Shotgun Patterns

[scoutlover]

Some things I want to clarify. I was simply asking this question:

If you have 2 chokes paired with a particular shell, and they give an identical spread at 10, 20, and 30 yards; would you choose the choke that gives you 90+ pellets in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards and less than 10 outside that circle, or the one that gives an even spread across a much larger area as long as there aren't any gaps for the duck to fly through? The bat versus racket analogy was excellent. Very few people have actually given an opinion on which they would choose.

This doesn't mean I'm a skybuster. This doesn't mean I don't give ducks a chance to decoy. This doesn't mean I empty a box of shells in 5 minutes. It doesn't mean I don't scout and can't get within 40 yards of ducks. It doesn't mean I don't practice at the range.

What it does mean is that I've found that I've been over choking my gun and ruining the spread. It does mean I'm trying to tweak my setup to get as much as I can out of it. It does mean that I've been trained to shoot as tight of a pattern out of a shotgun at all times but maybe that's allowing some birds to skate had I opened it up some.

Lastly, I've got my load/choke combo figured out for 10 to 40 yards on wood ducks with the 4's. I was merely interested in seeing what the gun would do with that setup in #2's when the geese came and they are typically a lot closer than 40 yards. No harm in knowing what's going on downrange.

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[Highstrung]

It's my opinion that if you're switching chokes during hunting that you're doing something wrong, that was what you were wondering in one post. I'm not trying to come off ass an asshole.

[marsh chicken]

Lordy...

[fuzzy]

I've been shooting an 870 with an improved cylinder for over 15 years. And, a low brass 2.75 inch #7 steel is the best legal summerduck load out there.

[Duck cutter]

I've been shooting an 870 with an improved cylinder for over 15 years. And, a low brass 2.75 inch #7 steel is the best legal summerduck load out there.

Preach

[tman]

You must love cracking your teeth on steel shot

[marsh chicken]

Gracious

[fuzzy]

You must love cracking your teeth on steel shot

I suppose you think that waterfowl can only be shot with 3.5 inch BB'S.

[tman]

If you don't care about your teeth, then neither do I . Keep on shooting those 7's. If it works for you , more power to ya.

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[FLS]

Light mod and 1 1/4 oz of #3s has worked for me for a long time.

[2thDoc]

i care about teeth but I dont care to pattern a shotgun.

and remember, 40 yards turns into 45 in a flash.

and if I sold shotgun shells, I would want you to shoot three times at every goose at 55 yards.

[Fish]

3.5's are just stupid and patterning is meaningless. Its a one dimensional representation of a three dimensional shape. The thing that folks struggle to grasp is how and when the shot column arrives on target. In a perfectly placed shot on a crossing duck, the front pellets should be in front of the duck as it flies through the column. If you can visualize this dynamic interaction between the pellets and the duck, or any target, you will begin to understand that holes or other features in a one dimensional representation of the shot string are unimportant.

Your time is better spent learning to shoot well and your money is better spent on cartridges with more, smaller pellets, which will perform better at reasonable ranges.

Shooting a tighter choke will make you a better shot.

This isn't true. Not even remotely. Shooting proper technique many tens of thousands of rounds makes you a better shot. It's THE ONLY thing that will make you a better shot. And while we're talking about it, wingshooting skills are perishable.

You must love cracking your teeth on steel shot

Ignore everything this googans says on the topic of shotgun ballistics.

[tman]

Hey Fish

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[fuzzy]

3.5's are just stupid and patterning is meaningless. Its a one dimensional representation of a three dimensional shape. The thing that folks struggle to grasp is how and when the shot column arrives on target. In a perfectly placed shot on a crossing duck, the front pellets should be in front of the duck as it flies through the column. If you can visualize this dynamic interaction between the pellets and the duck, or any target, you will begin to understand that holes or other features in a one dimensional representation of the shot string are unimportant.

Your time is better spent learning to shoot well and your money is better spent on cartridges with more, smaller pellets, which will perform better at reasonable ranges.

Quote Originally Posted by HEAD View Post
Shooting a tighter choke will make you a better shot.

This isn't true. Not even remotely. Shooting proper technique many tens of thousands of rounds makes you a better shot. It's THE ONLY thing that will make you a better shot. And while we're talking about it, wingshooting skills are perishable.

Quote Originally Posted by tman View Post
You must love cracking your teeth on steel shot

Ignore everything this googans says on the topic of shotgun ballistics.

Now why you want to go and bring common sense into this discussion?

I agree with everything you said. People put to much emphasis and trust in today's gimmicks.

When I'm shooting summerducks in my holes, I shoot low brass 7's because they work. I generally don't let my guest bring shells if someone is going with me, I provide them. If I am hunting ducks, I like #3's or #4's. That is all you need for decoying ducks. If I am hunting somewhere that I may have the opportunity to shoot geese, I shoot #1's. When hunting over decoys, I set my my outside decoys at my max range, which is about 35 yards. If you are having to shoot birds past that distance, you are doing something wrong. And my gun has an improved cylinder in it. I don't shoot IC because I'm a bad shot, I shoot it because it works.

[Relentlous]

I'm too cheap to buy any chokes so I shoot the factory modified that's in it. Some days I'm on, and some days I'm really on. Most of my shots are inside 25 yards when I first draw.

[Highstrung]

Silly, my born date hasn't expired yet. I am in my prime.

[2thDoc]

i'm not sure why we're listening to Fish when it was Gander that shot the 100

[scoutlover]

3.5's are just stupid and patterning is meaningless. Its a one dimensional representation of a three dimensional shape. The thing that folks struggle to grasp is how and when the shot column arrives on target. In a perfectly placed shot on a crossing duck, the front pellets should be in front of the duck as it flies through the column. If you can visualize this dynamic interaction between the pellets and the duck, or any target, you will begin to understand that holes or other features in a one dimensional representation of the shot string are unimportant.

Your time is better spent learning to shoot well and your money is better spent on cartridges with more, smaller pellets, which will perform better at reasonable ranges.



This isn't true. Not even remotely. Shooting proper technique many tens of thousands of rounds makes you a better shot. It's THE ONLY thing that will make you a better shot. And while we're talking about it, wingshooting skills are perishable.



Ignore everything this googans says on the topic of shotgun ballistics.

That's an interesting take on things but it leaves me with 2 questions.

Why are 3.5's stupid? If the price wasn't an issue, and neither is recoil, why not use them?

If it's all about the shot string and there is no way to represent what's going on with the shot in flight without a high speed camera, and you can't really tell if there are gaps in the shot string and one is really blind as to what's going on downrange, what difference does it make what choke you are using? Are you saying the average shooter is going to kill just as many birds with a skeet choke as an extra full inside of 40 yards?

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[2thDoc]

[Fish]

All things being equal, and they're not equal, three and a half inch shells are overkill and they promote skybusting.

What I'm saying is that as far as you're concerned, choke doesn't matter. More choke will not help you take more ducks. It's far more likely that you will take less as a percentage as choke constriction increases.

Stop reading magazines and go shoot some sporting clays.