Thread: Patterning question

Gidday folks


So like most I'm eagerly awaiting the coming season.

I've patterned my gun once before but haven't done it on a target like this. Just used a big real estate sign and hit birds so didn't put much more into it.

So this is at 40 Paces( I'm 6 foot)

Gamebore magnum steel 3" 36gr 4s.
Beretta 1301 comp 24" with a Optima HP Modified extended
, ported choke.

The outer circle being 27" but if we make it 30" then the total pellet count is 192 pellets inside the 30" circle.

There are 55 on the bird with another 5 up it's date which I'm not counting as kill shots for obvious reasons.

My understanding is you need 60% of your load inside a 30" circle at the given range to be considered effective.

This load should be 240 pellets. So 192 is approx 80%.

My question is there anything wrong with said pattern or should I try a IC choke?

Just having issues uploading a Pic will try later

if there are 55 pellets on the duck I would think that should be OK, 192 in the circle
I would call it good. More importantly are there holes in the pattern the bird could fly through?
I would not bother trying any other choke for now.

Make a fist, poke out hitch hiker thumb. That's about the size n shape of ducks vitals. If your pattern puts three or more pellets on that fist sized area...yip it will do.

It's best to fire several rounds for patterning and average it out. The advice on looking for "holes" is spot on as is that assessment of body size. The ability to change chokes makes us overthink it at times I reckon.

Greg Duley has written a very clear and precise article on shot size and patterning in the latest Fish and Game magazine.
A lot of misconceptions floating around these days.

Remember patterning is one dimensional.. meaning all the pellets whether or not they are travelling at the same speed and hit the pattern board at the same time. It gives you a base to go off. But real shooting is 3 dimenal meaning the pellets don't always arrive at the object at the dame time. I wouldn't get too worried if you a few pellets short. A couple of pellets in the ducks vital organ is all is needed to actually kill a duck.
Enjoy yourself and don't get to taken up by the patterning.

[QUOTE=Rock river arms hunter;1674677]Gidday folks


So like most I'm eagerly awaiting the coming season.

I've patterned my gun once before but haven't done it on a target like this. Just used a big real estate sign and hit birds so didn't put much more into it.

So this is at 40 Paces( I'm 6 foot)

Gamebore magnum steel 3" 36gr 4s.
Beretta 1301 comp 24" with a Optima HP Modified extended
, ported choke.

The outer circle being 27" but if we make it 30" then the total pellet count is 192 pellets inside the 30" circle.

There are 55 on the bird with another 5 up it's date which I'm not counting as kill shots for obvious reasons.

My understanding is you need 60% of your load inside a 30" circle at the given range to be considered effective.

This load should be 240 pellets. So 192 is approx 80%.

My question is there anything wrong with said pattern or should I try a IC choke?

Just having issues uploading a Pic will try later[/QUOTE
Use a Patternmaster choke. Unreal what it does to your shooting. The equivalent to annealing in reloading. I use 1 on a 20g M2 . Out performs a 12g all day long. 2C.

It all goes put the window when thest first duck Flys by.

Yeah inthought the math didn't worked be happy getting that many pellets in the circle if its 80% using a mod choke could be like shooting a more tighter choke in lead .

What i'm tempted to try is putting out a length of paper, 3-4m long, and firing into it while swinging through. As we all know, it's a 'sausage' of shot going out, can be strung out over quite a distance. This is where the Patternmaster, The One.... and all the other variants of chokes shine. they temporarily halt the wad going out, allowing the shot to carry on in a ball.
I'm just curious whether this is as much of a fact/problem or just a placebo effect thinking it does something.

@oraki you need to find older book on shotgunning. Got feeling bob bristler wrote it. Big hardcover. He took long tandem trailer with huge board on it like giant sign board,then got wife to drive past at various speeds n distances,he fired into board,sometimes pointing at car as fired!!! Huge amount of research pre steel shot days. Shot pattern showed tail etc. I personally just go shoot stuff. Interesting article by Greg D indeed.