Poll: Do you pattern your shotguns?

[WillametteWill]

Other than barrel length…. How different can it be? I guess the choke can change it….. that said I'm not familiar with them at all.

Enormous.

Two different areas for me, field/sporting guns and defensive guns. As @esbshaw noted, when you are shooting games like Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays, you need to know where your patterns are going with your particular loads. My trap gun is very different from my field gun.

For defensive shotguns we need to understand barrel / ammunition (buckshot) combinations are like snowflakes, no two are alike. You can have an 18" cylinder choke Remington 870 barrel shoot one load like crap and another barrel of the same configuration will shoot a tight group. Some ammo likes some chokes better. If you look at the fifth photo down in this article, you can see the difference in groups and points of impact from 00 buck even at close distances (the head shots). I have students bring the defensive ammo they are planning to use at home and in the class we pattern at typical home defense distances so they can see both pattern and point of impact. Good question you have.

 

[NobullSKS]

Enormous.

Two different areas for me, field/sporting guns and defensive guns. As @esbshaw noted, when you are shooting games like Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays, you need to know where your patterns are going with your particular loads. My trap gun is very different from my field gun.

For defensive shotguns we need to understand barrel / ammunition (buckshot) combinations are like snowflakes, no two are alike. You can have an 18" cylinder choke Remington 870 barrel shoot one load like crap and another barrel of the same configuration will shoot a tight group. Some ammo likes some chokes better. If you look at the fifth photo down in this article, you can see the difference in groups and points of impact from 00 buck even at close distances (the head shots). I have students bring the defensive ammo they are planning to use at home and in the class we pattern at typical home defense distances so they can see both pattern and point of impact. Good question you have.

I think i may be more interested if i had a decent place to shoot shotties. I'm not a fan of driving so these mining pits around the woods aren't to appealing. Seems like you (I) have to drive further and further out these days

Local to me ranges have many shot restrictions

 

[ilikegunspdx]

The thread title kind of says it. Do you pattern your shotguns?

Yep but only informally. Nice to know how large of a hole it will leave on the target at different ranges.

Clint Buckshot

• ilikegunspdx
• Dec 23, 2021

Clint smith visual aid 1" per yard general guideline



Recommended method to test pattern of AK shotguns: (j/k)

FullSizeRender.mov

• ilikegunspdx
• Jun 13, 2022

 

[Tlock]

Where is sagia308 at? He's the master of shotgun pattering

 

[Bigdeeeeeeee]

I might shoot a plate once or twice just to be sure of poa/poi. I won't even do that unless I think it's way off. I like a 50/50 poi.

 

[Carcassman]

When I was considering starting chasing turkeys I took my pump and auto to a range and ran a number of loads thorough them stop see which did the best. Otherwise, I just use results to know how well a load works.

 

[Capn Jack]

But ya gota be able to hit 'em in the neck, or head to put 'em down. Those buggers are wearing body armor. I've had 'em go down from a body shot at 15 yards, then bounce up like a rubber ball and leave me standing there with a silly look on my face.

 

[Carcassman]

Two shots to the head, two down. Will be patterning some more as I have questions but I do like the one shot kill.

 

[Capn Jack]

I needed a longer barrel on my Mod. 12 Winchester Marine Riot Gun for Turkey hunting, so I found one on E-Bay. When I checked the pattern I found it was 6" high and 6" to the left of P.O.A. with shot as well as slugs.

What really surprised me was when I checked the pattern out of my MKA 1919 with the full choked 18 1/2" barrel. At 25 yards all of the pellets were inside of a 30" ring

This is the shot and slug pattern at 35 yards with the, (E-Bay) 32" barrel on my Winchester Riot Gun. OK for a bead sight. I just have to remember which way to lead them.

 

[OldBroad44]

3 inch federal #4 buck for coyotes and faststeel 3 1/2 #2 shot for ducks and guls. Geese I use the same faststeel but in bb

What barrel length and choke on the fed #4 buck for coyotes?

 

[Tlock]

What barrel length and choke on the fed #4 buck for coyotes?

I have a 26 inch sbe2 with a mod choke