NEW Shotgun Pattern Test Results - Detail & Pic' heavy...

CC,
Thanks for adding your pictures and results to this thread. That is useful info and appreciated.

VSF,
You lose time, money for the cost of the shells to test with, and return shipping. 80 yard kills is BS... nothing out there is going to give you consistent and reliable 80 yard kills from a .12 gauge or even a .10 gauge shotgun. The chokes and loads available at this time just don't have 80 yard capabilities. Look back through all the patterns in this thread and if you find one that will stretch to 80 yards, you are better than I am, because I can't see it anywhere in here. Patternmaster made its fame with water fowlers. Sky busting geese at 80 yards is often futile and leaves wounded birds flapping off unrecovered. Coyotes are about three to five times bigger than geese and one heck of a bunch tougher. Don’t get caught up in the hype of some of the claims laid out there by a few over zealous companies and people. The choke in question might give decent 40 yard performance, but 80 yards would really be a gift from above.
 
Just got back from the range. Thought I should take shots at different ranges to have an idea if I need to allow for the pattern dropping over distance. On each of these shots I was shooting at the black shoot-n-see dot (about 3/4")and the circle is a 5Gal bucket size. I did the circle after the shot.
Gun is a Mossberg 835 shooting 3.5" Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote
The choke is a Trulock .680
(The pic's are doctored. I was shooting this plastic board where some shot would make the hole and not leave a clearly visible hole when the picture was posted. So I went through each pic' carefully and marked those holes with a black dot.)
15yds:
15ydDC.jpg


30yds:
30ydDC.jpg


50yds:
50ydDC.jpg


The pattern held up well, no need to change my point of aim vertically. I think it should be good to 60yds.

I also learned that just becouse you have a tight pattern with "T" size shot, doesn't mean that #2's will be a tight pattern. Here's Rem. Hevi-Shot #2's:
RemHS2s.jpg

GAJoe
 
Great Joe! Did you pull that 50 yard shot to the left? Or is that where your gun threw it? And I agree, IME change about anything with the choke or load and you need to start all over again on the pattern board.
 
That's where the gun put it. If you look close the 30 yd shot is the only one that doesn't "lean" left. Did't remember to take a tiny screwdriver to adjust the windage./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif Another trip to the range.
GAJoe
 
Got back to the range and got my windage adjusted. Also took the Choke tubes that came with the gun(2&BB, T&F, TKY) to see if I could do better with the #2's.
3.5" Rem. Hevi-Shot Nitro Magnum High Vel. Waterfowl Loads @35yds

2&BB
2andBB.jpg


T&F
TF.jpg


TKY
TKY.jpg

GAJoe
 
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Oatsayo,
Might seem like a dumb question, But I dont know much about shotguns. Is the longer barrel better when all other things are the same? Ie: chokes, loads, shot size?
 
Longer barrels "may" or "may not" pattern slightly better. Probably if we took 100 long barrels and 100 short barrels unaltered from the factory the longer barrels would pattern somewhat better overall. However, there are so many individual differences that you can't just make a blanket statement about such a thing. And there is custom work that can help any barrel such as lengthening and polishing the forcing cone. If that work were to be done to a short barrel that short tube might out perform a longer tube unaltered. I do think there is a happy medium for the needs of a brushy country shotgunner of potentially fast movers like hard charging coyotes. Probably my Benelli Tactical Model 18 ½” barrel is a tad on the short side unless the country is really, really, tight. A longer 28” barrel might be a tad too long to handle as deftly as needed in the thick stuff. So, something around 22” - 26” is a good compromise of handling and patterning. My Benelli Turkey Gun has a 24” barrel and it seems about right to me. My dad has a Mossberg 500 Camo Turkey Gun with a 24” barrel and he likes it a lot for compactness and shoot ability. I’ve used 18 ½”, 20”, 24”, 26”, and 28” lengths in various shotguns for calling predators and if I have my choice I’d probably always choose the 24” first.
 
IMG_0927.jpg

Here is the shotgun. Homemade Recon that I plan to spray down with alumahyde II coyote tan as soon as ups drops the paint off. Dead Coyote choke. All shells are 2 3/4".

Wondering what the constriction is as I have a couple other choke ideas I might try depending on what it is.

35 yard patterns
IMG_0922.jpg

I shoot this from a seated position and the pattern didn't seem that great plus shifted low and left. May have pulled it. I also shot a round of the #4 Rem buck. In a 10" circle I had 9 pellets of #4 and 7 of the Fed BB.
IMG_0923.jpg

Heavishot B goose load
11 in 8 1/2" 16 in 12"
IMG_0925.jpg

Fed BB 17 in 8 1/2" 23 in 12"
IMG_0921.jpg

#4 buck Remington 10 in 8 1/2" 11 in 12"

45 yards
IMG_0924.jpg


Fed BB
6 in 8 1/2" and 16 in 12"

Remington #4BK
6 in 8 1/2"
10 in 12"

What do you guys think? I ran a couple test at 35. The first round was very disapointing. Wide patterns shifted left. Then the second round I got better results. Not sure what happened. Then after shooting at 45 I almost seemed to get better results.

Want to try Federal premium #4 buck if i can find it.
 
It seems your No. Four Buckshot and Federal BB load would carry you to 40 yards if I'm looking at your pictures right. Thanks for posting your results!
 
I got out and patterned my new 11-87 Premier today with the IC choke that came with it, along with a TruGlo Gobble-Stopper that I picked up from the used counter at Gander Mtn. for $12. I wanted to standardize my load as much as possible for coyote and upland so I settled on Gander Mtn Fiocchi #4s, 2 3/4", 1 1/4 oz. I figure inside 50 yards it'll do the trick with a center mass hit, let alone a head shot.

PB080009.jpg

This is at 25 yards with IC, just to see what it did for me. I printed 50 of the approximately 169 pellets on the paper.

PB080012.jpg

This is the TruGlo at 25 yards. It's a guaranteed DRT at this close range, printing 86 of the 169 pellets. It would have most likely printed better, but either I pulled it low and right, or the choke did.

PB080007.jpg

This is the TruGlo at 50 yards. I think this is the farthest I would attempt a shot, printing only 31 of 169 pellets on paper. It printed low again, so I need to compensate for that in the field.

The new (old) 11-87 went through about a dozen rounds without a hiccup, but that's hardly anything to rave about. I am happy to see that so far it isn't "jam-tastic" like I have heard some 11-87s can be.
 
Fifty yards is too far for a 2 ¾” 1 ¼ ounce load of number four shot too reliably and consistently anchor coyotes. You are far too optimistic for your load and results IMHO and experience. You’d best keep the ranges to within that 25 yard distance and head shoot your coyotes. Even then be prepared for quick follow-up shots as I expect you’ll need them based on my experiences with 3” magnum turkey loads. Coyotes are tough and can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’ and small shot and a few pellet hits won’t impress them immediately. I would urge you to rethink this strategy!
 
I had to learn the hard way. Experience can be a hard teacher! Good luck and keep us informed of your progress and successes.
 
Quote:
GC, thanks for dragging me back down to reality I guess. I'll pick up some BBs and see how they look sometime next week.



I agree with GC on not using #4 birdshot on coyotes. Years ago when I hunted geese I tried 3" copper coated #2's and they did not work very good at all when the coyotes were heading out. I started using Federal Premium 3" copper coated lead BB's and they worked great. Try the lead BB's and Number 4 buck shot.
 
Question--
Live in KY, where buckshot isn't allowed, in fact nothing larger than #2 shot. Would like to work up a choke/load for my mossberg. What would you guys suggest? 3.5 Magnum. What would the max range be on a yote?
 
I see a 3 1/2" .12 gauge load of Wingmaster HD with 1 3/4 ounces of #2's at 1,300 fps. That should knock the snot of them to at least 40 yards properly choked for tight patterns. As for chokes for your overbored Mossberg I'd look at something around .685" - .680" for this load as a good starting point. Something like a Kick's High Flyer X-Full would do an excellent job. Here is a link to the Remington HD shot...

http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshell/wingmaster_HD.asp

And one for the Kick's chokes...

http://www.kicks-ind.com/?poll_id=2&...mp;question_2=7
 
High velocity loads of 2's or even 4's in a high density load works fine(I use lead turkey loads alot). Winchester xtended and hevi shot are 2 other options from the rem hd load GC talked about pattern them all see whats best and go shoot some yotes.
 
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