doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 10 guage patterns

The paper is 24 inches wide. All Targets were shot at 35 yards.

36 grains of IMR SR 7625 in a 10 guage 3 & 1/2" Federal hull with a Winchester 209 primer. BP 10 wad with 2-20 guage 1/2" fiber wads and 1 20 guage nitro card 1 & 5/8 oz's of #4 lead. Star crimped.
Lyman claims 8500 psi and 1300 fps.
This is the better than my black powder loads.

This is the same load in my Scott 10. Should kill a turkey just fine.

At 35m or 50 paces, outer cicle 75cm with area of 4418cmsq divided in 12 fields, inner cicle 37.5cm with area of 1104,5cmsq divided into 4 fields? You don't have to count each hole like an idiot, but look for "empty" patches (bad news) equal to medium sized mans hand or larger.
Sorry, but I have to give those patterns a failing grade.

This is kinda why I don't pattern my shotguns. You can't evenly distribute randomness, entropy won't allow it. I'd be more concerned with Point-Of-Impact (POI). Looks like the right barrel (or 1st shot) of your Purdy is shooting a bit high (Maybe you held high on the dot?) I wouldn't got beyond 35 yards though, just in case the patterns get worse.....What chokes are on those barrels you shot?

Although the patterns aren't ideal, they would work if they are centered on what you're shooting at. Just out of curiosity, is that chilled lead or magnum shot?

Mike Doerner

I can get them better looking by going to a smaller shot size with a higher pellet count.
There's only 221 pellets on average in 1 & 5/8 oz's of #4 shot..I've gone the smaller shot route and wasn't too satisfied with the results on turkeys shot on the wing in the fall.

Mike I forget the exact choking but they both come out about Improved Modified in a 10. I did use magnum West Coast shot. I shot the targets off a rest and had my head higher on the first target.

Looks like you have a good pattern for IC choke, but everyone usually wants a full choke pattern for turkey. Then again, you're shooting antiques, so you go with what you got. I wouldn't go down in shot size, but that's just me. You probably could go down to #6 shot size without worrying about crippling at 35 yards and may fill out the pattern a bit more.

Mike Doerner

Mike show me an IC choke that will put the bulk of it's load on a 24 inch piece of paper at 35 yards...and I'll take it off your hands.

No doubt 6 shot will kill a turkey. I've shot 'mine and your share' with 6's in the spring....head shots.

One small problem....I'm not a good enough shot to hit them in the head on the wing.

HomelessjOe: If I were doing this, I would cut the shot cup off from a 20 ga. rem. or win. plastic wad. discard the over powder section and place the shot cup just under the shot at the bottom of the BPD wad. Now I have a double wad that is narrow at the back, or rear of the shot column. Their is plenty of room in the case to do this. I would then patern the load at 35 yards and 65 yards plus.
David Lien

Why can't you head shoot them on the wing? Just focus on the head as you do when shooting them on the ground. Don't get distracted by the huge body and wings. It is a good way to make sure you are out front and focused on any game bird. It is like looking at the leading edge of a skeet target to ensure you are focused on the target and not looking at the barrel.

Pattern wise you might find a light shot charge beneficial. Try a few patterns with ounce and 3/8 or even 1/4. I don't think most of the older guns were intended to use heavy charges like 1 1/2 oz and heavier in the 10ga. That is why they had 8 gauge guns. In the last 50 years the trend to heavier loads has come about and it doesn't necessarily work well. The impact of the shorter shot string seems to make up for the lighter load too.