Most of the time, it's hard to sell, trade, or give one away on the classifieds forum.
When someone asks questions about them, people usually post more negative comments about the choke maker, than the chokes themselves. BPS stocks them, and their price is resonable compared to other turkey chokes. If you don't like the pattern you get with one, you can return it to Kick's and swap it for one of 2 or 3 other exit diameters.
Why no Kick's GT love around here?
Great choke for lead. I think they earned a poor reputation for inferior customer service and their older chokes were not supposed to be used with harder shot. I got really great results with a 0.650" and 0.655" in an 870 sp12 shooting Win HV #6. Killed a ton of turkeys with that setup.
From their website...
"'Gobblin Thunder' chokes are not recommended for steel shot or Hevi-shot."
That's probably the biggest reason, right there.
I feel the love! I shoot a GT .655 with both lead and Hevi with great results. Lead loads are Win XX 6's and the old white Hevi's 6's.
(http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy227/moses25roman/IMG_20110510_130221-1.jpg)
Ive heard Kicks is a great choke. The owner shows no "LOVE" for HTL. Not advertising that in todays market is whats hindering the popularity. 3 words would bring him into the game. "Hevi shot approved" Most seasoned shooters find out at places like OG that the chokes work fine. Most folks buying off the shelf and getting into the sport are going to abide by the fine print so to speak.
I killed a truck load with a gobbling thunder in my old 835 and a wide variety of shells..I patterned, but didn't pay near as close attention to it as I do now. I knew I had enough at 40 and that was all I needed. Also killed several with my old nef 10...and my buddy is still killing with it and federal 6s.
Don't know the builder, but have called several times and got good phone service and several around here have too their stuff there and set up..all with good stuff to say
I personally use one in my 11-87 20 gauge with TSS 9's. It is a nasty tube, and I have shot a bunch with testing, to name a few Indian Creek, Pure Gold, Rhino, RSF, to name some. The Kicks was the most consistent shooter of the bunch. The Pure Gold and Rhino were good, but not as consistent. 3 shots with the kicks .570 GT with TSS 9's, and I had a 362, 319, and a 311. The 20" numbers from all 3 shots were within 10 pellets of each other- 545-555. Needless to say I am pleased with the kicks. They have been good people over the phone, just will not approve hevi-shot loads. They are big winchester fans.
Kicks gt is a great choke; Ive tried them in alot of different guns 12 and 20 ga. shot plenty of htl (nitros, hevi's,win xr's) through them with no porblems. Its no secret the Kicks crew loves the winchester ammo.
Kicks and Comp-n-Choke are both owned by the same person, Charlie Boswell. Both have the exact same address.
Ive shot Kicks and CNC for years. They have been great chokes for me. Boswell machine shop was just down the road about an hour, and Ive been there many times. The Boswells were always friendly. Ive had Charlie looking over my shoulder before watching me shoot at his shop. Its no secret that they frown on HTL loads. They will give the go ahead on Winchester extended range and Kent Impact matrix, they say its soft enough to shoot, but they frown on others like Hevi 13 and Federals.
Ive shot lots of chokes and shells and up until I got my Indian Creek, my kicks out shot them all. I run the IC now, but still keep a GT 660 in my beretta. Killed 2 with it last year with Winchester 6 extended range.
QuoteIts no secret the Kicks crew loves the winchester ammo.
Perhaps they hung their hat on their track record of success with the old standard Winchester Lead loads, believing that the bulk of the masses would never be willing to pay the premium prices for the HTL stuff?
A majority of Duck hunters proved that they weren't willing to pay for HTL, but they operate at a much higher volume.
Many Turkey hunters ARE willing to pay $20 to $25 for 5 shells, or $40 for 10 shells each year, in the belief that they are golden at 50 Yards, shot after shot. But the majority of people just go to Wal-Mart and buy Lead each year. I'm amazed at the popularity of #4 Lead, even in 2.75" 1.5 ounce loads. I would think that the 2.75" guys would definitely want #6's, but most stores only stock #4's in the 2.75" turkey loads.
Many think #4's will have a longer killing range. Unfortnately, pattern density is such that the opposite may be true when considering effective range and not simply pellet energy.
QuoteMany think #4's will have a longer killing range. Unfortnately, pattern density is such that the opposite may be true when considering effective range and not simply pellet energy.
Thus, #5 Lead may offer the best of both worlds; Energy and Pattern Density.
i shot 3" #4's win. red shells a bunch always worked well for me but i do shoot the black and silver win.
i also have a kicks gt choke and like it pretty well
I shoot 3" Winchester High Velocity 6's through my Winchester 1300 with the Kick's .655 and get a great pattern. If I don't miss, it always kills them at the ranges I shoot.
I have the Kicks GT.665 in my Mossberg 535 ATS Tactical Turkey. I also shoot the Winchester High Velocity in 3" 5 shot with great results. I'm pretty happy with mine!!
Been shooting Nitros out of mine for 10+ years with no problems and it is awesome to say the least. I called down there when I first starting shooting Nitros out of it and the guy told me it was ok to shoot them. He just said dont run the old Remington Hevis thru it. May have been longer than 10 yrs ago ???
Kicks is owned by Charlie Boswell's son Chuck. I know Chuck and he's a down to earth, salt of the earth guy who knows his stuff. I shoot Kicks Chokes in all my guns and never put hevi-shot through'em. Why?? never had too. I still shoot lead and kill birds dead with no problem. I was shooting Kicks before Chuck bought the company.
If anybody feels that they want to shoot hevi-shot or need it to harvest anything, then go for it. It's like the old saying "Some people like to drive a Chevy and others like to drive a Ford.
But I will say that if any company recommends not using their product in a way or manner that could cause damage to product or person using that product, and you as a consumer ignore or feel you know better and any accident or damage should occur, plain and simple...it's your own fault.
In my opinion the shell is more important then the choke. Since Kicks says not to use hevi 13 I decided to take my business else where.
Good move Gobble.
I shoot a Benelli Nova 24" barrel with Kicks 665 and Winchester Supreme 3 1/2 #5s and have used that combo a while now. I just recently acquired my childhood Winny 1300 Turkey with an 18 1/2" barrel and stuck a Kicks 665 in it. I plan to shoot Winchester Supreme 3" #4s in it first to see what I get. I also have a Kick's Vortex IC in my duck gun. Great company with good CS in my opinion. Always willing to help. They do love Winchester ammo when asked for a suggestion but that's fine with me! Always had great results.
I use a Kick's .655 GT in my Benelli Super Black Eagle. I use Win 3.5" HV 2 oz. load of #6's. Patterns like a dream. Dropped my bird last spring at 53 paces with one shot! I have killed several with this combo and none required a second shot. :gobble:
I'll bet they get some new love with Winchester LB loads :happy0064:
Didn't he have a record with the Winchester high velocity lead at still target NWTF competition?
Then Hevi cleaned up the next year or so.
bet that ticked him off.
I shoot Kicks in a few different guns. .655,.660,.670. As far as lead goes they have patterned better than any other chokes I have used. The POA/POI has always stayed on when i have used these chokes. No need to use sights other than to be able to take a fine bead with tight patterns. Quality built chokes. I have had good customer service as well. Noticed that the Winchester longbeards are shooting really well through these chokes. The majority of turkey's I have killed have been with Kicks/Winchester Lead. Close second would be Hastings .665/ Federal Pre FCW 3/2/6's.
I have a GT 665 in my 1187 right now....I have tried other tubes but the GT always comes out on top. I still have some Extended Range Wins right now but as soon as they are gone I am going to swap to a different choke to heed the "not approved for HTL" warning.
It will stay in the safe for use with lead should I ever return to that.
They seem to get quite a bit of love. A few weeks ago when I was asking what chokes to get for my 835, the Kicks was said quite a bit. I can tell you that in my opinion they are one of the "meanest" looking chokes there is. Cool tubes for sure.
I will add that if the feller that makes those chokes would make a choke that would cater to the HTL crowd, then he would probably get more love.
Quote from: 3" 870 Shell Shucker on December 06, 2011, 01:48:36 AM
QuoteMany think #4's will have a longer killing range. Unfortnately, pattern density is such that the opposite may be true when considering effective range and not simply pellet energy.
Thus, #5 Lead may offer the best of both worlds; Energy and Pattern Density.
killed a many a bird with a 2-3/4" Remington 1100 using the old Winchester 2-3/4" 1-5/8oz XX Magnum #4 loads (red shell) man those were the days
Even though this thread is almost. 3 years old lol
I own a kicks for every turkey gun I own and for some I just think about taking
I shoot a Kicks .660 in my stubby 20" barrel 870. I have shot everything but steel through mine and it has ran like a top. I also have a .680 for the the 835 I used to own and it shot great also. I have tried other chokes to replace the old Kicks but nothing has really outshot it especially when looking at an overall even hunting pattern.
With these new longbeard loads my .655 and winchester 1300 will be back at it with #6.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Quote from: mossyoakpro on February 16, 2014, 09:38:30 PM
I have a GT 665 in my 1187 right now....I have tried other tubes but the GT always comes out on top. I still have some Extended Range Wins right now but as soon as they are gone I am going to swap to a different choke to heed the "not approved for HTL" warning.
It will stay in the safe for use with lead should I ever return to that.
I believe Charlie Boswell (owner of Comp-n-choke and Kicks) said there was no problem using the Winchester Extended in his chokes. Big problem with Hevi-shot. Winchester Extended are not as hard as Hevi-shot so they aren't an issue.
i love my .675 gt choke.
Quote from: ahfox16 on February 17, 2014, 09:11:49 AM
Quote from: mossyoakpro on February 16, 2014, 09:38:30 PM
I have a GT 665 in my 1187 right now....I have tried other tubes but the GT always comes out on top. I still have some Extended Range Wins right now but as soon as they are gone I am going to swap to a different choke to heed the "not approved for HTL" warning.
It will stay in the safe for use with lead should I ever return to that.
I believe Charlie Boswell (owner of Comp-n-choke and Kicks) said there was no problem using the Winchester Extended in his chokes. Big problem with Hevi-shot. Winchester Extended are not as hard as Hevi-shot so they aren't an issue.
I may be wrong on this, but from what I understand both Hevi and Xtended Range are both tungsten. Tungsten is harder than the hardest steel shot. So I don't get where one tungsten load is "softer" than another.I can see a difference in wads and velocity, but not the hardness of the shot itself. That being said, the kicks gt I have throws very even, consistent patterns.They are good chokes, but like others have posted, i think the "lead only" deal hurts them as it makes them sound like they are not as strong as hevi approved chokes. :z-twocents:
You are wrong actually ward. The Winny ER loads are softer than Hevi shot by a good margin. In fact I believe they also contain tin and/or bismuth though I can't remember which one. Either way they are def softer than Hevi and I think even softer than steel waterfowl shot.
I like the 665 GT in my 870 with Win 3.5", 2oz #4's.
Ive taken quite a few gobblers with Kicks GT. 665. and Winchester xr 3" #6 shot out of my Winchester1300 gives me great patterns. :firefighter:
We all use Kicks in our turkey guns and waterfowl guns. No complaints at all when it comes to Kicks choke tubes.
Quote from: mightyjoeyoung on February 17, 2014, 03:16:33 PM
You are wrong actually ward. The Winny ER loads are softer than Hevi shot by a good margin. In fact I believe they also contain tin and/or bismuth though I can't remember which one. Either way they are def softer than Hevi and I think even softer than steel waterfowl shot.
Thanks for the correction, I did not know there were different alloys involved in the making of tungsten shot. That's why I like being here, always able to learn something new!
Is that to say that there's no real world problem shooting hevi shot through a kick's even though the fine print says not to do it?
I run Kick's GT Chokes on my 835 and 935... :z-twocents:
I'm back to hunting with my Rem870 21"bbl/ Kicks .655.
180's in 12 @ 40. Win XX 3/2/6's
*hard to beat with any other setup I have..in hunting situations in the timber.
Quote from: vpsalin on April 19, 2014, 10:29:21 PM
Is that to say that there's no real world problem shooting hevi shot through a kick's even though the fine print says not to do it?
A few have split with HTL loads. Very rare but a possibilty. To me they look thinner and definitely have more material removed for ports possibly making them weaker. I own five or six and love them with lead and XRHD's! When I shoot other HTL it's other chokes. Many shoot them with Hevi, HW and even TSS with great results.
Quote from: drenalinld on April 22, 2014, 08:17:42 PM
Quote from: vpsalin on April 19, 2014, 10:29:21 PM
Is that to say that there's no real world problem shooting hevi shot through a kick's even though the fine print says not to do it?
A few have split with HTL loads. Very rare but a possibilty. To me they look thinner and definitely have more material removed for ports possibly making them weaker. I own five or six and love them with lead and XRHD's! When I shoot other HTL it's other chokes. Many shoot them with Hevi, HW and even TSS with great results.
The Kicks is thinner? Mine is built like a tank with diagonal round porting. Are you thinking of Indian Creek or Comp-N-Choke?
A Kicks choke is far from thin.
i have there high flyer choke and its good. but imo there are better turkey chokes on the market is the reason I don't shoot them. I dont have a problem with there company. I shoot htl loads but that doesn't stop me from using them. just better chokes at least in my experience is why I dont use them. not saying they are bad at all dont take it that way just out of my gun. I would be hard pressed to find one that would pattern better out of it. but that's just me.
Great choke and good people! I've shot a GT in my 870 SP 12ga, with Win 3"#6's for 20yrs with great results!
Quote from: jbrown on April 23, 2014, 10:41:59 PM
Great choke and good people! I've shot a GT in my 870 SP 12ga, with Win 3"#6's for 20yrs with great results!
Gotta love that..20yrs
I've got a Kick's .655 for a SBE II with crio barrel that I'd take $35 for if anyone's interested (I'll pay standard shipping in continental U.S.). I liked the Gobbling Thunder choke with 3" Winchester Supreme 1&3/4 oz. of #6s and killed several birds with it, but I've only hunted with Hevi shot for the past 5 years. Since Kick's packaging warns against shooting Hevi shot through their Gobbling Thunder chokes, I had to go to a different make of choke. I doubt my Kick's choke has more than 75 rounds through it. PM me if you're interested.
Jim
Ive got a KGT 665 and it can harvest gobblers for sure. Shoot Win xr #6 shot. :OGturkeyhead: