My Hevi 7 fears confirmed ??? (w/ pics)

[BowBendr]

OK, so i've been reading about the numbers reduction folks are getting from this years batch of EM shells. I decided to shoot today in the almost exact conditions as last year to see what the real deal was. The gun is an 835 Mossy and I shoot a StarDot .676 choke that has produced outstanding results in the past. The shells from last year are lot #300325, this years patterns are from lot #300488. They are 3.5"-2.25 oz.-7's.

In the past year since bird season, I installed a Burris FFII and I polished my barrel to Shawns exact directions, resulting in a mirror brite finish in the bore.

I figured that since I was shooting in the same conditions last year, I should see an increase in pattern density and my numbers go up a hair due to the polish job, but if I had the same shells this year that everybody is suspect of, I would stay the same or maybe drop a tad, also due to the fact that the polish job may hold up my numbers vs. last years un-polished bore. I was hoping to just stay the same.

To stay consistant, I cleaned the choke and pulled a dry bore-snake thru 3 times before each shot.These are the lowest count patterns from each session at 30 and 40 yds. Last year, I consistantly put 300/305 in the 10 at 40 yds. with the 300325's. Over 400 was always turned in at 30. Here are the results from the 300488's.

2010-30 yds.

2011-30 yds.

2010-40 yds.

2011-40 yds.


I'm not too depressed. These numbers will smoke birds all day long, but it is a significant decrease in numbers seeing how the polish job was negated due to apparent trouble/changes in these shells.

Your input and opinions please.

[sugarray]

Don't lose any sleep.  273 is a great number and a nice even pattern to boot.  Look at your 20" numbers too.  If they are even as well, then you are smoking turkeys and I would sleep like a baby knowing when I pull the trigger it is a dead bird, as long as I aim true.

[Mossy517]

I need to get my barrel polished up, I shot 7's this past weekend and my #'s were lacking to say the least. I was not real happy. For the $$ you spend for these shells, they should perform year to year. You should not be left guessing if the one you are about to touch off is gonna to the job. I wish they would stay consistant.

[hookedspur]

Don't lose any sleep.  273 is a great number and a nice even pattern to boot.  Look at your 20" numbers too.  If they are even as well, then you are smoking turkeys and I would sleep like a baby knowing when I pull the trigger it is a dead bird, as long as I aim true.

[allaboutshooting]

Those are amazing patterns, all of them. We would never have even thought that any gun, choke or shotshell would have done that just a couple of years ago.

I'd say any bird out in front of your gun is a dead one.

Thanks,
Clark

[mossy835]

Those are amazing patterns, all of them. We would never have even thought that any gun, choke or shotshell would have done that just a couple of years ago.

I'd say any bird out in front of your gun is a dead one.

Thanks,
Clark

Agreed!

[bowhunter84]

Those are amazing patterns, all of them. We would never have even thought that any gun, choke or shotshell would have done that just a couple of years ago.

I'd say any bird out in front of your gun is a dead one.

Thanks,
Clark

[WyoHunter]

You do your part and the gun will do its part - dead bird! 

[VAHUNTER]

Those are amazing patterns, all of them. We would never have even thought that any gun, choke or shotshell would have done that just a couple of years ago.

I'd say any bird out in front of your gun is a dead one.

Thanks,
Clark

agreed !! very well said

[Gobble!]

if i get better then 250 with the 7s I will be happy

[pullit]

that is less than 10% difference. I have seen that  much out of the same box.
I would not think twice about it.

[SKFOOTER]

Have you shot any of last year's #7 loads thru your freshly polished barrel to see if those numbers increased???

[BowBendr]

Have you shot any of last year's #7 loads thru your freshly polished barrel to see if those numbers increased???

Nope. I only have 1 full box left and i'm a skeerd to shoot them up at targets. You're right though, that would only be the true test to really compare, but I can't get Bird to sell me any of that big stash he's got................

The only part I don't understand is that I only had a 10% reduction in hits at 40, but I dropped over 100 hits at 30. I don't get it, but I ain't sweating it. They'll kill real nice.

[longspur]

ever shot 2 or 3 without the boresnake? I only tried it once this year and can't afford to shoot much paper but I lost over 20 hits after pulling the snake through.

[BowBendr]

ever shot 2 or 3 without the boresnake? I only tried it once this year and can't afford to shoot much paper but I lost over 20 hits after pulling the snake through.

Yes I have but I was just trying to keep a standard set to what I did last year. Just trying to compare lot #'s that had been discussed earlier. I too, find my counts go up a little with a slightly fouled bore.