My idea of a good pattern is one that delivers what I expect at ranges I expect to shoot.
Honest I have a 14 inch round plywood disk with a 2 inch hole centered. 14 inches because my lathe will chuck 14 inches, easy to turn the disk, and its small enough to draw circles on common construction paper.
Run a series of patterns from very close to further than I expect to shoot. 7/8 oz 12 clays load with 7 1/2 have patterned each barrel on my main gun every 10 yards from 10 to 60 yards. Tells me I need a spreader if real close and real long shots better put in a 1 oz load.
2 7/8 10 G guns with 1 1/8 & 1 1/4 skip the close ones and take it out to 70 yards. Sub Gauge stop at 40 yards. Guns I hunt with do the same with larger shot.
Gives you a good idea of what the gun and load will do actual targets . Don't count anything just look at the holes , not hard to judge good from not good enough. If the gun and load won't put a lot of pellets on a 14 inch target it's not going to break clays or kill birds very well.
Agree extensive testing is better but it's a lot of trouble and if you don't test at actual target distances inconclusive .
Boats
Last edited by Boats; 07/12/16 05:51 PM.
