My first 20 gauge build was a youth model 870. It shot a really good "huntable" pattern with a Carlsons .575 and Federal TSS #9. I like high number but i'm more concerned with how many shots are consistently in the head and neck at a given distance. I liked the little gun so much that I bought it a mate. A 1187 youth model. I shot several chokes. Carlsons 575, Sumtoy 562, Jebs 565..... I wouldn't hunt with any of them. I have a couple of .555s on the way. Same manufacturer, same length barrel, same gauge... shoots totally different.
Could be the flight control wad in the federals. Or the gun don't shoot straight and part of the pattern is missing it's mark. Out of the chokes listed there is no reason not to have decent numbers. My 870 with handloads really isn't picky at all. Every pattern have been 275-350 depending on the load. Might try Apex or handloads, a conventional wad design does better with tss and will get higher numbers.
The 1187 can be a odd little thing. We have had them take total different choke.
Each barrel is an individual. I've seen the same two 21" barrels in an 870 pattern completely different many times and each have a choke preference. As long as the barrel is free of tooling marks, it's just a matter of finding which choke the ammo prefers. I think a 555 will get you where you want to be. Carlson's, IC, or Jebs to name a few.
Shot a couple different.555s yesterday. Better but still very spotty pattern. Time to change ammo. Apex or Nitro?
Go to something in the 570 range if you have one. We had one that was the only thing it liked
Quote from: SumToy on February 06, 2020, 08:24:43 AM
Go to something in the 570 range if you have one. We had one that was the only thing it liked
Have you seen guns that just wouldn't shoot the federal ammo? I may just need to send it to you. I also have a T/C 20 gauge that giving me fits.
I have a sumtoy 562 and a ic 560 that both put up 325-360 10".
A trulock fed hevi choke shoots 300ish
Quote from: nmsshooter on February 07, 2020, 07:17:07 PM
I have a sumtoy 562 and a ic 560 that both put up 325-360 10".
A trulock fed hevi choke shoots 300ish
I get similar numbers out of my 870. The 1187 just isn't cooperating.
Have you tried polishing your bore? Sounds crazy but ive seen pretty awesome improvements in patterns in a bunch of my turkey guns since i started polishing them
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no 2 guns are going to pattern the same , not even same make and models
I shot some Browning TSS through the 1187 and it shot much better.
I would clean the heck out of it. Remove all that cleaning junk with denatured alcohol and shoot it again with federals if you want to use them.
Quote from: SumToy on February 06, 2020, 08:24:43 AM
Go to something in the 570 range if you have one. We had one that was the only thing it liked
Yep. I had one and shoot a ton of tighter chokes (which pretty much sucked) and it by far liked the .570 the best. That was with the Federal Heavyweight in size 7.