Shotgun Patterning

What is the PROPER way to pattern a shotgun?

Use the ammo you'll be actually using & shoot @ the most common distance you'll actually be shooting @.

Yes on the ammo, best to pattern at various distances with various chokes. Elm Fork used to have a steel pattern board that you painted, just like at Jasons, no idea if it's still there. A more proper pattern target would have circles, maybe 6", 12", 18" etc. so you could figure % of shot in each circle, etc. Briley has (or used to have) several charts on their site, good information.

P_102

so you put target up (I have some pattering targets) shoulder gun and "aim" at clay in center, shoot.

Then see if pellets are evenly spread around center?

Yes. Shoot different loads with different chokes until you get the most consistent pattern inside the patterning board. Most shotgunners pattern their guns at 30 yards. I did this with all of my shotguns 3 years ago and I was surprised that some guns and choke tubes clearly prefer certain shells.

Over on the Shotgun Forum, this one guy swears the new Benelli Super Black Eagle III shoots a foot high

Buy different ammo, point shotgun, shoot and see which one patterns best

With different choke tubes.

Dove/Quail = imp. cyl.
Duck/Pheasant = modified
Turkey/Geese = full
Works pretty well.

I use modified for everything including hogs with buckshot

http://www.chuckhawks.com/pattern_shotgun.htm

http://www.wildfowlmag.com/tactics/shotgun-patterning-tips-more-kills-this-season/

Lot of not so great information given above...here are two good reads...the first telling you the how and the second telling you how to get the effective killing percentages.

Buzz, it's highly possible that a shotgun can shoot high or low, depending on stock fit. Shoulder your gun, eyes closed, then open them...you should be looking straight down the rib and seeing very little (almost none) of it, (it you have a center bead, it and the front bead should almost make a 'snowman') the more rib you se, the higher your gun will shoot. The opposite for shooting low, though most will subconsciously raise their head to the proper height so they can see the front bead.

P_102

thanks everyone

Once upon a time when it was very important to me, I used the pattern board on West Davis just the other side of the old YelloBelly drag strip as you drive into Grand Prairie from Loop 12.

The reason was it was the very best peice of equipment in Dallas for that exact purpose. It had a 4x4 or 6x6 frame with a roll of white butcher paper hidden behind and protected from errant shot by a board, that you pulled into position and took the shot from a known distance marked at 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 yards with concrete pavers. You could put target pasters up to use for a Point of Aim for an impact check.

In those days I was primarily a dedicated waterfowl hunter and was shooting the 1st of several Wingmaster 870 3"mags with the fixed chokes of the day, some got "tuned " by grinding the choke a scootch more open or jug choking behind the choke constriction to tighten the factory choke.

I also learned to load 3" copper #4's that would give me 94-96% patterns by hole counts at over 40 yards, which is the Standard Distance & Method for measuring pattern %'s in a 30" circle from Center...I was using Cream of Wheat for filler in those pre poly dust filler & Mandatory Steel Shot required days ...that load was devasting on pass shooting the hyper spooky puddle ducks at several area lakes, and frequently would give me body hit pass thru's on Wood Duck sized birds and break wing sockets & back bones without tearing up a lot of meat. Great on Turkey too.

This kind of ammo x's choke tuning takes a lot of time that I don't see or hear about folks doing anymore. Trust me when I say that more than a box of hot 3" loads shot from a locked breach shotgun, seated in a normal field rifle position for exact accuracy in POA will leave more than a gentle mark on you...but I got clean kills at lots more distance than everybody I hunted with too....just love the head dropped at pattern impacts & splash landings for sure. Ya'll'ed be really surprised at the pattern changes from seemingly minor component changes too ...and YES I really am that anal when it comes to hunting with accurate ammo...even today 40 odd years later.
Ron

I drew life size pattern of a turkey on large cardboard, stepped off 30 paces shot off a rest, then at 40 paces, really makes a difference when you know how each shotgun patterns.

Get a large roll of white or brown paper. Find a perfectly round object for a template (I use a perfect 24" circle) and draw circle on the paper. Write choke/shell info on paper. Place paper at 30 yards and shoot dead center of circle from shotgun on a rest. Count total # of pellets and # of pellets inside the circle. Divide to get a %. Test different loads and chokes. Use % as your initial screening, then make further deductions based on visual observations... which combo has the most even dispersion of shot within the circle?

Get a bunch of feed sacks and about any type of ammo you will be using in that situation... like waterfowl youll want to shoot 2s, 3s, 4s or even 6s and see which one does best... you can even go into different brands and speeds within that shot size... ive never been let down with 3s and 6s out of any shotgun

so, should the pattern be totally even around the circle or more above the center?

Wiley Coyote described what I was taught. 30" circle @ 40 yards and calculate what percent your pattern is.
Use common sense and adapt it to your intended range and game with the appropriate shot size. Adjust loads and choke constriction to suit your purpose.
Generally you want the pattern to be evenly dispersed. Some game like turkeys or geese at long range you want it tight. Upland birds over pointing dogs you should pattern a bit closer to get a look at your pattern at your intended range.

As to pattern high, low or 50/50: it is personal preference. It depends on your preferred sight picture. A lot of upland hunters like 60/40 or more high for rising birds. Many waterfowlers prefer 50/50 for birds dropping into decoys. Some like to float the target while others instinctively cover the target, others want to use the bead. The stock is effectively the rear sight. More drop makes the gun shoot lower. Less drop and it shoots higher. The same goes for cast and left and right. Sorry if that was more than you asked for. When I was a kid I spent a lot of time with my grandpa and a shotgun.

its great Smokey Bear, thank you !!!

I'm 65 and hunted and shot clays for most of them. I have always done "pretty good" Then when I go to the Shotgun World Forum , they started bagging on the new Benelli Super Black Eagle III, saying it shoots WAY TOO HIGH.

I need to sell my SBE II, posted here (shameless ad) then buy the III and test for myself

I have done a little patterning over the years on numerous shotguns. Firstly I pattern so I know where thy will be hitting and I want a shotgun hitting where intended by the bead. The shotgun I use for trap hits high intentionally as I am shooting rising targets nd do not have to coverup the target to hit it.

The others I want them hitting where the bead indicates they should.

The other reasons I pattern is checking pattern density for intended use. Turkey I want a tight even pattern and from that pattern I can tell how far that gun will be effective 100% of the time on turkey.

For skeet where the longest shot I want an open pattern as large as I can get with no holes in it where a target could escape unhit. at the max shot yardage.

I might start at 30 yards but will adjust according to application

The last 870 I had, I bought a pair of Remmy Shooting Clays extended choke tubes, with the crosshatch gripping surface on the outside ring to be able to check the tightness of the choke or change the tube without having to use a choke wrench. They were in Improved Mod & Improved Cylinder and covered everything I needed from screw in chokes. Lots of choices and fancy applications available today from several mfg'ers.

If you are hunting turkey I like an extra tight pattern that will hold 90%+ patterns at past 40 yards in Copper Shot, waterfowl over decoys in Steel Shot should be IC's and limited to about 30-35 yard shots at a max. Pass shooting waterfowl you'll need to tighten up the choke and go 1 or 2 sizes larger in Steelshot.

Steel does not pattern at all like the old chilled lead shot I used several tons of back in the day...but the other stuff is probably the best patterning legal shot you can use on quacker's today.
Ron

Depends on how you would like it to pattern at a certain yardage

Regarding point of aim on a shotgun, that is why you always keep one forked tree, slip that barrel in and bump it.

Buzzsaw, that SBE shooting high should be easily remedied with the included shim kit. Put a tight choke in it and shoot it at 16 yards. Shoot it 4-5 times at the same target, using the same point of aim. You should be able to clearly see where the center of your pattern is impacting. Place the shotgun rib down on a level table top with the bead off the table and the remainder of the rib flat on the table. Now you can measure the drop to the butt plate at the comb. Use the shims to alter the point of impact to center the pattern where you want it. Shot at 16 yards, 1/16" of stock adjustment will move the pattern 1".