patterning a shotgun?
- Thread starter boombag13
- Start date
You set up a large paper target, atbout 36 inches wide and tall and put a mark in the middle. Then mount your shotgun as if shooting a clay where you put the mark. The distribution of shot holes will tell if your gun is shooting high or low and how dense the pattern is. For trap you usually want about 60% of the shot above the target since it's rising when you shoot it. You need a sufficiently dense pattern to break a clay within a certain sized target zone (say 30 inch diameter). Generally you pattern at 40 yards. This would be about right for trap I believe.
Maritime Storm
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Riverview, NB
One more thing, you want the pattern to be as evenly distributed as possible. if you see holes in the pattern big enough for a clay to get through, it's time to change chokes or ammo.
As GP says. I've pretty much followed this other than I put a black dot on first
http://w ww.chuckhawks.com/pattern_shotgun.htm
My skeet guns I do at 22 yards
http://w ww.chuckhawks.com/pattern_shotgun.htm
My skeet guns I do at 22 yards
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Beretta687EELL
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
Patterning a shotgun can be a two step process.
First, shoot a paper target at about 13 yards, aiming at a +. Similar to the previous posters. You are looking to see where the gun is shooting (right, left, high or low). If the pattern is off centre, you should try bench resting the gun to make sure it isn't you pulling or pushing the gun when you pull the trigger. This will also give you a good idea how high or low the gun is shooting. For example, if almost all of the pellets are above the POA (point of aim), the gun is shooting 90% to 100% high. This is very high for a novice trap shooter. On the other hand, if most of the shot is below the POA, this gun shoots too flat for trap, because you are shooting a rising target.
Second, same process, but at 35 to 40 yards (for 16 yard trap targets). Bench resting may be a good idea here because, if you are moving the gun when you pull the trigger, it will move the POI (point of impact) on the paper. This is where you look at pellet density and an even coverage. We talk about a 30" circle, but I have seen discussion around a 22" circle as being the key to consistent good target breaks. In other words, you need to consistently put the 22" circle on the target. If you are checking a handicap choke, you need to move further back than 35 to 40 yards, to reflect the distance increase.
YMMV!
First, shoot a paper target at about 13 yards, aiming at a +. Similar to the previous posters. You are looking to see where the gun is shooting (right, left, high or low). If the pattern is off centre, you should try bench resting the gun to make sure it isn't you pulling or pushing the gun when you pull the trigger. This will also give you a good idea how high or low the gun is shooting. For example, if almost all of the pellets are above the POA (point of aim), the gun is shooting 90% to 100% high. This is very high for a novice trap shooter. On the other hand, if most of the shot is below the POA, this gun shoots too flat for trap, because you are shooting a rising target.
Second, same process, but at 35 to 40 yards (for 16 yard trap targets). Bench resting may be a good idea here because, if you are moving the gun when you pull the trigger, it will move the POI (point of impact) on the paper. This is where you look at pellet density and an even coverage. We talk about a 30" circle, but I have seen discussion around a 22" circle as being the key to consistent good target breaks. In other words, you need to consistently put the 22" circle on the target. If you are checking a handicap choke, you need to move further back than 35 to 40 yards, to reflect the distance increase.
YMMV!
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
I just shoot the gun, and if i can't hit consistently with it with close to the same dimensio0ns as my othher shotguns, then I go to the pattern board and see with the POI is at
15, 25, and 40 yards.
Most times however, I simply have to slow my swing down or speed it up, or jeep my head down, and the clays keep breaking or the birds drop.
Cat
15, 25, and 40 yards.
Most times however, I simply have to slow my swing down or speed it up, or jeep my head down, and the clays keep breaking or the birds drop.
Cat
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beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
I use 48" squares of paper on a wood frame.
From a bench & sandbags, your pattern should be 50/50 to 60/40 above the point of
aim for a Sporting/Skeet/5-Stand or field gun and 70/30 to as much as 90/10 or more
for an A.T.A. Trap gun.
To determine if the the gun "is shooting where you're looking", I put a clay target sized aimpoint at
the center of the pattern sheet and shoot from 16 yards with an Improved Modified or Full choke.
I'm trying to shoot the target mounting the gun as smoothly and quickly as I can, as if I were shooting
an outgoing/gently rising Sporting or 7 Low Skeet target. Shoot at 5 or more targets to make sure your
mount is consistent and smooth ... don't hesitate and don't "aim". For every 1" your patterns are off center,
1/16" inch correction is required at the stock, i.e., if your pattern is 1" low at 16 yards, you'll need an additional
1/16" height at the comb to correct ... 1" left, 1/16" more cast off (for a right-hander) and so on.
For Skeet Targets I pattern at exactly 21 yards ... the distance from the center of the shooting pad to the crossing
point, for 16 yard Trap at 34 yards (about the distance most shooters will break their 16 yard targets at, and for
Handicap, add out to 43-45 yards for the back fence. Sporting pretty much depends on how individual courses are
set-up, but most targets can usually be shot pretty well with either an Imp.Cylinder of Light Mod ... so it doesn't make
a lot of sense to pattern out beyond 30-35 yards. Dense patterns with well-distributed shot id what your looking for,
ones that a target would hard pressed to slip through without being struck by 4 or 5 shot.
Patterning to determine choke performance is done at 40 yards ( except the 410 ...25 yards ) A minimum of 5 shots at
each pattern, same shot size, same load, enclosing the greatest density of shot within a 30" circle should give a
statistically valid average. Count (yes, count them, one by one, by hand) the actual number of shot within a given cartridge
( the published tables are rarely "spot on" for the actual number of pellets per oz. ) then divide the number of shot in your
load into the number of pellets within the 30" circle to get your (average for 5 shots) choke percentage performance.
Some general "rules of thumb" I have found over many hundreds of patterns:
Many chokes do not actuall shoot pattern percentages "as marked" ... be prepared for surprises.
Lower velocity loads often perform better pattern-wise, than higher velocity loads
Hard, round & uniform shot patterns better than soft shot. Cpper or nickel washed ("plated") shot will often
pattern better than standard shot, provided it's based on good hard shot to start with. (Winchester's
old 'Lubaloy' copper 4, 5 & 6 Super- X - Double X Grex-buffered loads were amazing ! )
Larger shot often patterns better than small shot through the same choke
Steel shot ( I've patterned mostly BB, 1's and 2's )tends to patterns tighter than lead from Imp. Cyl through Modified.
Some of the non-toxics like Kent Impact, actually pattern better than lead.
"Premium" target loads most often pattern quite a bit better than "promo" loads
"Premium" wads tend to perform better in cold weather than "replacement" or "substitute" wads.
Pattern for what you intend to use ... assume nothing !
Just because you can "line the beads-up" in your sleep and the gun is comfortable, doesn't mean
it will put the pattern where you look ... Point of Aim and Point of Impact can be two different
things altogether !
From a bench & sandbags, your pattern should be 50/50 to 60/40 above the point of
aim for a Sporting/Skeet/5-Stand or field gun and 70/30 to as much as 90/10 or more
for an A.T.A. Trap gun.
To determine if the the gun "is shooting where you're looking", I put a clay target sized aimpoint at
the center of the pattern sheet and shoot from 16 yards with an Improved Modified or Full choke.
I'm trying to shoot the target mounting the gun as smoothly and quickly as I can, as if I were shooting
an outgoing/gently rising Sporting or 7 Low Skeet target. Shoot at 5 or more targets to make sure your
mount is consistent and smooth ... don't hesitate and don't "aim". For every 1" your patterns are off center,
1/16" inch correction is required at the stock, i.e., if your pattern is 1" low at 16 yards, you'll need an additional
1/16" height at the comb to correct ... 1" left, 1/16" more cast off (for a right-hander) and so on.
For Skeet Targets I pattern at exactly 21 yards ... the distance from the center of the shooting pad to the crossing
point, for 16 yard Trap at 34 yards (about the distance most shooters will break their 16 yard targets at, and for
Handicap, add out to 43-45 yards for the back fence. Sporting pretty much depends on how individual courses are
set-up, but most targets can usually be shot pretty well with either an Imp.Cylinder of Light Mod ... so it doesn't make
a lot of sense to pattern out beyond 30-35 yards. Dense patterns with well-distributed shot id what your looking for,
ones that a target would hard pressed to slip through without being struck by 4 or 5 shot.
Patterning to determine choke performance is done at 40 yards ( except the 410 ...25 yards ) A minimum of 5 shots at
each pattern, same shot size, same load, enclosing the greatest density of shot within a 30" circle should give a
statistically valid average. Count (yes, count them, one by one, by hand) the actual number of shot within a given cartridge
( the published tables are rarely "spot on" for the actual number of pellets per oz. ) then divide the number of shot in your
load into the number of pellets within the 30" circle to get your (average for 5 shots) choke percentage performance.
Some general "rules of thumb" I have found over many hundreds of patterns:
Many chokes do not actuall shoot pattern percentages "as marked" ... be prepared for surprises.
Lower velocity loads often perform better pattern-wise, than higher velocity loads
Hard, round & uniform shot patterns better than soft shot. Cpper or nickel washed ("plated") shot will often
pattern better than standard shot, provided it's based on good hard shot to start with. (Winchester's
old 'Lubaloy' copper 4, 5 & 6 Super- X - Double X Grex-buffered loads were amazing ! )
Larger shot often patterns better than small shot through the same choke
Steel shot ( I've patterned mostly BB, 1's and 2's )tends to patterns tighter than lead from Imp. Cyl through Modified.
Some of the non-toxics like Kent Impact, actually pattern better than lead.
"Premium" target loads most often pattern quite a bit better than "promo" loads
"Premium" wads tend to perform better in cold weather than "replacement" or "substitute" wads.
Pattern for what you intend to use ... assume nothing !
Just because you can "line the beads-up" in your sleep and the gun is comfortable, doesn't mean
it will put the pattern where you look ... Point of Aim and Point of Impact can be two different
things altogether !
