OK. I"m finally getting around to posting my results with Remington"s HeviShot.
(Hope you don"t mind me borrowing your format, Jesse.)
The particulars:
All shots were on March 14, 2003
Shotgun Used
Benelli Nova " 24" barrel " Factory Full choke (all patterns)
I shot the same shells and yardages with the factory Modified choke and the patterns were fair but the full was better.
I used the factory red front bead and mid bead for sights. I fired a few dove loads at 10 and 20 yards for "sighting in".
I did not clean between shots. I did check it a few times though and it looked pretty good. Fouling was at a minimum even with 16 shots being fired.
Conditions
~70°F " no wind " partly cloudy
All shots were off a bench with sandbag rests.
Yardages measured with a tape measure.
Pattern #1
This was the 3 inch magnum, #5, 1-5/8 oz. at
30 yards.
There are 37 pellets in the head/neck area, 96 pellets inside the smaller 8 inch circle, and 328 pellets in the outer 30 inch circle.
Pattern #2
This was the 3 inch magnum, #5, 1-5/8 oz. at
40 yards.
There are 24 pellets in the head/neck area, 34 pellets inside the smaller 8 inch circle, and 239 pellets in the outer 30 inch circle.
Pattern #3
This was the 3½ inch magnum, #5, 1¾ oz. at
30 yards.
There are 54 pellets in the head/neck area, 80 pellets inside the smaller 8 inch circle, and 252 pellets in the outer 30 inch circle.
Pattern #4
This was the 3½ inch magnum, #5, 1¾ oz. at
40 yards.
There are 19 pellets in the head/neck area, 27 pellets inside the smaller 8 inch circle, and 208 pellets in the outer 30 inch circle.
My feelings about these loads
I"ll be hunting with the 3½" 1¾oz loads this year. I"ll be ordering some more of them since I"m down to 5 shells. At the end of my testing I shot one shot at 20 yards from a sitting/hunting position to see how much it would take to miss a bird. The main part of the pattern was inside a 6" circle with a few flyers outside that. I didn"t bother to count the pellets and I"m not sure how many #5 pellets are in one of these loads.
Until I can decide which choke to buy for this gun the factory Full will have to do.
I did pattern some Winchester Supreme #5"s in 3" 1¾oz and 2oz loads. The 2oz load at 30 yards was incredibly tight. It put 41 pellets in the head/neck area, 91 pellets inside the 8" circle, and 317 inside 30"; but " it fell off a LOT at 40.
Benelli Nova - Rem HeviShot Patterning
