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Turkey Guns & Shooting => 20 Gauge Turkey Gun Pattern Pictures => Topic started by: TauntoHawk on June 17, 2018, 04:16:24 PM

Title: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: TauntoHawk on June 17, 2018, 04:16:24 PM
Got a killer deal on some tss so I picked some up and ran a few shells post season. Not steller results

This was a dirty gun but I shot some HW7 at the same time and they put out the same great pattern I'm used to. The Carlson. 575 got 224 in 10 and another 166 in the 20 for 390 total but that's 66% of payload at 40yds lasered. That seems to leave alot of pellets seemingly no where on paper. This same combo gets average 170 with HW7 so I expected a bit more it's obviously a fine pattern and will still kill turkeys. Thinking of trying another choke combo I expected the 20 to look better.

I also have some federal tss I picked up free with Cabela's points I wasnt doing anything with but didn't have them at time of test. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180617/3419b66326dad4cc692db3403bf98265.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180617/79f1a6b55ff34855f288e109ce1485ce.jpg)

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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: Coop1082 on June 17, 2018, 06:22:05 PM
For a 1 5/8 oz load there sure is a lot of pellets missing in the 20" total. What did the outside of the 20 look like? I wouldn't be mad at that pattern at at all if it was 224 in the 10" and 220+ in the 20" but the lack of numbers in the 20 makes me thing the gun might be overchoked or either it just doesn't like that choke as far as the Apex goes. The Federal's very well could be totally different....let us know!
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: kwild835 on June 17, 2018, 06:25:51 PM
Anyway that you got some mislabeled shells?  That looks like a pattern of 8's.  Happened to me about 10 years ago, with Federal Heavyweights, bought 7's and patterns were way off.  Opened up the shells and they were loaded with 5's.
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: TauntoHawk on June 17, 2018, 07:26:17 PM
Quote from: Coop1082 on June 17, 2018, 06:22:05 PM
For a 1 5/8 oz load there sure is a lot of pellets missing in the 20" total. What did the outside of the 20 look like? I wouldn't be mad at that pattern at at all if it was 224 in the 10" and 220+ in the 20" but the lack of numbers in the 20 makes me thing the gun might be overchoked or either it just doesn't like that choke as far as the Apex goes. The Federal's very well could be totally different....let us know!
Anything is possible with apex I swore I was getting into hand loading this summer to avoid this but a great price lured me into the easy shells. The holes sure look like 9's but I doubt I can judge that well by eye.

I am not chasing 300's in fact I didn't want anything more the 250 in 10 but my 20 ring and beyond should be way better.

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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: TauntoHawk on June 17, 2018, 07:29:09 PM
Quote from: Coop1082 on June 17, 2018, 06:22:05 PM
For a 1 5/8 oz load there sure is a lot of pellets missing in the 20" total. What did the outside of the 20 look like? I wouldn't be mad at that pattern at at all if it was 224 in the 10" and 220+ in the 20" but the lack of numbers in the 20 makes me thing the gun might be overchoked or either it just doesn't like that choke as far as the Apex goes. The Federal's very well could be totally different....let us know!
I will try other chokes I guess but a 575 isn't exactly super tight for a 20 I mean I seem guys running tss out of 555 IC and 562 sumtoy I got my hands on a 573 hevishot choke so I will see if that cleans up the putter ring. Maybe the Carlson will like the federal tss better since it likes the federal HW


It's certainly turkey stomping just something to tinker with in the off season.

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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: Coop1082 on June 17, 2018, 07:36:34 PM
I shoot 2 3/4" 1 7/16 oz handloads out of my Franchi Affinity Compact 20. I have a Carlson's .575 for it and it's not "tight" but it's certainly a hot core and not as "uniform" as I like to see. I shoot a Trulock .585 out of it and its ideal atleast for me. About 230-240 in the 10" and the same number in the 20" and very even. I'm not familiar with the Weatherby bore unfortunately I was just judging from the pattern pic. The lack of pellets in the 20" is what makes me say overchoked if it is in fact not actually 8s like Kwild suggested. If anybody can help you out, Kwild is your man.
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: wchadw on June 17, 2018, 08:56:23 PM
Try some federal #9s and see what you get


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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: TauntoHawk on June 17, 2018, 09:46:25 PM
Quote from: wchadw on June 17, 2018, 08:56:23 PM
Try some federal #9s and see what you get


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Have two boxes so I will do that for sure

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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: Roost 1 on June 17, 2018, 10:28:16 PM
My SA459 with JEBs 560 is a 300/200 gun with TSS 9s. I do roll my on tho.
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: Fullfan on June 18, 2018, 08:13:00 AM
Sure does not look like a typical TSS 9 pattern. My SA459 does  well with both the Fed heviweight 7 and the TSS 9. My TSS are hand laods.  I am running a SumToy 562-5
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: ccleroy on June 18, 2018, 10:16:12 AM
I loaded some 1 5/8 #8's and that's pretty close to the pattern I got out of my 459 a couple years ago, definitely doesn't look like 9's.
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: yelpaholic on June 18, 2018, 06:50:00 PM
you guys that roll your own how far down do you split the wad ? just curious if not as much split makes for a tighter pattern ?
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: kwild835 on June 18, 2018, 07:57:03 PM
Quote from: yelpaholic on June 18, 2018, 06:50:00 PM
you guys that roll your own how far down do you split the wad ? just curious if not as much split makes for a tighter pattern ?
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180618/ee1dcbe89c1632c3e008768732b0fb3f.heic)
This is how I cut mine.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180618/bcf9c5f807b08ebb1cb241fd77174318.heic)
1 7/16oz of 9's in sa20 .562 IC



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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: davisd9 on June 18, 2018, 09:02:36 PM
Quote from: yelpaholic on June 18, 2018, 06:50:00 PM
you guys that roll your own how far down do you split the wad ? just curious if not as much split makes for a tighter pattern ?

Do not have to cut the wad I use. It is a 3" 1 5/8 oz load.


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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: Jbird22 on June 18, 2018, 09:43:08 PM
Yelpaholic, I use the VP90 and cut it to 1/8" above the bottom of the shot cup.
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: Fullfan on June 19, 2018, 07:36:29 AM
Also use the VP90 in both the loads I shoot. About 1/8" from the bottom also.
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: jryser on June 19, 2018, 08:42:00 AM
Jbird22 is modest - he has a FANTASTIC jig that does 99% of the Work. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180619/d971a3523588ed37f5291a057f2f2bd5.jpg)


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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: deadbuck on June 20, 2018, 09:47:21 AM
Quote from: yelpaholic on June 18, 2018, 06:50:00 PM
you guys that roll your own how far down do you split the wad ? just curious if not as much split makes for a tighter pattern ?

I forgot to split the wads (VP90) at all on a batch one time and quickly noticed the patterns were terrible. Had to dismantle about 5 shells and confirmed I had forgot to split the wads before loading. They were kicking up dirt in front of the target at 40.
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: SumToy on July 17, 2018, 09:30:13 AM
With the set up you have the Federal may shoot better.   Now drop to a smaller choke you should see numbers come up.   We did 300 with Federal and most hand load guys go 320 to 330. 
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: TauntoHawk on July 17, 2018, 10:27:45 AM
Quote from: SumToy on July 17, 2018, 09:30:13 AM
With the set up you have the Federal may shoot better.   Now drop to a smaller choke you should see numbers come up.   We did 300 with Federal and most hand load guys go 320 to 330.
I'll shoot the feds through the set up to see if they do better. William I will have to call you for tighter choke for the 20 I know you turned my short barrel rem. 12 and my buddies 12 into nasty death with the hevi 6 a combo I still run when my wife is using the 20

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Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: yelpaholic on March 01, 2019, 04:39:31 PM
another handloading question , do you guys split the wads in three petal or four for best pattern or does it matter?
Title: Re: SA-459 Carlson Apex #9 not up to par
Post by: Jbird22 on March 03, 2019, 10:41:25 AM
Quote from: yelpaholic on March 01, 2019, 04:39:31 PM
another handloading question , do you guys split the wads in three petal or four for best pattern or does it matter?
Never tried 3 but 4 works great.