H13 3.5"-1.75oz-#6 disappointing results

[mcgruff1533]

I fired my first rounds of Hevi 13 shells today and noticed some very disappointing results.

My purpose of testing these shells was to get a baseline comparison between HTL and my current copper plated lead load of choice.     Testing was done at 30 yards with my Mossberg 535 Tactical Turkey with a 20" barrel.      Chokes tested were my SSX .643" and my new Indian Creek BDS .660"

The loads were Hevi 13 shells purchased at Bass Pro Shops.     They were 3.5"-1.75 oz-#6 at 1090 fps.   The first thing I noticed was how much less recoil these loads generate when compared to the Federal Mag Shok lead loads at 1,300 fps.      The Federal loads kick like a mule while these H13 loads were similar to shooting a 3" Magnum Pheasant load.

SSX .643" results:
1. 213 in 10" @30 yards
2. 219 in 10" @30 yards.

The SSX threw a pattern that was dead center on my POA and had a very dense pattern core of about 5" or so.    The fringe area between 5" and 10" was filled in pretty good with the exception of 3 holes about the size of half dollars.

Indian Creek BDS .660" results:
1. 168 in 10" @30 yards.
2. 155 in 10"@ 30 yards.

The IC BDS did not seem to be a fan of the H13 #6 loads.     Not only were the pellet hits lower, the pattern was very "patchy".      I've heard these lighter H13 loads aren't known for patterning as tight as their more heavily loaded siblings.      I have some Hevi 13 bronze loads of 3-2-7's that I'll hopefully get to test tomorrow.

So far, the H13 loads of 3.5-1.75-6 certainly have not justified their expense when compared to much cheaper offerings such as my Federal 3.5-2-6 loads of copper plated lead and the FC wad.

[shootumindaface]

A fella buy the name of Tranz on here put up 260 with that shell and another guy I know just recently put up 230s, both of them had way more pellets on the paper than what should be in the load..

Thus success with that 1 3/4 load comes with the shells that are heavily skewed to small pellets

[mcgruff1533]

A fella buy the name of Tranz on here put up 260 with that shell and another guy I know just recently put up 230s, both of them had way more pellets on the paper than what should be in the load..

Thus success with that 1 3/4 load comes with the shells that are heavily skewed to small pellets

Sounds like someone was either "fudging" their numbers and making them artificially high, or like you said, the shot was skewed with smaller than advertised shot pellets.

[BigPeck215]

back when those shells were current production shells, EM had a problem sorting their shot sizes properly and many shells ended up with many more pellets than what should be in there. they have gotten much better at making sure 6's are really 6's and not 7's 8's 9's

that shell should have 350 pellets in it but it wouldn't surprise me if the count was in the low 400's

[Mag10]

The  h13 loads that are doing the best are the 2.25 oz 3.5" and the 2 oz 3" loads.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

I have gotten 150+ in 10" at 40 Yards with 3 different chokes, using the 3" 1.75 Ounce #6 Hevi13 shells.  My best has been 159 with a Star Dot.

Very few people get 159 at 40 Yards with any Lead shell.

[Richyb]

I shoot the rem hevi in the 3 1/2" 1.75oz #6 and get better patterens then with any of the h13 stuff. I can tell you that it kicks like a mule. None of that h13 pansy thump of the shoulder haha.

[shootumindaface]

A fella buy the name of Tranz on here put up 260 with that shell and another guy I know just recently put up 230s, both of them had way more pellets on the paper than what should be in the load..

Thus success with that 1 3/4 load comes with the shells that are heavily skewed to small pellets

Sounds like someone was either "fudging" their numbers and making them artificially high, or like you said, the shot was skewed with smaller than advertised shot pellets.

Tranz was at Gobbler guns and the Lucky weasel patterning system does not lie.. The other guy I trust a bunch.. His pellet count was closer to 8s







Sent from my 10 year old Dell using my 2 pointer fingers.

[sugarray]

Why are you upset?  You are using a load that has 1/4-1/2 oz less pellets than the vast majority are shooting here.  Also, those patterns are smoking at 30 yds, they will kill turkeys all day long.

[mcgruff1533]

Why are you upset?  You are using a load that has 1/4-1/2 oz less pellets than the vast majority are shooting here.  Also, those patterns are smoking at 30 yds, they will kill turkeys all day long.

Disappointed yes... upset, not a chance!   I guess I at least expected these HTL loads to match the performance of a traditional copper plated lead load.     I realize these 1.75 oz H13 loads are 1/4 ounce lighter than the 2 ounce Federal lead loads I've been shooting, but I figured the lighter payload of HTL would at least pattern tighter.

I went back to the board today and put 346 pellets of H13 3-2-7's in the 10" at 30 yards with my Indian Creek BDS .660" choke.     I'll step back to 40 yards and try it again to see how the pattern holds.

[shootumindaface]

The HTL 6s will prevail at 40 vs the lead shells.. If we only shot 30 yards the pattern difference in most cases would be negligible at 40 and beyond is where the HTL shines.




Sent from my 10 year old Dell using my 2 pointer fingers.