Ok, either I have the worst shooting 870 ever or.

[gophert]

Your 870 gets very similar numbers to what mine gets. 

I too shoot the IC .555 with the Fed #7's.  I think you got a shooter!   

[savduck]

Yes PM me their number.

I actually have been doing some more data on my patterns from today. Im about to make another post about it.

[savduck]

all of my federals are a few years old. In my charles daly the last few times I have counted pellets thy were always in the 170's. I use a "lead only" remington super full. If you want to shoot one of my shells and my choke let me know. Im in hinesville if you wanna hook up.

I appreciate it. Im actually gonna probably be booked up until opening day, but I may call you and hunt with you on post one morning.

I did a little more data on my patterns today, and Ive actually decided I dont want that 140 and higher average with the federals. I want to try to stay between 125 to 135 average.

[goblr77]

If your 870 is the worst mine is a close 2nd.  My patterns don't approach most people's on here. Tried the SSX, Jellyhead, Sumtoy, and RSF...all through polished barrels. I've shot through a clean barrel and also on a fouled barrel. Ran Hevi 7's, Fed 7's, Mag Blends, and Super Pheasant lead 6's through them. On average the Hevi 7's put up better numbers than the Fed 7's for me. I'm still going to hunt with the Feds because I have a bunch of them and the patterns are still plenty good to kill, 120-135 @ 40 with the SSX and Sumtoy. The RSF and Jellyhead aren't even close to that. I think numbers around 150 with the Fed's would be perfect but I haven't been able to do it.

[savduck]

After doing the data last night you can have those 150 in the 10 patterns. AT first I liked them, but they are to tight. No room for error. If you pull your shot just a few inches you blow you pattern


If you drop the Feds down to where your average is 120 to 130 in the 10 it almost doubles your kill zone (18) inches still putting between 85 to 100 in a ten ring. This pattern will reach out past 40 if you need it and still put plenty of pellets in da head for an ethical shot.

My new mission is to find the combo to give me between 115 to 130 on every shot.

[BrowningGuy88]

After doing the data last night you can have those 150 in the 10 patterns. AT first I liked them, but they are to tight. No room for error. If you pull your shot just a few inches you blow you pattern


If you drop the Feds down to where your average is 120 to 130 in the 10 it almost doubles your kill zone (18) inches still putting between 85 to 100 in a ten ring. This pattern will reach out past 40 if you need it and still put plenty of pellets in da head for an ethical shot.

My new mission is to find the combo to give me between 115 to 130 on every shot.

This is where I am with my H13 6's. Running sub 100 but over 90 each shot.

[R AJ]

After doing the data last night you can have those 150 in the 10 patterns. AT first I liked them, but they are to tight. No room for error. If you pull your shot just a few inches you blow you pattern


If you drop the Feds down to where your average is 120 to 130 in the 10 it almost doubles your kill zone (18) inches still putting between 85 to 100 in a ten ring. This pattern will reach out past 40 if you need it and still put plenty of pellets in da head for an ethical shot.



My new mission is to find the combo to give me between 115 to 130 on every shot.

I like your reasoning there as I believe that you get what is necessary in the 10 such as 80-100 and then spread those others around that pattern as evenly as possible. A 20 gauge doesn't carry over 1 1/2 ounce loads usually and two pellets in the same hole is a waste of a pellet to me. 150-200-250-300 whatever in the 10 is not as important to me as much as having that well spaced pattern around the 10" core such as a 15"-20" circle. I say that you are definitely on the right track. 

[msgobblergetter]

After doing the data last night you can have those 150 in the 10 patterns. AT first I liked them, but they are to tight. No room for error. If you pull your shot just a few inches you blow you pattern


If you drop the Feds down to where your average is 120 to 130 in the 10 it almost doubles your kill zone (18) inches still putting between 85 to 100 in a ten ring. This pattern will reach out past 40 if you need it and still put plenty of pellets in da head for an ethical shot.

My new mission is to find the combo to give me between 115 to 130 on every shot.

To be honest, if your mission is to get a consistent 115 minimum every shot, you should have been able to get that with just about any turkey choke and maybe even a factory full choke.

[savduck]

Im gonna probably run that tru glo ssx but with one lot number of shells from that 119 pattern. If I shoot the second lot of shells, Ill do it with the IC that put up the 119.

When I start shooting the hevis, Ill run the tru glo again....just due to the fact that it isnt as dense as the federals, and the higher pattern density is probably a better idea.

[wmd]

There is some BSing about pellet counts in the 10 at 40 or Ammunition has changed by the manufactures. I ordered some more shells from Midway since I thought something may be wrong with the lots numbers I got from Dunns. I also got a Tru glo SSX choke, clean the barrell, and polished it. This is 40 yards measured with a 200 foot steel tape. Some shots were clean and some were dirty. You would be surprised which is which.

Based on others, I was looking for averages at 40 with the federals in the 140 to 170 range depending on choke type. I was looking for Hevi 13s up in the 150 to 180 range based on what others have claimed. Im FAR off on those averages. I cut open a Federal heavyweight and counted 335. Others have said 340, 330, and 320.....so I think 330 is a solid average per shell.



Here is my 10 inch circle.


Here is what I got today. This is the Federal 7s from Dunns. one IC 555, Sum toy 562-5, and Truglo SSX

Sum Toy......105 in 10, 298 on paper

Tru glo......96 in 10, 270 on the paper

Indian Creek, 119 in 10, 307 on the paper

I apparently have the 1187 version of your 870 because mine would not shoot the Feds worth a flip.  I was lucky to break 100 at 40.  With the Hevi 7s, I got 168 at 40 using a Truglo SSX .550.  I though maybe it was the shells, so I had a friend shoot one through his 870 Compact 20 and it put up good numbers at 40.  He didn't count all the pellets in the 10" circle while at the range, but it did put 50+ in the head/neck of the target at 40.