100 Yard Shotgun Patterns?

Mds694

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Every once in a while you here people talking of consistantly making shots on ducks and geese at 100 yards. I personally call BS immediately but curious if anyone has actually patterned some shot at that range. I think it would be hard enough just to get a few pellets on a piece of paper let alone a reliable kill zone. Thoughts?
 
Every once in a while you here people talking of consistantly making shots on ducks and geese at 100 yards. I personally call BS immediately but curious if anyone has actually patterned some shot at that range. I think it would be hard enough just to get a few pellets on a piece of paper let alone a reliable kill zone. Thoughts?
Every now and then at the trap/skeet club
random shooter:
"yup, we were out last week and I killed 6 geese cleanly at 100 yards, no sweat with the 3.5" Quack killer special steel that Acme Ammo no has out!"
Me:
"Great good to know they work" as I walk away .....!

Cat
 
I wouldn't think steel shot would carry enough energy out to 100 yards, but I'm not speaking from experience.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Teixm6JMw_k

says nothing to the lethality at range though
That was done by Mr. George Digweed, who is not your normal every day, fire a 100 rounds of clays every weekend style of shooter.
And you are right, busting a clay and bringing down a goose are two different things.
I know people who have been caught in the line of fire with steel and although it was at a distance, it didn't penetrate their coats.
I'm not saying that ir can't be done every now and then with big stuff like Hevi Shot, but consistently?
My money would be on the geese.
Cat
 
It never seams to amaze me just how many people shoot on our 100 yard range and assume that it is more like 2 or 300 yards........shooting is easy but judging distance is where a few guys should practice their skills
 
Every once in a while you here people talking of consistantly making shots on ducks and geese at 100 yards. I personally call BS immediately but curious if anyone has actually patterned some shot at that range. I think it would be hard enough just to get a few pellets on a piece of paper let alone a reliable kill zone. Thoughts?

You shouldn't let stupid people influence you so much. Try to learn to exercise a bit of discretion - repeating dumb #### just makes you dumber.
 
US military got reliable patterns past 100m in Vietnam. That is why flechettes are prohibited: shot drops; darts keep going, and stay lethal.

Do a little more research and you'll probably find the truth versus urban legend.

Flechettes out of 105, 90 or 75mm artillery =Very Good!

Flechetes out of 12 gauge shotgun=Bad at anything beyond pointblank range.
 
It never seams to amaze me just how many people shoot on our 100 yard range and assume that it is more like 2 or 300 yards........shooting is easy but judging distance is where a few guys should practice their skills
Would have to agree that anyone that says they have done it has absolutely no concept of distance .
Ask what there lead was on such a shot .
 
I was a member at a local club that was mostly shot gun outside and pistol inside, but there was also a 100 yardish rifle range in the back, where I'd spend most of my time. There were numerous occasions where I was peppered by shot while changing targets. If it had rained the night before, you'd also see little splashes in the puddles here and there.

As you got peppered, you could hear bulk of the shot touching down around you. If I had to guess, (based on the sound) I'd say the shot patterned on the ground in an oval shape probably 15 feet wide and 25 feet long. I've never measured the distance, and I have no idea which shooter at which shotgun station was swinging their muzze that far to be right, but I'd think that the distance wouldn't be more than 2 hundred yards. So I'd imagine a hundred yard group would be about half of that. As far as drop goes, who knows? These instances where we got peppered were over a 12ish foot berm, and fairly close to it, so they were coming back down at a pretty steep angle.

I of course don't know what type or size of shot they were using, but probably something like an 8. I expect getting hit with a goose load at 200 yards would be a different story.
 
Another quick way to get a 100 yard pattern estimate would just be to measure the pattern at 25 yards, then multiply by 4. This will give you the minimum size of pattern, as the pellets aren't going to decide to get any closer to each other as the flight continues. Dispersement is going to be critical.

So let's say your #2 shot patterns 90 pellets in a 2 foot wide pattern at 25 yards. That's 452 square inches of coverage, or an average of 1 pellet per 5 square inches.

Out at 100 (ignoring drop) the pattern will be at least 8ft wide. That's 7,234 square inches, or 1 pellet per 80 square inches. The cross section of a goose is probably about 80 to 100 square inches, so based on the math, you could expect a single pellet to contact the goose... If you hold over enough for drop... If you lead enough... If the pellet has any energy left... If your lucky enough to hit a critical part of the bird...

So basically the math says BS.
 
100 yards would be a real fluke but it only takes one pellet but would be questionable if the energy is there
60-75 yard shots are real with a 10ga and either T , F or iron tungsten shot pending the gun is patterned with the right choke and load
Not saying anyone should try to take 75 yard shots but it happens. I know for me usually with going straight away shots and RSI high speed reloads of T with a briley IM in a browning gold will and has many a time smoked them at 60-75 yards
I think what happens is guys will take a 60 plus yard shot but by the time the goose falls it is paced off at 100 yards from the blind so they think they have made a 100 yard shot
If you don't think one can kill geese with the right combination at 65-75 yards in a 10ga consistently you have never shared a blind with someone that knows how to shoot one with a patterned gun and a modern high speed load
Bismuth is also deadly in the 65-75 yard range with BB in the 10ga with a full choke but years since I used that due to the price of shot for reloading
As far as knowing range most of the guys I have hunted with are also bow hunters so normally have a real good handle in that area
Cheers
 
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Thanks for the insight, I'll be sure to support your business asap.


Ha ha, yep. I was thinking the same thing. I think the business members sometimes post before their morning coffee, and forget that it says "business member" under their names when rolling out insulting posts.

Meh. Who am I kidding. I couldn't afford to support them either way.
 
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