their old guns opened up too light modified, or Skeet 2, mine is already there straight from the factory in 1952. Now I'm covered from covey rise out to 40ish yards our so. This may just new my new all around shotgun for the uplands.

I'll agree! Most of the old timers in my area swear by 28" or longer barrels choked tight full & tight modified. One was sellin a fox 16ga that he described to me as a good "close work" quail gun... it was choked mod & imp mod!

I prefer ic & lite mod myself as a quail and grouse hunter with the occasional kicked up cottontail. Most shots are snap shots in the cover I frequent so 25yds is out there. As for old guns being choked tighter than my wallet, I think its primarily due to advances in shotshells over the last 75 years. Either that or folks used to like a lil lead in their birds at the table, personally I dont wanna spit shot like watermelon seeds