Does anyone know how the RST spreaders perform in a cylinder bore barrel? Do they require constriction to throw a full pattern? As always, thank you for any advice... I'm trying to pick a gun for the first day of grouse and woodcock. I have RST #6s and RST spreaders in #7.

You wont see any difference in cylinder bore, you need constriction for them to throw an open pattern.

Thank you sir

Do you have proof of that, RA? I have never understood that to be the case. It goes against the concept I have of how spreaders work.

Not being argumentative, just really interested. I go through a lot fo spreaders in a year.

SRH

Hey Stan, it's from research and patterning and experience. I know, read everything with a grain of salt,and every user has different results. But I do use them and they preform better in my tighter choked barrels, I won't say certainty you can't get a more open pattern with cylinder but I feel its negligible considering the type of shooting involved. For me at least the difference in tighter choked barrels is significant compared to the use in cylinder or bore. I know what I posted was a blanket statement but based on the different test preformed out there and what I've experienced the result are pretty much the same. Just my two cents on a very broad and sometimes controversial subject!

Seems to me spreaders through a cylinder bore might result in excessive spread. But I have to admit I've never patterned spreaders through a cylinder bore. Nor have I compared cylinder to barrels that have dispersion rifling.

There is a rabbit target set on my home course right now that is VERY close. It's really a "dumb" presentation, IMO, as no-one in their right mind would shoot game that close. But, there it is. I normally shoot .020" and .020" fixed chokes and use a spreader for the close stuff. In this case I've been using another gun for the rabbit, with a cylinder bored tube, and a Fiocchi Interceptor spreader. It seems to be working for me. I'll just be glad when they get rid of that presentation. I'd rather shoot a 50 yard hard crosser, on edge, than a rabbit target that's less than 10 yards away.

I'll try to shoot a few out of the cylinder bored gun on the plate, and take some pics, sometime.

Thanks for the reply, RA.

SRH

Hey no problem, I would like to see the results as well! I have a few RST and Polywd, I'll do the same, what would be your parameters as I will repeat them!

I have observed little to no difference in IC choke using my home loaded spreaders.
With 16 gauge spreader loads in improved modified barrel I get a nice modified pattern.
So, I am in the group that thinks you need substantial choke to see a difference with spreader loads

Your results may vary.

Three shots with cylinder tube installed, with regular 1 oz. loads, photographed individually.

Then, three shots with same tube and Fiocchi Interceptor 1 oz. loads, photographed individually.

Then, three shots with cylinder tube installed and Kent Spreaders, 1 oz. load, photographed individually.

That ought to let us know how a spreader works out of a cylinder bored gun.

SRH

Awesome, I've been looking for the kents, unfortunately I only have poly wad and RST 2 1/2 lite loads. Still it would be good to see the results with a larger sample. 40 yards?

Have not been involved in this discussion, but as spreaders are designed for opening the pattern for short ranges seem a 40 yd pattern with them would be somewhat useless. A cylinder bore or a spreader is not going to give a very good pattern at 40 yds.
Would seem to me that what they do at say 25 yds would be more meaningful.
Just my 2¢ worth.

No, I won't be shooting any spreaders at that distance. I'd stick with the regular loads in the .020"s for 40. I'll shoot these patterns at 20 yds., so we can see what they really do out of a cylinder. 20 is about as far as I would ordinarily use a spreader.

I bought a flat of the Kents at the S.E.Regional shoot in Savannah last month.

SRH

Stan, have you tested the Fiocchi spreaders against the Polywads? When I tried RST vs Polywad, I discovered that Polywad gave significantly more spread.

My main interest in the past was for game (like woodcock, especially early in the season when you may have to shoot close or not at all) rather than targets. I know some people won't use spreaders, period, if they're shooting over dogs.

Larry Im curious as to why? I shoot spreaders almost exclusively over my English Pointers.

Some folks are skeptical of spreader loads over pointing or flushing dogs. They fear a stray pellet hitting the dog. I believe I have read a member here post that they had it happen to them, or had seen it happen.

Larry, I have used the Polywad SpredR loads to good effect, but have never tested them against a Fiocchi Interceptor. My only SpredRs are in 16 ga., and my Interceptors are all 12 ga. The SpredRs are the shells that put out so much "confetti" when shot.

SRH