shot my 835 with a jelly head choke using federal 5 shot and at 40 yds patern wasnt too good and at 35 yds it was alot better. wouldnt think 5 yds would make much difference. still not happy though may have to try some longbeards and see what they do
The federal 5s shot pretty good for me but I was blown away by the longbeards last year and made the switch.
That's why knowing the distance and the ability of your gun at that distance is so important.
Quote from: Gobble! on March 19, 2015, 03:01:36 PM
That's why knowing the distance and the ability of your gun at that distance is so important.
X2
Think what it looks like when you go from 40 to 45.
Quote from: strut-n-rut on March 19, 2015, 02:55:17 PM
shot my 835 with a jelly head choke using federal 5 shot and at 40 yds patern wasnt too good and at 35 yds it was alot better. wouldnt think 5 yds would make much difference. still not happy though may have to try some longbeards and see what they do
It can be a major difference. Even a foot short of beyond 40 yards can make a real difference, much more than you might think unless you've used a steel tape, surveyor's tape, to measure the difference. It's the reason we're so particular in still target shooting. Most laser units won't be as accurate as a steel tape. Even a foot can make a difference.
Thanks,
Clark
got some longbeard #5s today , shot it at 50 yds and it was a terrible pattern maybe 5 bb in the head. this was with a 835 with jellyhead .690 choke
in my opinion that's a 40 yard or less set up. That choke is to open for longer range patterns. you should focus on you 10" pattern. remember a lot of the patterns you see here are also #6 shot, you should expect less hits with #5.
Tap measure off Your measurements and then walk them off so you can get a good feel for distances you can shoot in the woods. Also what are you calling good andon't bad patterns?
Good luck
Quote from: the Ward on March 19, 2015, 03:09:52 PM
Quote from: Gobble! on March 19, 2015, 03:01:36 PM
That's why knowing the distance and the ability of your gun at that distance is so important.
X2
X3. I have been amazed how some of my gun/choke/load combos shoot at a certain distance and then 5-10 yards farther everything goes to hell. May have an awesome 35 yard pattern, possibly the best a gun has shot and then at 40 yards being terrible. Important to get in some trigger time and burn some powder.
Drops off quite a bit after 35. My 870 shoots 214 in a 10 @ 40. Shot it at 50 and the pattern would not be something I would want to shoot at a turkey at any distance.
What's more amazing is that you can not convince people there is a massive drop off. A friend shot 3" HV #5's and at 30yds he had 200+ pellets on a 11"x11" square turkey target. I told him he really needed to check at 40yds. "No way, I'll still rip it up, my pattern won't drop off, etc"
He shot @ 40yds and barely broke 90 in the 11"x11" square......he decided it was time to change shells. LOL
If you have a 40 yard limit, why not see what your pattern does at 40? Get the best at 40 and go with it. Only my 2 cents. Al Baker
Quote from: zelmo1 on March 21, 2015, 03:10:07 PM
If you have a 40 yard limit, why not see what your pattern does at 40? Get the best at 40 and go with it. Only my 2 cents. Al Baker
Agreed whatever your true limit is really test that out. The same goes for guys that spend hours at the range shooting a taped 40 but will shoot further at turkeys. You know what you are willing to shoot and that's your decision but test at that range.
I practice with my bow a lot further than I will shoot at a deer in the woods the same should be said for your shotgun patterns.
Quote from: zelmo1 on March 21, 2015, 03:10:07 PM
If you have a 40 yard limit, why not see what your pattern does at 40? Get the best at 40 and go with it. Only my 2 cents. Al Baker
[/quote)
That's the goal I shoot for with my guns. :icon_thumright:
Back in the 1980's, many people said you were good to go with a consistent 5 pellets in the head and neck of a turkey target.