1187 patterns

[jfair]

Hey guys.  First time poster with a few questions.  I have an 1187 3 1/2 with a JH .665 getting 170 to 190 in 10 inches at 40 yards with Heavi 13 in 6 shot.  Maybe 350 to 380 in 20 inch circle.  I see allot of postings with much tighter patterns.  My questions are... a 10" circle is 5" radius,  correct?  Why do most take the best 10" circle on the paper?  I always make my circle before I shoot, around the aiming point.  Isn't this the correct way to pattern?  If 300 pellets are located a foot to the right, what good are they really?  Not trying to start anything with my first post, just wondering.  Thanks everyone.  Great board!

[SR1]

Pattern first then find the densest part of your pattern and put the 10 around it then count the pellets. If its off by a foot in any direction you need to adjust your sights if you have any to put the densest part where you are aiming. If all you have is a bead you can bend the barrel till it is where it needs to be.

[Cutt]

I also have a new 11-87 with a 23in. barrel, and have been shooting some Hevi. Not really getting the impressive numbers with Hevi, but the 3.5in. 2.25 #6's did the best.

With a Jellyhead .665 I was getting right around 200 hits in a 10in. circle, mostly in the 190's

With the factory Rem choke that came with the gun, it put up + 200 both times I tried it with a dirty barrel, around 213.

So if you got a Rem Wingmaster HD Turkey/Predator choke with that gun, don't count that choke out as it will likely do better than the Jellyhead .665 from what I've seen.

Other than that set out to shot Hevi 7's, in the 3in. which didn't put up that good of numbers with a jelly .660 . As the 3.5 6's put up more, so the 6's is  the better of the two at least with my gun

[jfair]

Yep.  My gun has a scope and is zeroed in.   I have just seen allot of pattern pics on this board with an obvious aiming "dot" and a 10" circle that is sometimes not near that dot.   I am wondering if these heavy-13 are throwing patterns left, right, up or down as these patterning pictures are suggesting to me.  I would just not be as enthusiastic about a 250 - 300 pellet count as some are, when the pattern is not centered.  This could have a 20 yard shot with a tight pattern missing a bird completely.  When i see posts with patterns of 350 pellets and up, sorry, but I question whether this is a true 10" circle or maybe really a 20" circle.  Just wanted to get a true baseline for what I should expect to see from my gun.

[jfair]

Hey Cutt.  That sounds like very reasonable numbers.  Can't believe this is reasonable now when I thought 120 with lead 6 was fantastic.  I wasn't sure if I could shoot heavi shot through the rem choke.  I will try it.  Thanks.

[Cutt]

Hey Cutt.  That sounds like very resonable numbers.  Can't believe this is reasonable now when I thought 120 with lead 6 was fantastic.  I wasn't sure if I could shoot heavy shot through the rem choke.  I will try it.  Thanks.

Not that they are not reasonable numbers by no means, they will easily do the job. But just the Hevi-13 in general can do a lot better, with the right combination, as many have posted.

If your Rem choke is a Wingmaster HD Turkey /Predator, it is a Hevi shot safe tube. Not really sure of the constriction as it's not labeled, but believe I read .672 somewhere? If you do have this exact tube, give it a try with the Hevi 3.5in. 2.25 oz #6's, would be intrested to hear your results.

[JUGHEAD]

Yep.  My gun has a scope and is zeroed in.   I have just seen allot of pattern pics on this board with an obvious aiming "dot" and a 10" circle that is sometimes not near that dot.   I am wondering if these heavy-13 are throwing patterns left, right, up or down as these patterning pictures are suggesting to me.  I would just not be as enthusiastic about a 250 - 300 pellet count as some are, when the pattern is not centered.  This could have a 20 yard shot with a tight pattern missing a bird completely.  When i see posts with patterns of 350 pellets and up, sorry, but I question whether this is a true 10" circle or maybe really a 20" circle.  Just wanted to get a true baseline for what I should expect to see from my gun.

Once you find out what patterns best in your gun (load/choke combination), then you move the sights or scope to the point of impact.  Everything I tried in my Mossberg 500 hit at different points of impact vs. the last.  Once I chose something, then I set my scope to match the point of impact of the best pattern throwing combination.  I'm sure guys are simply showing patterns from early on in the patterning.  I don't think anybody here is foolish enough to go out and hunt without making a POI sight/scope adjustment to match the chosen combination.

[jfair]

I hope you are right.  I am sure some will shoot without centering pattern though.  I see there is a post for bragging rights on the longest shot.  Wow!  They will shoot 60, 70, 80 yards.  Mistakes in reading yardage that bad.  Really!  I'm getting way off base though.  I'm very confident in 90% of what is being said on this board to be true.  It's just when I see numbers in the 350 pellet count range I begin to wonder how they obtained that count.  Is the gun shooting that well, or is there some other explaination?  When the pattern is not centered - Is the gun not sighted for that load, or is it throwing the pattern?  Just curious.

[Cutt]

author= When the pattern is not centered - Is the gun not sighted for that load, or is it throwing the pattern?  Just curious.

Yes in a sense, it would be too expensive to center each load to hit dead center, when shooting different loads. So most just make sure they are on a big sheet of cardboard, then shoot and compare patterns. Then once they decide which one to go with, they center it for that load.

[Turkey Trot]

Have you tried a Rem Super Full or a Rem Ventilator?

They can both be purchased inexpensively off the intermess.  I believe numrich/gunparts co or midwest gunworks has them both cheap, like $26 for both of them before shipping.