870 SM and Long beard question

[taylorjones20]

I have seen some pretty impressive patterns on here lately with the long beards.  However, I am shooting an 870 SM with 26" barrel and .660 JH and I am only getting 186 hits in 10" circle at 40 yards with the long beard xr #6.  I shot the #5's as well and I didn't even bother to count the hits because there was so many open spots in the pattern...  I know that 186 is sufficient but compared to Hevi #7's last year at 331 it doesn't seem so good...

Any advice?

[SCDieselDawg]

I have a  870 express magnum with a 26" pipe. It wouldn't break a 100 in the 10" with any shell or choke that I tried until I tried a .665 Indian Creek. My first pattern with that choke was with 3" #6 LongBeards. And it went 205    next shot was with 3" #5 LongBeards and it went 140s.

[Thomas6689]

Open it up just a little .665

[Quackwacker NC]

I'm shooting 3" 870 26" barrel with a .655 ventilator and getting 187-189 with long beards #6

[surehuntsalot]

only 168 at 40 yds??? Really?? you need to take that gun hunting and quite worrying about holes in a piece of paper

[taylorjones20]

only 168 at 40 yds??? Really?? you need to take that gun hunting and quite worrying about holes in a piece of paper

Lol, I was waiting on someone to say something along these lines...  I just see so many other posts on here of people getting a lot more numbers with these shells and just wanted to know what I needed to do to get those types of numbers as well.  That's the reason I said I knew it was sufficient but just wanted it a little better.

Thanks for the help so far.  I will be trying a .665 today and will post the results.

[Chilly]

I'll bet "Lot Numbers" get brought up before season starts. 

[cuppednlocked]

IIRC Sumtoy posted something about the shorter barrel guns putting up higher numbers than the longer barrels.

[R AJ]

only 168 at 40 yds??? Really?? you need to take that gun hunting and quite worrying about holes in a piece of paper

Actually it was only 186 not 168. Think about this, If you don't leave some paper in the 10" you can't count the holes.

[taylorjones20]

I shot it today with #6's JH .665. Got 227 in 10" at 40.
Thanks for the suggestion. I never would have thought that going to a more open choke would help... 

[spur collector]

Sounds like your right where you need to be now.

[Gooserbat]

180's are way more than you need.  I've never been able to get my gun to shoot much over 120 with the old HV lead #6 and I killed birds all day every day at 40 and a few yard beyond.