I've read the great post on patterning at the top, however I have an 01 lever ten which I assumed patterned well cause I hit the bunnies I shot at..Well they must have committed suicide,saw the pellet comming and stepped in front of it. I actually took the time to pattern the gun.To say the pattern was patchy is being kind. The bore has roughness, but is by far and away the best bore your goin to find in a shotty of that era..My prob is,I really want to stay with the fibre wads I got from precision reloading. When you poke them out with a mild 700x load you get the BP haze without the BP,its great. I'm using 1 1/4 ounces #5. The other thing I've found is that although the barrel has not been monkeyed that full choke is more like IC in my other guns...I know a shot cup or wrap will cure some of what I've said but its so darned "not original" . I'll live with the pattern to big if I can just densin it up. Appreciate any input
splotchy pattern HELP
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Selfdfenz
Member
First, I'm not an expert on shotgun patterning and I don't play one on TV but...
1. How does it pattern with modern factory loads?
2. Since most of the patterning data guys like you and I have access to these days is/was developed using modern shot-cup-containing rounds, why can't that data serve as a diagnostic for assessing where you are choke-wise?
3.If you're reloading are you using hard or soft shot? Me thinks if it's the soft stuff deformation will be high or at least higher w/o a cup or sleeve.
4.Where's Dave when you need him?
THX
S-
1. How does it pattern with modern factory loads?
2. Since most of the patterning data guys like you and I have access to these days is/was developed using modern shot-cup-containing rounds, why can't that data serve as a diagnostic for assessing where you are choke-wise?
3.If you're reloading are you using hard or soft shot? Me thinks if it's the soft stuff deformation will be high or at least higher w/o a cup or sleeve.
4.Where's Dave when you need him?
THX
S-
Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
First, all patterns have some clustering to them. The better ones have less. Try some HARD 4s, 5s and 6s and see if things improve. Antimony levels of 4-6% are what you're looking for.
The trap barrel on the TB here likes 8s, loves 8 1/2s and does OK with 7 1/2s. Sometimes one can tweak a load to do better with a given shot size.
Also, your bore will shoot better after some of those fiber wads have polished it.
The trap barrel on the TB here likes 8s, loves 8 1/2s and does OK with 7 1/2s. Sometimes one can tweak a load to do better with a given shot size.
Also, your bore will shoot better after some of those fiber wads have polished it.
redneck2
Member
Problem with any shotgun using an overshot wad is that the wad slows down and the shot blows around it, making hole(s) in the pattern.
I've got a good hard chilled #5 shot,but I was noticing in my 1910 sears roebuck that the bird shotshells never got to coarse. Actually 5 was about the coarsest,so maybe I'll try 6, and your right they are gradually getting a tad better without me doing anything(possibly the fiber wad polish thing)I certainly think the bores roughness is getting filled cause the wads arent totally blowing out like dust any more..So maybe this is like constipation and will pass in time
GRP
Member
I've never really put a lot of faith in shotgun patterning. Except to show POA to POI. In shooting moving objects, all the pellets do not reach the target at the same time. This is known as a shot string. In tighter chokes this can be quite long. The actural pattern on a moving object is eliptical. That's why you almost can't overlead a target.( within reason) The trailing edge of the shot string will still catch the target. If you're shooting where you're looking and killing birds or breaking targets, I wouln't worry too much about the patterning board. JMHO
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