Pattern Board - Black Magic?

[Saluki91]

I'm coming back to clays and skeet after a 37 year break. A total newbie question follows:

I took my guns to the pattern board for the first time today, and came away with many more questions than answers. The first is "How in the heck do we hit anything?!?!?!" Luck? Voodoo? Divine intervention? I could put a small stack of clay pigeons between impact marks, and the density of my patterns made me think I break most of my birds with 3 BB's (or less!).

The pattern board at my club is 25 yards from the bench. Perhaps I need to shoot it from a closer distance? A 25 yard shot doesn't seem unreasonable on a skeet field, but it looked like a 747 could get through my pattern without a scratch!

Thanks!

 

[kudu]

First off there is a big difference between cheap promo loads and actual target loads like AA and Remington Premier shells. I'm just assuming you used some cheap shells for your pattern board experience. What choke are you patterning? A cylinder or skeet choke will be pretty scarce at 25 yards as far as pattern, full or mod will/should be pretty tight. Some choke tubes are plain no good, came across a few of them over the years. Some had consistent holes or voids in the pattern, repeatably. Change tube, consistent even pattern, like black magic.

 

[Saluki91]

First off there is a big difference between cheap promo loads and actual target loads like AA and Remington Premier shells. I'm just assuming you used some cheap shells for your pattern board experience. What choke are you patterning? A cylinder or skeet choke will be pretty scarce at 25 yards as far as pattern, full or mod will/should be pretty tight. Some choke tubes are plain no good, came across a few of them over the years. Some had consistent holes or voids in the pattern, repeatably. Change tube, consistent even pattern, like black magic.

Thanks... I'll toy with some other chokes in my Beretta. The skeet gun has skeet barrels - no choke tubes.

The loads were my own... AA HS Hulls, Ramshot Competition, CB 1100-12 wads, 1oz 8 shot for the clays gun (Beretta Mobilchokes - Modified and IC); Cheddite hulls, 14.6gr Hi Skor 700X, Piston Skeet Light wads,7/8oz 9 shot in the skeet gun (skeet choked barrels).

 

[MEHavey]

Here's what things "ought" to look like. (Cylinder & Full in this case)
Since you load your own, choke things til they do look like this:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe..._Patterns.jpg/1200px-Shot_Spread_Patterns.jpg

 

[Saluki91]

Here's what things "ought" to look like. (Cylinder & Full in this case)
Since you load your own, choke things til they do look like this:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe..._Patterns.jpg/1200px-Shot_Spread_Patterns.jpg

Thanks - That helps!

Cheers!

 

[243winxb]

The shot string breaks birds. Magnum shot patterns tighter, less flyiers. Mag shot is deformed less as it goes down the barrel.

 

[PapaG]

Also, birds aren't hit by a flat static pattern. They fly into a shot string giving more pellets time to make contact except on a true straightaway. 8 1/2 or 9s are the ticket for skeet although I got a couple of 25s and a 50 last summer with 8s.

 

[Bill M.]

I pattern at 20 yards for skeet. A true skeet choke should give about a 30" diameter pattern overall at that range. I totally disagree with the theory that shot string breaks target or that the target flies into the shot string. My belief is that any shot string reduces the chance of a pellet hitting the target. I try for about 25" diameter patterns. I am a lousy skeet shot, am slow, and miss a lot. As to the question "how do we break targets" the good skeet shooters have found a choke and pattern that they like and they shoot the bird very quickly. Close shots. And they work in the middle of the pattern where it is tighter.