Patterning a Shotgun

JMc

JMc

Super Moderator
It's no secret that I'm NOT gun poor; however, one of my favorites is a first issue 1998 Benelli Legacy (26") that I cannot shoot worth a poop...so before I put the gun on the market, I'm giving her one more chance.

Here is my list of questions:
1. What or how is the proper way to pattern a shotgun? [I will be using improved and modified chokes with heavy pheasant loads (6's)] because that's what I shoot.]
2. What distance?
3. What should the target be or look like (I have access to a poster maker so I can make anything)?
4. What is any other relavent information I may need?

I know; just shoot the O/U's or my new SxS, but that Legacy is just too nice to be a safe queen. If my experiment fails, she's out the door.

Thanks, JMc
 
There's lots of ways to do this. I would get some butcher paper. Draw a big circle (at least 30" in diameter) and then put a smaller circle inside that, about the size of a cockbird. Inside that circle, put a dot about quarter sized. Hang the paper up on a hay bale or a piece of cardboard (you could use the cardboard w/out the paper if you wanted to). Obviously you will need to make several targets. Measure off about 30 to 40 yards (or whatever you typically shoot birds at).

Pick the loads you are going to use and aim at the dot from a bench or sitting position. After each shot examine the target and see where the majority of your pattern lies. While you can't really adjust the sites like you would on a rifle you may be able to learn something about which loads your scattergun shoots best. Try at least 3 of each of your various shells and pick the one that has the most consistently uniform and centered pattern density. Stick with that shell. That's about it!
 
Keep it Simple

winchester21 is correct. However, all you really need is paper large enought for a 30 inch circle and a marker. Make a four inch circle in the center of your sheet of paper, mount the target and shoot from a rest. You can then draw a 30 inch circle around the center circle aiming point. Since I most often use Imp. Cyl. and shoot around 25 yards that is the distance and choke I use to pattern the gun. If the patterns are good (centered & even) I would look to gun fit as a possible problem if you are having trouble hitting. Also, and good gunsmith can adjust the point of impact. Good luck and have fun doing it.

Lock and Load! :D
 
Jim I find there is no magic distance. If you know the distance you normally shoot at you birds that is the distance to pattern at. The 30 inch circle should be full with NO HOLES large enough for a quail to fly through. That is my standard and it works pretty well. I shoot a lot clays 25 -30 yards. So that is what I pace off and shoot off a stand to keep the gun steady........Bob
 
I do quite a bit of patterning with loads I am working up, so I tend to use a lot of paper. One of the local small town newspapers keeps me in rolls of newsprint....After they use the roll down to a certain level they change it out and there is a years worth of pattern paper for me left on the roll. I staple it to a wooden pallet and fire away.

The above posts for patterning at your intended distances with your load of choice will work; just put an aiming dot in the center and shoot with a good rest to give the gun the benifit of steadiness. If that shows you nothing as to the problem look at gun fit.

Place a small dot on the paper and take a position about 8-10 yards away. From the ready position ( whatever that might be for you) mount the gun and fire at the dot as quickly as possible....imagine a quail flushing from underfoot. Your whole load, wad and all, will hit the paper like a slug and show you where the gun hits relative to your mount and shooting style and the location of the dot you were looking at. Try this a few times and you may discover the problem is fit and not patterning ability of the gun.

BobM
 
winchester21 said:
There's lots of ways to do this. I would get some butcher paper. Draw a big circle (at least 30" in diameter) and then put a smaller circle inside that, about the size of a cockbird. Inside that circle, put a dot about quarter sized. Hang the paper up on a hay bale or a piece of cardboard (you could use the cardboard w/out the paper if you wanted to). Obviously you will need to make several targets. Measure off about 30 to 40 yards (or whatever you typically shoot birds at).

Pick the loads you are going to use and aim at the dot from a bench or sitting position. After each shot examine the target and see where the majority of your pattern lies. While you can't really adjust the sites like you would on a rifle you may be able to learn something about which loads your scattergun shoots best. Try at least 3 of each of your various shells and pick the one that has the most consistently uniform and centered pattern density. Stick with that shell. That's about it!
Click to expand...

I think this is pretty spot on. If you're having issues hitting clays or birds in the field after you find a good pattern with whatever choke and shell, you may want to see a gunsmith about possibly putting some shims on the old girl. Since your barrel is 26", I highly doubt it's an issue with barrel length.
 
I shoot a little 20 on pheasants over my Britt's- shooting is pretty close- I want a nice pattern at the range I intend to hit them

I pattern my loads- just had a guy give me 500 of my favorite long ago wads- AA20F1's- happy with the Rem SP20 wads- but uses more powder- and not quite as good a patern as I just found out

so- as usual I'm not so concerned with a 30" circle- I put up a 24X24 piece of the brown wrapping paper you can buy in 25' rolls at Walmart

I want a full pattern where the bird I'm shooting at can't fly thru

example
20 guage WWAACF20 (old cf)
WW209 primer
15.7 gr Longshot
AA20F1 wad
437.5 gr Lawrence Brand Mag 7 shot
1160fps
20 yard skeet tube- 289 hits-

good load for 20 to 30 yards
003.jpg
 
Thanks guys, all the info is great and I'll try to get it patterned ASAP. I do have all the shims for the gun so I may have to play with it some. I'll check to make sure it is set to standard and work from there. Thanks again...Jim
 
I'll second the newspaper roll remnants . . . fairly inexpensive. The Legacy is a sweet shottie (I just got the 28 I've been waiting for). I assume yours has the stock plates & spacers? I'm patterning mine tomorrow . . . if the fit isn't right (I'm a lefty), I'll putter with the cast & heel using the supplied shims & plates. Didn't have to change anything with my SBE or Montifeltro, so here's hoping. I also acknowledge the fact that I ain't the world's finest wingshot. Good luck!
 
I've shot O/U's all my life then went on an auto binge. First tried an 1187 Upland special 20; nope, no dead birds. Then bought a Benelli M1 20 and love it for dove. I though, hmmm, this will work. Dropped some cash on a Legacy and would starve to death if it was my only gun. I do have all the plates and shims so we will wait and see. Of course to really screw things up, I bought a SxS at the gun show last weekend. It like looking down a runway but did bust the clays with it yesterday.
 
Hi JMc,

I think what you are probably really after is point of impact, or where the gun shoots relative to where you are looking or expecting the gun to shoot, and probably not so much what the patterns look like.

the process is the same, but you need to look and how/ where the pattern is centered compared to what spot you shot at.

Then you may need to make adjustments to the comb height and or cast on or off to get it to where it shoots where you are looking. Perhaps that is where the shims can assist you.

I shoot a lot of clay targets, or more accurately I used to until the current economic/ political climate in WI has made things less than stellar for me at this time, at least until I find new work. And I still help introduce a lot of kids and adults to the shooting sports.
 
Sounds like we're on parallel paths, JMc. I have shot O/U's for years, then started bringing a few semi's into the herd & just bought a SxS.
 
That it is, my friend, that it is!
 
If you're going to do a lot of shotgun patterning, get a 36" x 36" sheet of 1/4" steel plate. Mix up some white lead pigment and thin oil and brush or roll it on the plate. After each shot, just run the brush or roller over the plate again.

You want to see not only the size of the pattern, and whether it hits where you point the gun, buy maybe more important whether the pattern is even, without open patches or dense center, thin edges. Dense center/thin edge is a very common pattern, but not a good one, as you'll make hamburger of some birds, and some will fly off with one or two pellets in them. You'd like a nice even pattern so you knock down every bird you hit. For the common 1-1/4 oz 12 ga load, an even pattern up to about 30" diameter should drop most any bird you hit. Heavy magnum loads will do the same up to maybe 36", and light 20 ga of 7/8 or 1 oz up to about 25".

You may well find that lower velocity shells (say 1200 fps) pattern better than high vel which often blow the pattern with too many "flyers", distorted pellets which fly off to the edges.

You'll probably also find that more open chokes pattern more even than tight chokes. Fewer distorted pellets.

And you may well find that fixed chokes pattern better than screw-in.

Some barrels seem to prefer one brand of shell over another, and some prefer one shot size over another.

You've got to shoot it and see.
 
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you can go to Walmart and buy the recycled brown wrapping paper in 24x24X50'- cheap- or you can pay a bit more for the 30X30X50 actual UPS quality wrapping type paper- nail a piece of plywood up to a barn- above it use two big nails and drive them in just to the outside edge of the roll- bend those large nails to hold the roll- unwind and tack the bottom- step away and shoot- mark each hole with a majic marker- make note of date, load, gun, tube, tear it off- pull down another piece- do the same-

then when some don't believe you take a picture of the patern you have hanging in your gun room:)
 
winchester21 said:
There's lots of ways to do this. I would get some butcher paper. Draw a big circle (at least 30" in diameter) and then put a smaller circle inside that, about the size of a cockbird. Inside that circle, put a dot about quarter sized. Hang the paper up on a hay bale or a piece of cardboard (you could use the cardboard w/out the paper if you wanted to). Obviously you will need to make several targets. Measure off about 30 to 40 yards (or whatever you typically shoot birds at).

Pick the loads you are going to use and aim at the dot from a bench or sitting position. After each shot examine the target and see where the majority of your pattern lies. While you can't really adjust the sites like you would on a rifle you may be able to learn something about which loads your scattergun shoots best. Try at least 3 of each of your various shells and pick the one that has the most consistently uniform and centered pattern density. Stick with that shell. That's about it!
Click to expand...

Diddo, except I would also do the same thing with different chokes. And even new chokes not the ones that came with the gun. There are several good ones that may make it a dead eye for you along with what was said above. There is always a majic choke with every shell and gun I think, anyway. Some come easy and some take time to figure out. A gun smith can always move the sight for you too for the one that shoots low left etc.
 
Patterning my Browning 625 Citori

First I shot from about twenty feet through a tight choke at a dot to see if the gun was a straight shooter. It was. I then choked as if bird hunting, backed off to about 25 yards and aimed for the dot. As expected, the patterning was about 60% above the dot and 40% below which means you point so as to see the whole bird BODY over the bead.
 
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