patterning

[mauser06]

im doing some patterning to get a good load and pattern for my gun.....i was just wondering what is a good standard of acceptancy....i see some saying 30 inch circles..12inch 10 inch...ect.......i was wondering what a good standard is to go by......so many hits in a circle so big at so far.....and how to figure out the percentage many talk about.....i think you have to know how many pellets are in your load....any one know a rule for figuring it out? like theres x amount of #4 in an ounce of shot or anything i can go by for 4,5 and 6 shot to figure out my percentage and what size circle is standard and the range and what a good percentage to go by for my turkey gun??? thanx alot.....just trying to figure this stuff out....

[ShawneeHunter]

30 yards is where I like to start from. Fire a couple shots and if it all hits within a 30" circle your fine. Then move back to maybe 40 and try it again. Get a turkey target and shoot at it. I can't remember what the count is suggested to be but I think it's around at least 8 in the kill zone (brain or spine) to be sure of a clean kill. Really it only takes one though.

As for pellet counts I think that #4 shot has around 140 pellets per once, #5 close to 175 pellets per once and #6 is close to 220 pellets per once. Good Luck

[Mr. Longbeard]

I shoot mine at 20 yards at a Primos turkey target to make sure it is centered. Then I move out to 30 then 40. I could care less how many hits I get in a 30 in circle at any range. I more concered with how many hits I get in a turkeys vitals at 40-45 yards... Perferable 5 or more

I underestand the reasaning behind useing the 30in circle...

It's a lot easier to count vital hit in a turket target then count all the hits in a huge circle

[Wingbone]

The standard for patterning a shotgun for wing shooting was # of pellets in a 30" circle. Theory being that you wanted a nice even pattern throughout the circle so if your aim was off a little, the duck would still get hit. Turkey chokes are supposed to concentrate the shot in the center of the pattern, You are shooting at a stationary target. All shots outside the turkey head are meaningless. The pattern you are concerned with is in the center. Use a turkey target to really evaluate your pattern.

[gselkhunter]

Mauser06, The only thing I worry about is the number of pellet in the head of a turkey target at 40yds, we are talking kill shots now. At 20 and 30 yards any load you use should kill the target. It is after 35yds it gets interesting. If you are only getting 8-15 killing pellets at 40yds, look for a new load. Guns and chokes are a comb that takes some work to figuer out. Some guns won't shoot well with a choke that is too tight[extra full, super full, turkey full], or with loads above 1 3/8oz. I have one of those guns. I get 25-30 pellets in the kill zone of a turkey target with a full choke and 1 1/4oz of #4 shot at 1220ft/sec at 40yds out of my Winchester 1300 12ga. The gun won't shoot #6 shot well, #5 are ok. And this load I load myself. Cause if you change from Remington to Federal or Winchester, the pattern will be totaly different. I played a long time before I found what works for me.
Gselkhunter

[Rebel Hog]

ORIGINAL: mauser06

im doing some patterning to get a good load and pattern for my gun.....i was just wondering what is a good standard of acceptancy....i see some saying 30 inch circles..12inch 10 inch...ect.......i was wondering what a good standard is to go by......so many hits in a circle so big at so far.....and how to figure out the percentage many talk about.....i think you have to know how many pellets are in your load....any one know a rule for figuring it out? like theres x amount of #4 in an ounce of shot or anything i can go by for 4,5 and 6 shot to figure out my percentage and what size circle is standard and the range and what a good percentage to go by for my turkey gun??? thanx alot.....just trying to figure this stuff out....

mauser06, Check 'REMINGTON COUNTRY" on the web.They list all the info to your question.
Shotgun 'BASICS", 30" circle @ 40yds....Pick your Turkey CHOKE......Pick your ammo....#4-#5-#6's...
I usally paste a TURKEY HEAD target in the center of the 30" circle.

[Strut&Rut]

Mauser,

Do as the others have said, and use a turkey target. If you search the web, you can find some freebies. Personally, I make my own.

Make a fist, bend your wrist fowards, and place your hand/forearm on a sheet of paper. Outline it with a pen/marker---you'll quickly notice that the outline resembles that of a mature tom's head & neck. Next, within the outline sketch the bones of the head and vertebrae.

As for the pellet count,I'm not sure why gselk stated the following:

If you are only getting 8-15 killing pellets at 40yds, look for a new load.

If you're getting 5 pellets in the vertebra & head, that's a dead bird, even with 6's---although I cringe at 40 yard shots with 6 shot, as it has drastically lost force and momentum, which equals reduced killing power.

[Turk_man]

Alot use a 10 inch circle at 40 yards to evaluate turkey loads. If you get a good even pattern in a 10" circle at 40 yards then a turkey is history.

[MKMGOBL]

Still working a pattern with my 870, I need to move it up so I can get a count on vital hits. I did however shot at 40yd with my old turkey load Winchester 3.5" 2oz 6 shot with Rhino tube and put 109 hit total in a 12" circle. Then shot a Nitro load Hevi 4X5X7 at same yardage and tube, put 279 hits in a 12" circle. Shooting at a 10" 12" or 30" circle can eliminate a load and save your shoulder.

[Jollyarcher]

279 hits in a 12" circle? Is that all?!? I told ya you needed to get rid of that choke tube. Ok, nice and slow now, open your hand, drop the choke tube... that's it... it'll be ok... I'll throw it away for ya. HONEST! LOL. [8D]