Would you want to tighten this pattern up?

[ssramage]

Gun specs are a reworked H&R single shot with a Colonial Arms XFull choke (.575) with TSS #9s. Obviously the 10" ring #s are a lot lower than most post up, but it has what I would think is a killing pattern out to about 30". Almost the entire poster board has an even pattern.

I'm debating buying a new choke (like a Sumtoy .562) to test something new, but wonder if I'm chasing numbers needlessly and sacrificing a better killing pattern.

Thoughts?

[CALLM2U]

We've killed them for decades with patterns that look a lot worse than that one   

That being said, a lot depends on your typical hunting scenarios.  I have friends that rarely shoot over 30 so that pattern would be good for them. 

[Which Gun]

For me yes I'd tighten that up if I'm shooting tss in MY GUN. If not shooting pass 30 I'd still tighten it up and shoot lead. Looks to have hole on top and bottom of pattern.

[kwild835]

I would tighten it up.  Sometimes that doesn't necessarily mean a tighter choke.   Biggest thing is that you are happy with your pattern and it works for your style.

[crow]

too many holes for lead let alone tss


I have a gun with a fixed xfull .585, it patterns #8tss much more evenly than 9's and 8's also hold a tighter center core in that gun than 9's do

[jordanz7935]

I just had my H&R topper 20 ga threaded for chokes also. Id definitely look into getting a new choke.  That will kill any day @ 40 yards, but with that type of pattern your gonna pepper him from his toes to his beak and everywhere in between. What loads are you running?? You may want to try another brand of tss, some guns and loads really shine with the more open .570-.580 chokes. Also, there can be a lot of variables in patterning. Was your gun clean when u shot? Was the choke cleaned well? Most brand new chokes come pretty dirty with packing grease or whatever they put on them to prevent rusting in package. Some loads can just be inconsistent as well, shot to shot numbers can vary 100 hits in the 10" circle in some setups. If it were me, id try what i mentioned above, but dont go to crazy money wise chasing patterns with that choke.

[ssramage]

I just had my H&R topper 20 ga threaded for chokes also. Id definitely look into getting a new choke.  That will kill any day @ 40 yards, but with that type of pattern your gonna pepper him from his toes to his beak and everywhere in between. What loads are you running?? You may want to try another brand of tss, some guns and loads really shine with the more open .570-.580 chokes. Also, there can be a lot of variables in patterning. Was your gun clean when u shot? Was the choke cleaned well? Most brand new chokes come pretty dirty with packing grease or whatever they put on them to prevent rusting in package. Some loads can just be inconsistent as well, shot to shot numbers can vary 100 hits in the 10" circle in some setups. If it were me, id try what i mentioned above, but dont go to crazy money wise chasing patterns with that choke.

This is shooting the Federal TSS 1.5oz 9s. The gun much prefers the 8x10 blends, but I can't find them this year so I'm running with the 9s.

The choke in the gun right now was set up for the old Federal HWT #7s and it was flat out nasty. Surprisingly, the TSS 9s don't pattern as well and open up significantly more.

The responses here, pretty much confirm what I was thinking. I'm going to try a Sumtoy choke and see what it does.

[jordanz7935]

I just had my H&R topper 20 ga threaded for chokes also. Id definitely look into getting a new choke.  That will kill any day @ 40 yards, but with that type of pattern your gonna pepper him from his toes to his beak and everywhere in between. What loads are you running?? You may want to try another brand of tss, some guns and loads really shine with the more open .570-.580 chokes. Also, there can be a lot of variables in patterning. Was your gun clean when u shot? Was the choke cleaned well? Most brand new chokes come pretty dirty with packing grease or whatever they put on them to prevent rusting in package. Some loads can just be inconsistent as well, shot to shot numbers can vary 100 hits in the 10" circle in some setups. If it were me, id try what i mentioned above, but dont go to crazy money wise chasing patterns with that choke.

This is shooting the Federal TSS 1.5oz 9s. The gun much prefers the 8x10 blends, but I can't find them this year so I'm running with the 9s.

The choke in the gun right now was set up for the old Federal HWT #7s and it was flat out nasty. Surprisingly, the TSS 9s don't pattern as well and open up significantly more.

The responses here, pretty much confirm what I was thinking. I'm going to try a Sumtoy choke and see what it does.

Yea man those old Fed HW 7s were an awesome load! I still shoot them in my 870 20 ga with sumtoy .562. Those federal tss shells prefer super tight chokes... Im betting if you tried another load, (apex, foxtrot) youll get good patterns with your colonial choke. Especially since it's "proven" in your setup. Id bet money that if it throws great pattern in your setup with HW7s, you can get that same choke too pattern tss.... That said you cant go wrong with the sumtoy choke! Best of luck and let us know how it does.

[BandedSpur]

Yes

[randywallace]

To each his/her own, but that's not a pattern I would hunt with.

1.5 oz of tss 9s should be 540+ pellets.  You have only 136 in your circle.  They aren't all completely wasted, but you have 400+ more pellets that need to be doing work.  I would try some other chokes and when it comes to a single shot or O/U, I would be shooting a shell with a larger payload. 

There are several manufacturers with loads over 1.5 and even up to 2 oz of TSS 9s in 20 gauge (Nitro, TSS Shot, Pendleton, Burgess Creek, Apex, Rogue, Boss).  Comparing a 2oz Boss load to the 1.5oz Federal, the Boss literally has a pellet count difference (+181) larger than the number you have in the 10 ring.  Before anyone even comes with the "you don't need 2oz of TSS to kill a turkey" crap - Federals cost more that the Boss shells and most of the loads I mentioned above.  I am not about to pay more, for less TSS.

[ChesterCopperpot]

1.5 oz of tss 9s should be 540+ pellets.  You have only 136 in your circle.  They aren't all completely wasted, but you have 400+ more pellets that need to be doing work.  I would try some other chokes and when it comes to a single shot or O/U, I would be shooting a shell with a larger payload. 

I'm absolutely with [mention]randywallace [/mention]on this. You've got 75% of your load outside that 10". Personally I aim for about a 50/50 split between 10" and 20" at that range. I like a hotter core. That said if you were to look at the 20" and all of the shot was contained within that space you'd have a perfectly even pattern with what you've got. Depends what you want out of it, I guess. Perfectly even or hotter core?


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[owlhoot]

1.5 oz. tss  federal loads have given me 225 + out of many 20 gauge combos , even fixed full single shot.
those early loads I bought have a 8.5 tss pellet count from the 2 that I cut open. I would draw a 20" and see what you have as Chester C said.
I would count the whole paper and see if you have close to the 540 pellet count also.