Help!! Fed. HW #7s pattern numbers

[SKFOOTER]

Yes it is.

Yes it is the Trulock HW #7 .650 choke or the Precision Hunter .650 choke.  They are two different choke tubes.

[K9Doc]

I have an 11-87 with the Trulock fed heavyweight #7 choke .I get 200-220 on average in 10inch and another 150-160 in the 20inch at 40yds with the 3 1/2 1 7/8 oz load. With one of my older 870 with same choke and the 3in 1 5/8 oz load i get an average 140-160 on average at 40.Lee

Now that's a smokin' pattern!  Before Federal changed their recipe a few years back I was happy with 175 in 10"!  With their new recipe I get 150 in 10".
I got tired of never knowing what Lot# was best and started loading my own.

[bawana]

oops! yes it is the PH .650

[SKFOOTER]

I have an 11-87 with the Trulock fed heavyweight #7 choke .I get 200-220 on average in 10inch and another 150-160 in the 20inch at 40yds with the 3 1/2 1 7/8 oz load. With one of my older 870 with same choke and the 3in 1 5/8 oz load i get an average 140-160 on average at 40.Lee

Now that's a smokin' pattern!  Before Federal changed their recipe a few years back I was happy with 175 in 10"!  With their new recipe I get 150 in 10".
I got tired of never knowing what Lot# was best and started loading my own.

K9, was the 175 in a 10" circle with the 3" or 3.5" shell and with which gun and choke??

[seadux]

My 870 SM and I have officially given up on 3.5" Fed. Hw #7.  After 4 chokes and 11 shells from 3 different lot #s, I feel like we have given it the old college try.  I got one pattern I would hunt with, 151 pellets in the 10" at 40yds. with a good even pattern in the 20".  But I had already decided it had to do at least as well as 3.5" H-13 #6.  In my gun it does not.  In my buddy's 11-87 turkey gun he consistently gets in the 170's in the 10" at 40 using the same choke.  I think the flite control wad is just that finicky. 

[decoykrvr]

Like a lot of others, I too have given up on the Federal HW loads.  I had numerous conversations w/ the product development staff at Federal, tried all of their choke recommendations , and then some, several shotguns w/ both 3" and 31/2" shells, and never got what I considered to be good consistant turkey hunting/killing patterns.  One of the goals put forth by Federal was to develop a HW turkey load which didn't require "special" chokes.  They have failed miserably in that regard, and due to less than stellar sales, cost, and projected increased cost in tungsten, if you have had success w/ the shell you'd better buy all you can find asap.

[seadux]

Agreed!  Federal would do well to offer the quality of shot and selection of loads in a standard wad. If they did, I believe they could compete with Hevishot.  Not so much with the flite control.  I have never had the misfortune of shooting any of the waterfowl loads with that wad; I will be sure I never do. 

[mightyjoeyoung]

My buddy Norm is getting 170's with the HW 7's in his 870 SP Super Mag with the factory SF non-ported choke.  I'm getting avg 220's with the same load in my 835 through the Truglo Bone Collector .670.  Both of our guns have been deep cleaned and mine have been pollished as well.  We're goin to give his 870 a good pollishing this spring and see what she'll do then...

[obro]

I was shooting 3.5 7s with a Roberts tube and was pushing 200 with my original ammo out of a SBE 2 . The recent ammo I have bought didn't produce as good of results . I'm in the process of working on a mag blend or hevi 7s load for that reason.

[Longshanks]

I was able to turn 200+ with a 21" barrel rem .870. I used the fed HW 3" 7's and a Hastings non ported .665. Improved my numbers by 30-40 by switching to kicks .655 and hevi 3/2/7's. Sold the Hastings.

[allaboutshooting]

I have tried the Federal 3.5" 1 7/8 oz. load of HW #7s in several chokes out of my Rem 870 23" barrel and have not gotten a really good pattern.  I am now thinking my expectations may be too high.  Has anyone been able to break 200 in the 10" at 40yds with a remington?  If so what choke?

To maximize the potential of that shell, you must defeat the intended purpose of the wad. There are really only 2 choices, see the wad perform as intended or get good patterns. I have shot hundreds and hundreds of those shells and worked on the development of that shell with the design engineer. We finally found out how to get good patterns.

You must compress the wad. In 12 gauge the SSX in all configurations works as does the Wright's #3. In 20 gauge the SSX is the best choke I've found as is the case with scores of other shooters.

I'd recommend the SSX or the Wright's #3 for your Rem-Choke shotgun.

Thanks,
Clark

[gatrkyhntr70]

I have tried the Federal 3.5" 1 7/8 oz. load of HW #7s in several chokes out of my Rem 870 23" barrel and have not gotten a really good pattern.  I am now thinking my expectations may be too high.  Has anyone been able to break 200 in the 10" at 40yds with a remington?  If so what choke?

To maximize the potential of that shell, you must defeat the intended purpose of the wad. There are really only 2 choices, see the wad perform as intended or get good patterns. I have shot hundreds and hundreds of those shells and worked on the development of that shell with the design engineer. We finally found out how to get good patterns.

You must compress the wad. In 12 gauge the SSX in all configurations works as does the Wright's #3. In 20 gauge the SSX is the best choke I've found as is the case with scores of other shooters.

I'd recommend the SSX or the Wright's #3 for your Rem-Choke shotgun.

Thanks,
Clark

Hey Clark,
Do you recall what kind of 10" circle #'s you guys were getting with the ssx and fed #7's??

[Rockhound]

The 12 gauge fcw is bigger than the bore of a standard 12 gauge bore if I recall correctly, 200 should be easy. I know gobbler74 got like 220.

[allaboutshooting]

I have tried the Federal 3.5" 1 7/8 oz. load of HW #7s in several chokes out of my Rem 870 23" barrel and have not gotten a really good pattern.  I am now thinking my expectations may be too high.  Has anyone been able to break 200 in the 10" at 40yds with a remington?  If so what choke?

To maximize the potential of that shell, you must defeat the intended purpose of the wad. There are really only 2 choices, see the wad perform as intended or get good patterns. I have shot hundreds and hundreds of those shells and worked on the development of that shell with the design engineer. We finally found out how to get good patterns.

You must compress the wad. In 12 gauge the SSX in all configurations works as does the Wright's #3. In 20 gauge the SSX is the best choke I've found as is the case with scores of other shooters.

I'd recommend the SSX or the Wright's #3 for your Rem-Choke shotgun.

Thanks,
Clark

Hey Clark,
Do you recall what kind of 10" circle #'s you guys were getting with the ssx and fed #7's??

I would have to look back in my records to give you some numbers. What I do remember is that patterns were dense and even, especially for such a low shot payload.

Thanks,
Clark

[Fullfan]

Several days ago I had the chance to shoot my new 11-87 sure shot. I cleaned the
barrel  but did not polish it. Shooting the 3.5 inch #7 Heviewights, first shot put 180 in 9"  at 40, second was 210 in a 9" at 40. They were shot through the Truelock choke, I thought the paper plate was 10" but turned out to be 9"
Will post up some pics in a day or so.