Thread: Expected spread for a full choked 12 gauge @ 30 meters?

I originally had a skeet barrel installed with no choke and was crap range, so swapped out for a full choke barrel instead and im still having trouble popping off rabbits at roughly 30M range with it.
I shot an empty box of 12gauge ammo at the same range and only got 3 pellet holes in the box, I was expecting to see it with many more.
Im not sure if any pellets are hitting the rabbit or not, but they run away, presumably injured? I thought I had killed one, and then it ran away when I approached it, is this typical for rabbits?
I want to pattern this gun when I get a chance, but I know it blows a possum to pieces if i shoot them too close range, I nearly got showered in guts the other night.

At 40 yards (35 m) 70% of the pellets in the cartridge should be inside a 30 inch circle, so pattern density depends on your shot size and weight. No 4 is 130 per oz, no 6 225. Effective range is the lesser of the effective pattern distance or the pellets penetration both of which are influenced by the load size. For no 4s penetration is around 60 metres but the pattern thins out at 50 for a 1 1/2 oz load.

Check wear your shot pattern is hitting in relation to your aim point with sight bead. Sounds like pattern may be hitting low, 6 o’clock. Pattern test on sheet of paper at 40m will soon tell you.

used a shot gun a lot for pest control hundreds of rounds professionally - went away from 4 shot and just used 2 shot for rabbits and possums just more effective kill now watch the doubters

Barry....the #3 is my favourite for bunnies but I've shot a hell of a lot of game with the old Winchester superx in #2. Three pellets in cardboard box says you missed it. Get bigger box or shoot a big puddle or mudflats type place so can see where your hitting in relation to where you THINK your aiming.

Go to your local Fish & Game, they have patterning sheets available for free.

The back of a real estate size sign with a central dot to aim at and a 30" circle around the dot. On the edges, stick cardboard like opened up boxes from the supermarket - doesn't have to be flash. Have a crack from 40m and see where it's at - likely it's off to one side or high or low.

Originally Posted by Basenjiboy

Go to your local Fish & Game, they have patterning sheets available for free.

Well that's a bit easier...

Originally Posted by No.3

Well that's a bit easier...

Yes but unless his cardboard box was a Jaffa packet.....only putting three pellets on it says to me he missed by at least 2 feet,600mm

What are you like normally with a shotgun. Mate of mine can hit stuff without even thinking about it, me I cant hit shit with them so mine is just a dust collector

It's never an even distribution of pellets and it changes shot to shot, patterning especially on paper will show you that. Sometimes there are holes that an animal or clay could slip through.

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

At 40 yards (35 m) 70% of the pellets in the cartridge should be inside a 30 inch circle, so pattern density depends on your shot size and weight. No 4 is 130 per oz, no 6 225. Effective range is the lesser of the effective pattern distance or the pellets penetration both of which are influenced by the load size. For no 4s penetration is around 60 metres but the pattern thins out at 50 for a 1 1/2 oz load.

Thats about what I had guessed, i have been using no4 shot 36 gram loads.

Originally Posted by woods223

Check wear your shot pattern is hitting in relation to your aim point with sight bead. Sounds like pattern may be hitting low, 6 o’clock. Pattern test on sheet of paper at 40m will soon tell you.

I was wondering that, from memory i tested shooting a larger box at around 50 metres a while back and didnt think the pellet distribution was anything fancy.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Yes but unless his cardboard box was a Jaffa packet.....only putting three pellets on it says to me he missed by at least 2 feet,600mm

How far out do you have to be to miss that badly? I was taking my time when i fired at the box.
I didnt think it was very easy to miss with a shotgun, but I seem to be hitting targets pretty easily at closer ranges when there is little spread and will blow holes out of possums up to 20M fairly routinely.

Originally Posted by blip

What are you like normally with a shotgun. Mate of mine can hit stuff without even thinking about it, me I cant hit shit with them so mine is just a dust collector

I cant really say because im not too experienced, have shot plenty of possums at closer ranges but I have trouble shooting possums around 50M away, not sure if this is because of shot size, branches, etc.
The fella in our store says that you have to aim a bit "higher" to shoot things at that range, but perfectly capable. How much higher to aim, im not sure.

Also with bead sights, are you supposed to place your bead over your target or aim the top of the bead in the center where you are aiming?
Never really given this much thought, I think most of the time i place the bead near enough over the center as possible.
Another thing i noticed is this barrel had a rear sight on it thats been removed, most shotguns ive used only have a bead at the end, so not sure what purpose a rear sight serves on a shotgun.

I also have an SxS thats much older and has a pair of full and modified choke barrels, i only use 32G loads in that and easily took down a couple of rabbits at around 30M away with it.
I should really compare the pattern between both guns i guess.

Yes I would suspect that the pattern itself is fine. It just isn't going where you think you are aiming.
Back when played with an oeg aimpoint on my shotty, I used to do it down at the river off the old bridge and pick a rock or stick in the water to aim at and do my best to adjust it so it patterned where I wanted it.
And it did work a treat

The near miss is a speciality of people who try and use a shitty like a rifle. You aim a rifle you point a shotgun. The SXS will have a totally different stock geometry to a semi, o/u or pump. In my opinion that makes them better suited to reflex shooting at moving game than any other style. As you say pattern both guns. Apart from saying you swapped the barrel so I'm guessing it is a semi possibly an auto 5 or clone there of. They are outstanding field guns.

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

The near miss is a speciality of people who try and use a shitty like a rifle. You aim a rifle you point a shotgun. The SXS will have a totally different stock geometry to a semi, o/u or pump. In my opinion that makes them better suited to reflex shooting at moving game than any other style. As you say pattern both guns. Apart from saying you swapped the barrel so I'm guessing it is a semi possibly an auto 5 or clone there of. They are outstanding field guns.

Yes it's a semi auto, remington 1100.
Want to do some clay shooting with it when I get a chance too, would make a good duck gun I would imagine, but can only use 2 and 3/4 shells in it.