Hotter core or perfectly even?

[ChesterCopperpot]

I was thinking about a gun I've been fooling with recently and I've been disappointed with the 10" numbers. However, the entire payload for most of these patterns are completely even and contained within the 20". That got me thinking about what percentage the 10" circle is of the 20" surface area and it's right at 25%. Looked at my numbers and sure enough I'm getting right at 25% of the load in that area with good even patterning across the rest of the 20". So it would seem my disappointment is at the lack of a hotter core in the pattern.

Question: Do you prefer a hotter core or a perfectly even pattern, and why? Does that change if you're running optics versus a bead, or say if you're running a particular load (i.e. Long Beards versus something like TSS)?


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[davisd9]

Even

[Greg Massey]

Even pattern. Optic is what i prefer, for the closer shot and my eyes, they don't see so good anymore. I've also used my optic to make sure i'm picking out the long beard and not the jake in the heat of the battle.

[GobbleNut]

Even for me, too.  I am not a numbers counter and could care less about how many hits in the ten at forty.  As long as that pattern is even and dense enough to consistently hit a gobblers skull and neck vertebrae with a handful of shot at up to forty or so yards, I am good.

[owlhoot]

Even, especially with out optics or sights.

[sasquatch1]

First off, What is 25% of the load that in the 10"

We don't know your total load to really judge what your achieving

For instance, I shoot tss 9s in a 1-5/8 oz load

So 25#% would only be 145 pellets or so in the 10".

To me that is a terrible pattern as I could do a 250/250ish even pattern

Idc if it's even I sure don't want 145 in the 10" with 400 in the 10-20"


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[ChesterCopperpot]

First off, What is 25% of the load that in the 10"

We don't know your total load to really judge what your achieving

For instance, I shoot tss 9s in a 1-5/8 oz load

So 25#% would only be 145 pellets or so in the 10".

To me that is a terrible pattern as I could do a 250/250ish even pattern

Idc if it's even I sure don't want 145 in the 10" with 400 in the 10-20"


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It doesn't matter the load. 25% of a load is 25% of a load. In the specific instance it's 2oz of Hevi 13 #7, a load of roughly 508 pellets with ~130ish in the 10" (equating to almost exactly 25%).

What you're describing as your preference, though, is a slightly hotter core. A perfectly fine preference to have hence the question.


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[sasquatch1]

First off, What is 25% of the load that in the 10"

We don't know your total load to really judge what your achieving

For instance, I shoot tss 9s in a 1-5/8 oz load

So 25#% would only be 145 pellets or so in the 10".

To me that is a terrible pattern as I could do a 250/250ish even pattern

Idc if it's even I sure don't want 145 in the 10" with 400 in the 10-20"


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It doesn't matter the load. 25% of a load is 25% of a load. In the specific instance it's 2oz of Hevi 13 #7, a load of roughly 508 pellets with ~130ish in the 10" (equating to almost exactly 25%).

What you're describing as your preference, though, is a slightly hotter core. A perfectly fine preference to have hence the question.


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Right, I wasn't arguing that % is different

There's loads out there that will be very weak for a hunting pattern at 25% in the 10" no matter how even

Without knowing the Shell I couldn't say if your obtaining a killing pattern.

You could've been shooting 20ga longbeards for all we knew, only getting about 70 pellets in the 10" which will lead to problems if taking 40 yard shots.

But, seeing now what your shooting. Yes it's def huntable and plenty enough. Personally I'd like it slightly hotter but that's tit for tat.

[sasquatch1]

Also, on the optics part of the question I wouldn't change the pattern I'd like to achieve.

However since going to a red dot I don't think I'd ever go back unless I had to due to a malfunction.

The red dot allows a lot more room for error if your shooting off handed or at a hard angle making your bead alignment not quite right.   

If that dot is on him that's where the pattern is hitting, period, the bead can be on him but not necessarily the pattern if you not lined up looking down the barrel correctly.


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[EastKyGobblerSlayer]

I prefer an even spread for hunting applications. One jerky head movement from a skiddish old warrior could take his head right out of that 10 inch circle. I think alot of guys get hung up with tighter/farther/more pellets. I dont meant to say I dont admire your dedication to studying and refining what you send down range. In fact I dont mean this as a reaction to anything you said just an observation of many members of our community. I would say you have an excellent setup with enough spread to be effective at a variety of scenarios. We cant always get them to stand as still as paper targets or calm ourselves to hold as steady during the heat of the moment anyway and thats the fun of it for me.

[catman529]

I've never counted pellets in a circle, but I would rather the pattern be even


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[btomlin]

I go for even also.  I've never counted my 40yrd pattern for a 10" circle(never heard of it until joining here), but I always looked for a nice even distributed pattern that had around 10hits on a turkey head with no holes of escape.

The way I set up using the terrain and hunting in timber, I'm more concerned with the under 20 yd shots than I am the over 35yd shots so I use a factory F and 6s in my gun.  I'm not sure I'd be able to hit anything with some of the choke constrictions I see.  .640 & .650 seems like it would make some tiiigggghtttttt swarms. 

[owlhoot]

First off, What is 25% of the load that in the 10"









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It doesn't matter the load. 25% of a load is 25% of a load. In the specific instance it's 2oz of Hevi 13 #7, a load of roughly 508 pellets with ~130ish in the 10" (equating to almost exactly 25%).

What you're describing as your preference, though, is a slightly hotter core. A perfectly fine preference to have hence the question.


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In that case I would work for a lot better 10" pattern like 200. But try to keep it even out to 20".

[Tom007]

I use optics on all my turkey guns, red dots, or scopes. I strive for an Even pattern with no "holes". I like a real even pattern at 30/35 yards. That is my wheelhouse range. I think a "no holes" pattern is more important in turkey hunting. Just my thoughts and pattern experience. Thx

[Gooserbat]

I like even.  With today's shells it's easy to get 300+  and still have an even pattern.  I have both of my guns putting 320/10-360/20 and it's purdeath at ranges beyond the magic 40 yards, however my patterns are not tennis ball small at 15-20 yards.