I have tried the Federal 3.5" 1 7/8 oz. load of HW #7s in several chokes out of my Rem 870 23" barrel and have not gotten a really good pattern. I am now thinking my expectations may be too high. Has anyone been able to break 200 in the 10" at 40yds with a remington? If so what choke? :help:
I have not tried them but I think 200 is a bit high, especially with them only having a 1 7/8oz load.
Out of my 3" 11-87 I can get 150-160 in the 10" at 40 with the Federal Heviweights. The choke is one of George Truelocks, the choke was built for the #7 heviweights.
I have the Trulock choke made for the HW #7s but am still having issues. My best patterns have been out of the remington turkey choke that came with the gun with an exit diameter of.670. Anyone else have a good choke combo that they are using?
Try the Kick's .655. I know it's a ported choke but it has no wad catchers in it and Kick's recommends their chokes for the HW #7's. You might even wanna try a Kick's .650. :OGturkeyhead:
The ports are the strippers; is the .655 different from the other kicks chokes??
Quote from: SKFOOTER on February 25, 2013, 10:29:22 AM
Try the Kick's .655. I know it's a ported choke but it has no wad catchers in it and Kick's recommends their chokes for the HW #7's. You might even wanna try a Kick's .650. :OGturkeyhead:
Kicks might recommend their chokes for the Fed HW's but Federal doesn't recommend a ported choke for their shells ! Just a Headsup ! :icon_thumright:
I have tried them out of a Jellyhead and Rhino ported. The Flite-control wad does not like the ports. Although, I have not found a pattern I will hunt with yet, I have noticed that the wad must exit uniformly and not deformed or the pattern does crazy things. :newmascot:
Clean the barrel out with a solvent and scrub it with a brush and then run patches down it till dry -
Some posts made by members have indicated that the FC wad needs a clean bore between shots for best results --
Quote from: vaturkey on February 25, 2013, 03:42:08 PM
Quote from: SKFOOTER on February 25, 2013, 10:29:22 AM
Try the Kick's .655. I know it's a ported choke but it has no wad catchers in it and Kick's recommends their chokes for the HW #7's. You might even wanna try a Kick's .650. :OGturkeyhead:
Kicks might recommend their chokes for the Fed HW's but Federal doesn't recommend a ported choke for their shells ! Just a Headsup ! :icon_thumright:
And what does Federal know. If they were that smart, they'd do away with the Flight Control Wad altogether in their Heavyweight loads and nobody else could compete with them. I'm telling you, try the Kicks Gobblin' Thunder .655 or .650 in your Remington with those HW #7's. :OGturkeyhead:
I was having issues as well. I discovered I bought a bad lot. If the lot number has an X, the shells could be a bad lot. I called Federal and they are replacing them.
I'm shooting a Trulock .650 with my 3.5 federal #7's. I get 130-150 in a 10 inch circle at 40, with about 10-15 in the kill. Works great for me and man does it ever whack em!
Is that with the trulock Fed. Hwt. #7 choke or the PH.650?
Yes it is.
I have an 11-87 with the Trulock fed heavyweight #7 choke .I get 200-220 on average in 10inch and another 150-160 in the 20inch at 40yds with the 3 1/2 1 7/8 oz load. With one of my older 870 with same choke and the 3in 1 5/8 oz load i get an average 140-160 on average at 40.Lee
Quote from: bawana on March 01, 2013, 09:46:59 PM
Yes it is.
Yes it is the Trulock HW #7 .650 choke or the Precision Hunter .650 choke. They are two different choke tubes.
I have an 11-87 with the Trulock fed heavyweight #7 choke .I get 200-220 on average in 10inch and another 150-160 in the 20inch at 40yds with the 3 1/2 1 7/8 oz load. With one of my older 870 with same choke and the 3in 1 5/8 oz load i get an average 140-160 on average at 40.Lee
Now that's a smokin' pattern! Before Federal changed their recipe a few years back I was happy with 175 in 10"! With their new recipe I get 150 in 10".
I got tired of never knowing what Lot# was best and started loading my own.
oops! yes it is the PH .650
Quote from: K9Doc on March 02, 2013, 08:52:58 AM
I have an 11-87 with the Trulock fed heavyweight #7 choke .I get 200-220 on average in 10inch and another 150-160 in the 20inch at 40yds with the 3 1/2 1 7/8 oz load. With one of my older 870 with same choke and the 3in 1 5/8 oz load i get an average 140-160 on average at 40.Lee
Now that's a smokin' pattern! Before Federal changed their recipe a few years back I was happy with 175 in 10"! With their new recipe I get 150 in 10".
I got tired of never knowing what Lot# was best and started loading my own.
K9, was the 175 in a 10" circle with the 3" or 3.5" shell and with which gun and choke??
My 870 SM and I have officially given up on 3.5" Fed. Hw #7. After 4 chokes and 11 shells from 3 different lot #s, I feel like we have given it the old college try. I got one pattern I would hunt with, 151 pellets in the 10" at 40yds. with a good even pattern in the 20". But I had already decided it had to do at least as well as 3.5" H-13 #6. In my gun it does not. In my buddy's 11-87 turkey gun he consistently gets in the 170's in the 10" at 40 using the same choke. I think the flite control wad is just that finicky. >:(
Like a lot of others, I too have given up on the Federal HW loads. I had numerous conversations w/ the product development staff at Federal, tried all of their choke recommendations , and then some, several shotguns w/ both 3" and 31/2" shells, and never got what I considered to be good consistant turkey hunting/killing patterns. One of the goals put forth by Federal was to develop a HW turkey load which didn't require "special" chokes. They have failed miserably in that regard, and due to less than stellar sales, cost, and projected increased cost in tungsten, if you have had success w/ the shell you'd better buy all you can find asap.
Agreed! Federal would do well to offer the quality of shot and selection of loads in a standard wad. If they did, I believe they could compete with Hevishot. Not so much with the flite control. I have never had the misfortune of shooting any of the waterfowl loads with that wad; I will be sure I never do. :agreed:
My buddy Norm is getting 170's with the HW 7's in his 870 SP Super Mag with the factory SF non-ported choke. I'm getting avg 220's with the same load in my 835 through the Truglo Bone Collector .670. Both of our guns have been deep cleaned and mine have been pollished as well. We're goin to give his 870 a good pollishing this spring and see what she'll do then...
I was shooting 3.5 7s with a Roberts tube and was pushing 200 with my original ammo out of a SBE 2 . The recent ammo I have bought didn't produce as good of results . I'm in the process of working on a mag blend or hevi 7s load for that reason.
I was able to turn 200+ with a 21" barrel rem .870. I used the fed HW 3" 7's and a Hastings non ported .665. Improved my numbers by 30-40 by switching to kicks .655 and hevi 3/2/7's. Sold the Hastings.
Quote from: seadux on February 24, 2013, 10:39:12 AM
I have tried the Federal 3.5" 1 7/8 oz. load of HW #7s in several chokes out of my Rem 870 23" barrel and have not gotten a really good pattern. I am now thinking my expectations may be too high. Has anyone been able to break 200 in the 10" at 40yds with a remington? If so what choke? :help:
To maximize the potential of that shell, you must defeat the intended purpose of the wad. There are really only 2 choices, see the wad perform as intended or get good patterns. I have shot hundreds and hundreds of those shells and worked on the development of that shell with the design engineer. We finally found out how to get good patterns.
You must compress the wad. In 12 gauge the SSX in all configurations works as does the Wright's #3. In 20 gauge the SSX is the best choke I've found as is the case with scores of other shooters.
I'd recommend the SSX or the Wright's #3 for your Rem-Choke shotgun.
Thanks,
Clark
Quote from: allaboutshooting on March 12, 2013, 10:54:56 PM
Quote from: seadux on February 24, 2013, 10:39:12 AM
I have tried the Federal 3.5" 1 7/8 oz. load of HW #7s in several chokes out of my Rem 870 23" barrel and have not gotten a really good pattern. I am now thinking my expectations may be too high. Has anyone been able to break 200 in the 10" at 40yds with a remington? If so what choke? :help:
To maximize the potential of that shell, you must defeat the intended purpose of the wad. There are really only 2 choices, see the wad perform as intended or get good patterns. I have shot hundreds and hundreds of those shells and worked on the development of that shell with the design engineer. We finally found out how to get good patterns.
You must compress the wad. In 12 gauge the SSX in all configurations works as does the Wright's #3. In 20 gauge the SSX is the best choke I've found as is the case with scores of other shooters.
I'd recommend the SSX or the Wright's #3 for your Rem-Choke shotgun.
Thanks,
Clark
Hey Clark,
Do you recall what kind of 10" circle #'s you guys were getting with the ssx and fed #7's??
The 12 gauge fcw is bigger than the bore of a standard 12 gauge bore if I recall correctly, 200 should be easy. I know gobbler74 got like 220.
Quote from: gatrkyhntr70 on June 15, 2013, 02:11:42 PM
Quote from: allaboutshooting on March 12, 2013, 10:54:56 PM
Quote from: seadux on February 24, 2013, 10:39:12 AM
I have tried the Federal 3.5" 1 7/8 oz. load of HW #7s in several chokes out of my Rem 870 23" barrel and have not gotten a really good pattern. I am now thinking my expectations may be too high. Has anyone been able to break 200 in the 10" at 40yds with a remington? If so what choke? :help:
To maximize the potential of that shell, you must defeat the intended purpose of the wad. There are really only 2 choices, see the wad perform as intended or get good patterns. I have shot hundreds and hundreds of those shells and worked on the development of that shell with the design engineer. We finally found out how to get good patterns.
You must compress the wad. In 12 gauge the SSX in all configurations works as does the Wright's #3. In 20 gauge the SSX is the best choke I've found as is the case with scores of other shooters.
I'd recommend the SSX or the Wright's #3 for your Rem-Choke shotgun.
Thanks,
Clark
Hey Clark,
Do you recall what kind of 10" circle #'s you guys were getting with the ssx and fed #7's??
I would have to look back in my records to give you some numbers. What I do remember is that patterns were dense and even, especially for such a low shot payload.
Thanks,
Clark
Several days ago I had the chance to shoot my new 11-87 sure shot. I cleaned the
barrel but did not polish it. Shooting the 3.5 inch #7 Heviewights, first shot put 180 in 9" at 40, second was 210 in a 9" at 40. They were shot through the Truelock choke, I thought the paper plate was 10" but turned out to be 9"
Will post up some pics in a day or so.
Quote from: Fullfan on June 15, 2013, 07:42:36 PM
Several days ago I had the chance to shoot my new 11-87 sure shot. I cleaned the
barrel but did not polish it. Shooting the 3.5 inch #7 Heviewights, first shot put 180 in 9" at 40, second was 210 in a 9" at 40. They were shot through the Truelock choke, I thought the paper plate was 10" but turned out to be 9"
Will post up some pics in a day or so.
would like to see them! Thanks.
Quote from: Fullfan on June 15, 2013, 07:42:36 PM
Several days ago I had the chance to shoot my new 11-87 sure shot. I cleaned the
barrel but did not polish it. Shooting the 3.5 inch #7 Heviewights, first shot put 180 in 9" at 40, second was 210 in a 9" at 40. They were shot through the Truelock choke, I thought the paper plate was 10" but turned out to be 9"
Will post up some pics in a day or so.
please tell me the barrel lengh on that 11-87 and what trulock choke exactly? you have the model number for the choke?
Okay stand by while I get the camera and snap several pics, my new 11-87 has a 23" pipe, and the choke is the one that truelock made just for the Federal Heviweight # 7 shot. Pics in several min...
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/slickr1/truelock2_zps2066aa19.jpg) (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/slickr1/media/truelock2_zps2066aa19.jpg.html)
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/slickr1/truelock1_zps98e26317.jpg) (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/slickr1/media/truelock1_zps98e26317.jpg.html)
this was at 40 and I know the # are off, but I could not remember what they were. But I have a new hunting rig...
I used to turn 180's to 200 with the 3" fed HW 7's and the Hastings .665 non ported choke. This choke will shoot the FCW shells really well also. Rem 870 with a 21" barrel polished and choke polished as well. HW 7's are thumpers :)
No doubt they strike with force. Several years ago I shot at 3/8s plywood and at 62 yds the heviweight #6 shot blew through it..