Shells with tight pattern?

Slaymoar

Slaymoar

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I want to try some shells with my new 20 ga which should be here next week (shipping today..). I wanted to get some ammo and do some patterns in the following weeks.

My goal is to find shells that pattern tightly, then narrow down which brand/model works best with my 20ga. I read around the net that to keep a tight pattern, you want a light load (7/8 stays tighter than 1oz), a higher shot (9 is tighter than 7), but then I'm not sure about velocity. Also it was noted that steel shots usually shoot tighter. Is this correct?

Whatever, in the end I'm just looking for a starting point for shells, so I don't have to buy dozens of different ammo to find what I'm looking for.

I only plan to shoot in the 20 yard / meter range.

Thank you!
 
No, ammo plays a BIG part as well. Plastic shot cups pattern more tightly. Other contributors to tight patterns are hard shot, plated shot, buffered shotshells, lower velocities rather than higher, lighter rather than heavier (although the heavier may put more pellets in the circle).

Also helping tighten are larger-for-gauge bores, longer forcing cones, and long choke profiles.

What is your specific purpose?
 
You say you will be shooting in the 20 yard range, but what will you be shooting? ie small game, stationary targets, moving targets (clay birds) What choke choice do you have with your new shotgun? fixed or choke tubes.
 
Grouse Man said:
No, ammo plays a BIG part as well. Plastic shot cups pattern more tightly. Other contributors to tight patterns are hard shot, plated shot, buffered shotshells, lower velocities rather than higher, lighter rather than heavier (although the heavier may put more pellets in the circle).

Also helping tighten are larger-for-gauge bores, longer forcing cones, and long choke profiles.

What is your specific purpose?
Click to expand...

iceman2 said:
You say you will be shooting in the 20 yard range, but what will you be shooting? ie small game, stationary targets, moving targets (clay birds) What choke choice do you have with your new shotgun? fixed or choke tubes.
Click to expand...

Bird... Grouse/Partridge/pheasant. I just don't want a huge shot that gets pellets all over the meat, and I want it to be more of a challenge.
 
Hard shot is important (in regards to lead, I mean). I'm not sure if anyone is making soft shot any more, today? Buffered shot also helps in pattern by giving some protection to the shot group. Basically all this stuff helps in keeping the shot in it's "round" shape as it squeezes through the choke. Keeping it round is important, because if it gets deformed and turns into an egg shape, for example, it'll catch air resistance and get pushed out of the pattern, and can also smash into other pellets too, knocking them to the outside edges of the pattern, etc.
 
You've been spending way too much time on the internet. At twenty yards shooting grouse, you really need not be too concerned about pattern characteristics! You mention you want a challenge, so I'm assuming you're going to do the honorable thing and wingshoot, in which case you would better off with an open choke and a wide pattern. Any cheap 71/2 lead promo load will do - except Winchester as they stick in the chamber. Then get out and practice your wingshooting - believe me you'll find hitting grouse in the air to be very challenging!
 
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The choke that you choose will be far more of a factor than the ammunition that you choose where the overall size of the pattern is concerned. The load that you choose has more effect on providing a more consistent pattern. For upland birds, I prefer the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads, which are nickel plated.
 
One of my upland game shotguns that I like is an old model 870 20 ga with a 26" modified choke. 1 oz load of 6 or 7 1/2.
 
I see you're from Ontario ... therefore I take it Ruffed and/or Spruce Grouse and Preserve partridge (Chukar) and
Pheasants.

Firstly, you shouldn't have any need for steel shot, unless it's mandated for use for pheasant & partridge at a
Club, Game Farm or Preserve.

At 20 yards or even 20 meters, a "Skeet" & "Improved Cylinder" choke will generally give you all the pattern you
need for lead shot, effective for grouse/partridge & pheasant respectively. For standard patterning practices, fire
at a large piece of paper ... at least 40" x 40" ... then encircle the densest portion of the pattern within a 30" circle.
At 20 yards, for the type of shooting you describe, you should be looking at about a 70 percent pattern. ( Approximately
70 percent of the number of pellets actually contained within the charge within the 30" circle ... break a shell down
and count the number of pellets for the entire shot charge ) Anything less much less than 70% your patterns will be a
little on the the thin side to be effective, and anything much more you will be destroying a lot of your birds ! )

Grouse & partridge are not particularly hard to knock down ... a standard target load of 20 x 2-3/4 x 7/8 x 8 at 1200 fps
will do very nicely, as will the various "Promo" or "cheapy" loads as some call them. If you want premium ammo,
Remington's "Premier STS" target loads are some of the best patterning & hardest lead shot ( 8% antimony) out there and
are readily available. Their "Gun Club" loads in size 7-1/2 will certainly do the trick on grouse & (Chukar) partridge too.

Pheasant are a little tougher bird, and most prefer 6's. Remington's "Game Loads" of 20 x 2-3/4 x 7/8 x 6 x 1225 fps will do
very nicely.

The equivalent lead loads from Winchester, Federal or Kent will all suffice for the type of shooting you mention.

If you want to deal with just one type of lead shell for your 20 gauge, a 20 X 2-3/4 x 7/8 x 6 X 1225 fps will do for
everything upland ... ( including Turkey ! ... just use a little more choke)

If you must use steel, your choice of load will be more limited, but something like Remington's
"Game & Target Steel" load ... 20 x 2-3/4 x 3/4 x 7 x 1325 fps will suffice for grouse and
partridge, while their Steel Waterfowl load like a 20 x 2-3/4 x 3/4 x 4 x 1325 fps will work for
pheasant. (To get the size #4 shot for pheasants, Steel 7's are a little too light ! )
And for 20 yards, use the least amount of choke constriction you can.

Nothing you have asked about would lead me to recommend anything in a 3" load.

Hope this helps.
 
As others have pointed out, you are going in the wrong direction looking for "tight" patterning shells, if close shots at flying upland birds is what you are planning. Skeet or IC with 6-7 1/2 shot will work best.

Alternatively, if you're looking to shoot them on the ground, then a really tight choke and #6 shot - and aiming a little bit high - will allow you to take grouse with very few pellets in the breast.
 
Yes, you're going in completely the wrong direction. Open choke like IC or even Cyl Bore in a 20 gauge with #7-1/2 shot will be deadly to 30 yards on grouse. Nice big wide even pattern will kill cleanly. Yes, wingshoot the birds, not on the ground. There's no challenge in shooting a bird on the ground.
 
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