What's Your Minimum Acceptable 10" Circle at 40 Yards Pattern #?

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

Considering that we're talking about 40 Yards Max, with a little wiggle room for yardage misjudgement...

What's the minimum pattern that you'd be comfortable hunting with?

This search for the maximum number possible has left me on the fence, still wanting my pattern to open up a little well before it gets to 40 yards.  I still want to have 130+ at 40 yards in any temperature or wind conditions mind you, but I'd also like to think that my pattern would be much bigger than a softball at 20 yards.  I want both short AND long range.  The search continues..........

[allaboutshooting]

I published this picture years ago but thought it might be helpful to you in your  quest. A choke does not have to throw a softball sized pattern at 20 or 25 yards to be able to throw a good even pattern at 40 yards.

In this picture I compared the patterns from 2 well designed choke tubes at 20 yards. Both circles are 10" and you can see that the only real difference is in the core patterns of the chokes. One has a .643 e.d. and the other has a .670 e.d.

Both of those chokes can throw excellent 10" patterns at 40 yards, the main difference being that the core of the 10" is less dense and you get more even distribution outside the 10" up to 20".

I hope this helps some.



Thanks,
Clark

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

Clark, those are Lead patterns.  I'm thinking of doing something with HTL, which is usually tighter at 20 yards.

[allaboutshooting]

Yes, I shot those several years ago when a fellow visited me and had the same concerns that you've expressed about a choke that threw good dense patterns at 40 yards. He was concerned that he'd miss at 20 - 25 yards because his patterns would be too small.

I really should shoot those again with some 3" Hevi-13 shotshells and that same choke tube combination. If time and conditions allow, I'll do that soon, so we'll be able to compare the differences in the performance of lead and that shot through the same turkey chokes.

In my experience, it's really all about the design, internal geometry of the choke tube, as to how well it can keep patterns manageable at both close ranges, like 20 - 25 yards, and a 40 yard shot.

Thanks,
Clark

[dirt road ninja]

With HTL 6's I'd be alright with 150's, #7's 225 and magblends 190's. I wouldn't be super happy with those numbers using 2.25oz loads, but wouldn't worry about killing birds with them either.

[SumToy]

This is one I want to sit back and read. 

[chatterbox]

Might want to give the 3.5 Win XRHD a shot.
I have never shot them at 20, but my 20" numbers at 40 are very uniform.
I would look at Angry Birds pattern pics with this shell. He shows just what the shell will do in the 20" as well as the 10" at 40.
Just another option.

[surehuntsalot]

100-120 with lead or HTL

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

Clark, those are Lead patterns.  I'm thinking of doing something with HTL.....

Did I just say that I want to duplicate Lead Patterns with HTL?

Er.....not exactly.  In the end, a 2 shell approach, depending on the setup that day, may be the best of both worlds.  2 shells makes more sense than 2 chokes.

[SumToy]

I have got a few that was at 25 yards I will look up.  20 yards should be a hole.  25 50% of time a hole.  Now I think that some of the choke gun combos will be a hole at 30 at times.  I did see a 3 inch Win Ex-Rang out of BPS that has about a 9 to 10 inch window at 30.  This one of them perfect set ups.  I think you get over 250 your window get small at 25 and in.  That is with the ST,IC and the Kick's chokes we have test fired.  Shot a few more but think it the combo that hurt them more then anything. 

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

10" at 20 Yards, and 15"-16" at 40 Yards with "at least" 120-130+ in the 10" at 40 "under all conditions" would be about perfect.  

Let's say 3" Magnum Blend, but obviously Lead 6's will do it too.

[R AJ]

With lead or HTL 80 still is my minimum acceptable count. My conditional statement is that the majority of my shots are at or below 30 yards so I know that I am good at the 95% level of confidence.
There are many  factors other than shot counts inside the 10" @ 40  for me to consider such as brush, movement pattern of the bird such as bobbing head, dead still, position of the bird's head and neck, calmness of the bird, so the one I have the most control over is the pattern and shot choice to meet my comfort level.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

I think the chase for 300 pellets inside of 10" at 40 Yards encouraged a lot of shooting out past 40 Yards.  People figured they couldn't miss or fail to kill at 45, 50, 55, 60.  

If we're really serious about limiting ourselves to 40 Yards, with HTL we ought to be able to back off of the chokes a little and give ourselves a bigger, more user friendly pattern at 20-30-40 Yards.  130+ at 40 is still a ringer day in day out.  And HTL penetrates like crazy.

Most of the turkey chokes I've tried go all out at 40 with HTL.  A standard XFull will still break 100 at 40 with HTL and have a very even pattern.  Somewhere in between lies what I'm looking for.

[SumToy]

You hit the nail on the head.  I have ask over and over (How dead can you kill something).   I like for the guys to get into the looking for the numbers.    Now folks think that they got to have it.   I have a choke that we have had all good feed back on from guys.  It has killed past what I think should be did and with some junk shells.  Now I tell guys if they know the POA/POI of gun just go hunt.  If you shoot it on paper you will not like it.   

One thing folks dont think about is a string of shot or a ball of shot.  

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

If you shoot it on paper you will not like it.

That's funny right there.  Once you get hooked on big numbers, it's hard to turn back.