I shot a shell from the lot #300514 and #300524
Both shots at a lasered 40 yards(checked by two different range finders)
60 degrees and no wind
870 SM 26 in barrel 660 JH choke
300514- 308 in ten inch circle
300524- 251 in ten inch circle
300325- 320 average with the same gun, choke ,and weather conditions
I'm glad I still have 7 boxes of the lot #300325
Quote from: strutstopper on March 01, 2012, 12:26:59 PM
I shot a shell from the lot #300514 and #300524
Both shots at a lasered 40 yards(checked by two different range finders)
60 degrees and no wind
870 SM 26 in barrel 660 JH choke
300514- 308 in ten inch circle
300524- 251 in ten inch circle
300325- 320 average with the same gun, choke ,and weather conditions
Glad you post this. This was what I was talking about other day. Folks get low numbers then go to work on good set up. We find the good and bad with lot numbers save folks money and time.
Crap. That's not what I was hoping to hear. I got 310 with the 300324's I have from 2010. I also have a box of 300514 that would only shoot in the 260's for me. Maybe I'll get lucky and my gun will like the 300524 lot. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll shoot them either this evening, or tomorrow, and post up my results on this thread.
I've got a bunch of 300324's and 300514's. They will be used for birds only. Might fire off one or two just to check POI with one of my scoped outfits but that's it.
The majority of the market that buys turkey loads isn't on this forum and probably doesn't have a clue there is significant differences from one lot to another. I'm sure they assume the loads are awesome because they are Hevi-shot and are expensive.... or they patterned back when they were great and assume the loads they're buying now are the same.... how disappointing. In the future I don't think I'll buy Hevi-shot loads unless I can get a deal on them, or they're the good lots numbers :) Otherwise I'll buy extended range Winchesters and not have so much to worry about.
It's not so much that I'm worried. 260 will absolutely crush turkeys at 40 yards, all day, every day. If I had never shot 300+, I wouldn't know what I was missing. I'd be tickled pink with 260. It just stinks knowing it's not what it once was.
Quote from: goblr77 on March 01, 2012, 02:55:59 PM
I've got a bunch of 300324's and 300514's. They will be used for birds only. Might fire off one or two just to check POI with one of my scoped outfits but that's it.
That's the best advice i have seen in a long time, If you got a good pattern stop wasting those expensive shells on paper.
Just got 2 boxes of the 300524. Hope my 870SM 26" barrel with JH.660 likes them!
This is why I have decided to start handloading.
This is just a guess but I have never heard of the 524.
Makes me think they may be this years shells.
Quote from: gersus on March 01, 2012, 03:32:19 PM
The majority of the market that buys turkey loads isn't on this forum and probably doesn't have a clue there is significant differences from one lot to another...
They probably won't even notice the difference. Let's assume they don't go thru all the tweaking trouble that we do, and their numbers drop from something like 250 to 200...or even 150. The turkey is gonna die, and everyone will still be happy. :D