Patterning and Loads

[zelmo1]

Just curious, how do you decide on your loads and how do you pattern them? I do my research and ask many questions here as this is the best source for info. I make my choices on chokes to try based on my hunting conditions/situations. I then get my chokes and choose the loads I will try by the same criteria. I shoot all the combinations at 20/35/50 yards and compare the info. I prefer a dense even pattern. I then " comparison shop" until there is one left and thats my basic setp. I may tweak a very little bit. But once it is field proven, I stick with my gear. Just a little 12 degree weather question, LOL. Be well, Z

[bbcoach]

For me, my patterning came from THIS SITE, as well, and the GUYS that have Faithfully posted their results here.  Back in 2010, when HEVI-13 was the RAGE, I bought my first and ONLY dedicated turkey gun, a camoed 24" 835.  After researching this site, I took many of your guy's advice that were patterning the Hevi-13 7's at the time, and bought a .670 Pure Gold choke and the rest was history.  When I initially setup the 835 with dove loads, it was shooting about 6" low and 6" right so I added a Bushnell Trophy Red dot and dialed it in.  After following the advice of many, I deep cleaned and polished the barrel to a mirror shine (which I still do before the season begins).  The first round of 3 1/2" Hevi-13 7's at 40 told me, I had a KILLING MACHINE!  300 plus (got to 300 and didn't count any further) in a 10" circle was as far as I needed to go with this gun.  Today, I only shoot Hevi 7's and it's LIGHTS OUT if I do my job of putting the RED on the HEAD.  A Very Big Thank You goes out to Clark Bush R.I.P. and to ALL of you guys that have GRACIOUSLY shared their KNOWLEDGE on this GREAT SITE.  One last tidbit of information, Knowledge Applied is Wisdom Indeed!

[Gooserbat]

Shoot at least 4 shots on paper at 40 yards draw 10" circle by tracing a pattern cut by cardboard around the most dense part.  Count the pellets and establish an average.  Do this with however many loads or chokes you want.  I look at pellet count and patern distribution.  If it's a hot core vs an even distribution I'm going for the even.  I have a magic number for how many pellets im looking for based upon payload weight, size of shot, and gauge.  For instance in a 12 ga, #9, 2oz  I'm looking for 320-340/10" .  Anything more you are waisting shot.  Anything below 270 and it doesn't make sense for me to not use a sub gage.

[Tom007]

Great post here. I set up my guns a bit different than most. I try to get my birds within 35 yards, this is my wheel house. I know at this maximum range (for me), I should be tagging and hauling him out for a ride home in my pick-up. I set up all my Scopes, Red Dots to have a POA in the center of the waddle. I have learned a lot from all of you on patterns and loads. I get great results with Long-beard 6's, Heavyweight 6's and 7's, and various TSS loads from the top makers. I am not a 10-inch circle counter, I concentrate on how many pellets are in the vital areas of the "Primos Type" turkey targets. These targets show the spiney neck bone, windpipe, head/skull, throat and Waddle. As Sam stated above, I look more for an even, consistent pattern in lieu of a "hot core" golf ball sized hole. I use different chokes and loads in different guns. We all know that each Gun has particular loads and chokes that they like. The chokes that I have had the best luck with are Indian Creek, Rob Roberts, Pure Gold, Truelock and Briley. I use both ported and non-ported chokes depending on the loads. The Federal Heavyweight loads perform much better through non-ported chokes due to their flight control wad. I primarily use 12 gauges, but have to say that my "Sweet Sixteen" gauge Browning will see most of the action this year. I enjoyed great success last season with it. I enjoy patterning my turkey guns, and look forward to every season choosing one to take out on any particular spring morning. Good luck, it's right around the corner..

[joey46]

I always enjoy all the hoopla over some patterning their $8 to $10 a shot TSS.  In the real world I'm betting 90% of the nation's turkey hunters don't take but a shot or two and if things look decent say "good enough is good enough".  Just my IMO but if your gun and choke combo patterns well at 35 yards then "good enough is good enough".   Just for the record I pattern my .410 and 12 ga at 30 yards. 

[GobbleNut]

I always enjoy all the hoopla over some patterning their $8 to $10 a shot TSS.  In the real world I'm betting 90% of the nation's turkey hunters don't take but a shot or two and if things look decent say "good enough is good enough".  Just my IMO but if your gun and choke combo patterns well at 35 yards then "good enough is good enough".  Just for the record I pattern my .410 and 12 ga at 30 yards. 

Agree totally...may be higher than 90%...    I don't know a single person that goes to the trouble of patterning their shotguns like some of the die-hards on here do...and the ones that do are not willing to shoot those expensive TSS loads (myself included).  That is too bad because I think too many "regular" turkey hunters go afield with weapons that they have no idea how those guns perform, where their patterns hit, or anything about densities at range.  The result: wounded turkeys. 

I am personally kind-of in the middle.  I go out and shoot my gun each spring prior to the season...mainly to make sure my eyesight has not changed enough to impact my ability to shoot "beads". The gun I use centers the pattern nicely and holds an even, well distributed, and dense enough pattern to consistently kill gobblers at the ranges I shoot...assuming there is no "user error", which I think is the biggest factor for those of us that know our guns and their capabilities.

Now, I don't begrudge those that are "pellet counters" at all...just not personally interested in doing that.  But if it's your thang, go for it! I'm just not willing to spend that kind of money to verify what I already know about my shotgun. I can't kill 'em any deader than my gun gets them (usually). 

[WV Flopper]

When it comes time "Very Soon" I will shoot. I shoot what I hunt with. On the bench, I clean after every shot.

As far as developing, no, I haven't done that. I have talked with my ammo manufacturer and use his tested recommendations.

This has served me well. Well enough, "That good enough is good enough".

Going to a sub gauge this year, waiting on arrival of a Retay now. Been hunting with a BPS 10g that will put over 600 in a 10" circle at 40 yards.

I will do the same with the 20g Retay. I will ask the shell guy for a load that will go through an IC .555 and put a bunch of holes in paper at 40.

[Dtrkyman]

I started hand loading TSS 8 or so years ago before you could buy it.

Ordered shot from Hal, loaded his recipe and still shoot the same load.

Sighted in with dove loads at 10 yards, confirmed pattern with TSS at 20 and 40.

The stuff shoots so well I never bothered counting anything!

Only last year I sent back a choke that bulged and the replacement didn't look as good so I bought another choke and dialed in with it, it gets around 330 in the 10 at 40!   1 5/8th OZ 9s.

Actually considering dropping to 1 1/4oz load?

Turkey patterning gets way over complicated!


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[Gobble!]

I'm a fan of counting holes. Been shooting a 2.5oz load of #9s for 10 years or so.

When I first made the switch I dialed the gun in with dove loads at 10 yards. Then backed up to 20 yards with the hunting load and fine tuned. From there I backed up to 40 and fine turned again.

Always been a Burris Fast Fire and Indian Creek fan. With the Indian Creek I tried .665, .675, and .682 out of my 870 until I decided on a diameter. .665 was too tight for my liking, produced 550 inside a 10" circle and another 250 in the 20". The .682 was pretty sweet producing nearly a 400/400 pattern but I eventually decided on the .675 with a 500/300 pattern. Didn't take me long to build a shot trap to reuse the shot.


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[Greg Massey]

I set my guns up depending on what kind of choke,shells and sights I plan on using. Open sights, scope and red dots. Do most all patterning between 15 / 35 - 40 yards. I don't set up all my guns to shoot just one type of shell. I use multiple guns, shells and chokes with some that have a tighter pattern and some with a more open pattern and I try to base which gun i'm going to use on the area I plan to hunt. C

Carrying a good gun that patterns well is as important as carrying a bag/vest of calls.

In my opinion, it's just as important to learn to use your calls as having a good patterning shotgun / shotguns.

Great post everyone...

[Tclipse01]

For me, my patterning came from THIS SITE, as well, and the GUYS that have Faithfully posted their results here.  Back in 2010, when HEVI-13 was the RAGE, I bought my first and ONLY dedicated turkey gun, a camoed 24" 835.  After researching this site, I took many of your guy's advice that were patterning the Hevi-13 7's at the time, and bought a .670 Pure Gold choke and the rest was history.  When I initially setup the 835 with dove loads, it was shooting about 6" low and 6" right so I added a Bushnell Trophy Red dot and dialed it in.  After following the advice of many, I deep cleaned and polished the barrel to a mirror shine (which I still do before the season begins).  The first round of 3 1/2" Hevi-13 7's at 40 told me, I had a KILLING MACHINE!  300 plus (got to 300 and didn't count any further) in a 10" circle was as far as I needed to go with this gun.  Today, I only shoot Hevi 7's and it's LIGHTS OUT if I do my job of putting the RED on the HEAD.  A Very Big Thank You goes out to Clark Bush R.I.P. and to ALL of you guys that have GRACIOUSLY shared their KNOWLEDGE on this GREAT SITE.  One last tidbit of information, Knowledge Applied is Wisdom Indeed!

This was it for me too - I looked up my gun and what chokes were recommended here, then tried the top 3 to lock in on what works best for me. Ended up with a Weatherby SA-459 20ga. with a Sumtoy Custom .562 choke and No. 9 TSS. Super happy with the choke recommendations that were given here, and with the setup I ended up with.

[owlhoot]

Started patterning around 1977. Have never went turkey hunting without a gun and load being patterned. Have also patterned many others guns. A lot of trial and error through the years.
Any old lead turkey load and choke can cause plenty of wounded toms. Have heard that from people many times.
In these times of super loads, hevi and especially TSS it isn't as critical.
Lots of info on here to learn from and for new to the patterning world it is great info.
40 yard patterns for comparison. 10 inch circles.
To me it has always been a hobby, and even now I will try a bit of the ole lead loads just to see. And all types of loads in a new gun or choke.
Tss 9's in a 20 gauge at 40 yards easily gets 225+ in a 10" circle with even the federal shells so that's enough for me. They do well at 20 yards also. And they are not cheap so do not shoot them as much unless new gun. Messed around with a 10 gauge last spring for a good friend with lead loads that was fun. And this spring it .410 time with TSS from federal, browning and apex loads Ive had for a few years.