Shot again yesterday. Calm and 80. 21" 870 youth with deep cleaned barrel and boresnake in between shots. Sumtoy choke and Federal Heavyweights 7's with a 5V lot #
Got my POI straightened out right away and was getting around 110 in a 10" circle at 40yds. I now have basically wasted 15 shells and my best ever was 140. Dead bird all day but I built this gun for better numbers.
Do I have a bad run of shells? William from Sumtoy did say he has been hearing low numbers with 5V lot. My shells rattle. Loose shot. Is that normal??
Steelerfan had identical setup the day before and got 178 with a different lot #. With the time and money I have spent I see TSS in my future. Just frustrated because my old gun was about the same and I was excited for some better patterns. Don't wanna have to worry if I picked the right box of shells off the shelf.
Thx for any input
Shedhunta
Any ideas or thoughts???
that is the sad thing about the shells. this came up a few years ago with the V and U lots. Now I would like to know if it is different machines that load them or different plants. Just funny that few the low ones from then and now are V and U.
Now no need to keep shooting the gun. Few bird shot and then maybe 2 big loads should give you the poa/poi. Now we can try a different choke to see.
I am not knocking anyones chokes but my 21" youth 870 did not like the sumtoy choke. barely 110 in the 10"er at 40yds. I shot it thru a bright pretty clean barrel and then thru a shot barrel and never better. I put in a trulock heavyweight #7 choke and went right to averaging 175-180 in the 10 at 40 with the federal heavy 7's. my 21" 12ga likes any choke/shell combo you put in it. I guess some shotguns are more sensitive that others (sorta like women). LOL
true
now had a guy call me today about the lots of shells. From what he found it will make one look good and bad. So check the gun and shell with different lot of shells before you buy more chokes or mess with the gun.
Quote from: SumToy on April 12, 2017, 12:34:05 PM
true
now had a guy call me today about the lots of shells. From what he found it will make one look good and bad. So check the gun and shell with different lot of shells before you buy more chokes or mess with the gun.
If thats the case Federal can keep their shells and just lost a customer.
yup I hate to see it because they good when they good. I seen a 1187 that was only 120 range and change box of shells it jump to 180s.
I ran into the same thing a few years ago with the 12 gauge 3.5 7s . I really like them but moved onto something else .
My Sumtoy produced a 188 in 10" 100 in 20" from a 21" Barrel youth model 11-87. One of the best patterns I have seen with the Federal 7's. Unsure what lot number though??
Ridge Rooster
maybe a LOT of calls and e-mails to federal might help them get with the program on these 20ga #7's. like sumtoy said "they good when they good".
I have been having the same problem. I was shooting the V code and shot 110 at 40 yards. I had 2 boxes of the U code and tried one. It shot in the low 140's at 40 yards. There is sure a difference in the codes.
Quote from: sswv on April 12, 2017, 10:19:45 AM
I am not knocking anyones chokes but my 21" youth 870 did not like the sumtoy choke. barely 110 in the 10"er at 40yds. I shot it thru a bright pretty clean barrel and then thru a shot barrel and never better. I put in a trulock heavyweight #7 choke and went right to averaging 175-180 in the 10 at 40 with the federal heavy 7's. my 21" 12ga likes any choke/shell combo you put in it. I guess some shotguns are more sensitive that others (sorta like women). LOL
Agree, my gun was the same with the Trulock choke...great numbers
Well curiosity got me. I called Federal and they said my numbers are great. Of course they never heard of bad lot numbers etc. So I cut one open. 1.5oz of shot and 330 pellets. Exactly what they said it should be. So now William is going to let me try another choke and I will try and find another lot #. Dont want to order and get 5V again. Just wanna get through this season. Unless a miracle happens I surely will have TSS in my shell loops next season.
Thanks to William for all his help.
I have 6 boxes of these dreaded 5v lot# shells i plan on shooting them threw a few different chokes tomorrow so I will let ya'll know results.
I'm not on the youth bandwagon. I haven't extensively tested them to be frank but in the few I've tried (maybe 5) they don't shoot numbers like full size guns in the same caliber. I'm thinking it may be the short barrels. The other disadvantage is not mounting the gun properly if it doesn't fit us. That only pertains to actual shooting n not the numbers but why shoot something that doesn't fit? Like I said my knowledge is limited but longer barrels in the guns I've shot seemed better.
Quote from: nyhunter on April 13, 2017, 08:45:52 PM
I have 6 boxes of these dreaded 5v lot# shells i plan on shooting them threw a few different chokes tomorrow so I will let ya'll know results.
Please share. Looking forward to your results
Quote from: shedhunta on April 13, 2017, 10:29:35 AM
Well curiosity got me. I called Federal and they said my numbers are great. Of course they never heard of bad lot numbers etc. So I cut one open. 1.5oz of shot and 330 pellets. Exactly what they said it should be. So now William is going to let me try another choke and I will try and find another lot #. Dont want to order and get 5V again. Just wanna get through this season. Unless a miracle happens I surely will have TSS in my shell loops next season.
Thanks to William for all his help.
Sounds like you're on the right path. I find it hard to believe that Federal's QA/QC is as suspect as some would suggest. I too have a stash of 5v and 5u lots. Patterned great outta my gun and hammered a limit of gobblers no-doubt dead. If they make them any better than I've observed, they should be illegal.
5P lots is one you may want. Average 160's which is 40 pellets more in the 10 " out of my boys 21" 870 with a Truloc choke. The non-HW special one, Than the 5v lots . 5v do 115-130 out of my weatherby sa08 with the hevi-choke also. Which with a bead is tight enough for these eyes!
I have all different lot #s, and don't really notice much of a difference.
Sometimes I shoot 150ish, sometimes 130-140, but all lots hammer gobblers hard!
here's what i got with these shells lot# 5V37VK315.
Tru Lock HW #7 choke, 119,164,129
sum toy 562-5 choke, 120, 157, 167
I'm shooting an 870 with a 21" barrel
I cleaned the barrel between every shot with Denatured alcohol, and a bronze brush then dried it with clean patches.
one thing i noticed right off was each box had at least one shell that rattled with loose BB's really bad. all 3 low numbers were shells that rattled bad, on top of that not 1 of those 3 shots hit in the same stop.
All 3 high numbers were shells that rattled very little," no different than last years shells" and all 3 of them hit right dead on from where i had the gun sighted in last year. even both chokes hit the bull's eye dead on.
All together i had 8 shells that rattled like a baby rattle.
Quote from: nyhunter on April 18, 2017, 08:22:25 PM
here's what i got with these shells lot# 5V37VK315.
Tru Lock HW #7 choke, 119,164,129
sum toy 562-5 choke, 120, 157, 167
I'm shooting an 870 with a 21" barrel
I cleaned the barrel between every shot with Denatured alcohol, and a bronze brush then dried it with clean patches.
one thing i noticed right off was each box had at least one shell that rattled with loose BB's really bad. all 3 low numbers were shells that rattled bad, on top of that not 1 of those 3 shots hit in the same stop.
All 3 high numbers were shells that rattled very little," no different than last years shells" and all 3 of them hit right dead on from where i had the gun sighted in last year. even both chokes hit the bull's eye dead on.
All together i had 8 shells that rattled like a baby rattle.
Thanks for reply. I cut one that was rattling bad. It had 330 pellets and 1.48 ounces of shot. Pretty much dead on. I have never loaded shotshells but could they possibly be light on powder or buffer material in the shot? Who knows. All I know is I do not like the inconsistency.
Never seen a drop in numbers with the Fed 7's. My 870 actually shoots increased numbers slightly on the 2,3,4th shot as the barrel gets a little dirty. Have had several turkey guns that shoot better after the first shot. I have also experienced new chokes shooting better over time. Had some terrible results with a Ventilator .655/ 870sm and took it out and shot a few boxes of cheap shells through it and then shot some of my best lead pattern ever with turkey loads.