Took the 10 ga. Double to the Range on Sunday. At 25 yards I had a nice even pattern that a clay (or more importantly a pheasant) couldn't escape! Using a full 2 ounces of # 7.5's I got terrific coverage of the entire target (approx. 4 sq. ft.) with the cylinder-bore side and just a slightly tighter pattern from the improved cylinder (left side). Glad to also report that the patterns were completely centered on the target frame :wild: so I will be happy with my results and load the gun the same way every time!

 

Those flying chickens do fall like a rock .

you mean there's anything left after you blast that poor bird with a 10 gauge?

Using a full 2 ounces of # 7.5's = approx. 700 pellets! Yipes.

you mean there's anything left after you blast that poor bird with a 10 gauge?

 

Yes there's plenty of bird left, lol! It's a cylinder-bore (no choke) and at 25 yards it opens up quite nice. It's all about how I pack the series of cards and wads, along with the cushioned shot wad. The result is an even coverage over a larger area, so the amount of lead in the breast meat is less than you may initially think. The patterning board shows no signs of density variations allowing a clay to fly through without being hit by several pellets, and no concentrated pellet strikes that would create any holes in the pattern.

 

At the shotgun range, the clays usually aren't "dusted", they're smacked well enough to break apart without just a "cheap shot" being chipped. At 35 yards or so the pattern gets too wide and some clays do escape by flying right through the pattern, so I won't shoot at a pheasant unless it's closer than 35 yards.

 

Keep in mind that this is a percussion muzzleloading double.

 

Have a great day guys!

 

Dave

you mean there's anything left after you blast that poor bird with a 10 gauge?

 

Actually Dave is good, the blast is go good it blasts the feathers and cooks the bird and lands on the ground just like this..

 

Dave, what did you use to hold the gun steady with while doing your test? I would guess your hands....... I used the pattern board once but didn't feel like I had a consistant hold on the two guns I was shooting that day. Had the wife take a few shots and while the pattern was the same, the location moved. Pretty cool to see the openings though, clays had a chance to get through un-scathed and it wasn't due to our aim.

Actually Dave is good, the blast is go good it blasts the feathers and cooks the bird and lands on the ground just like this..

 

 

Harry,

 

You're a piece of Work! I didn't know a 10 ga. could do all you say AND stuff the Bird too, lol!

 

I guess a hit with both barrels would tend to over-cook my stuff turkey, lol!

 

Thanks Harry!

Dave, what did you use to hold the gun steady with while doing your test? I would guess your hands....... I used the pattern board once but didn't feel like I had a consistant hold on the two guns I was shooting that day. Had the wife take a few shots and while the pattern was the same, the location moved. Pretty cool to see the openings though, clays had a chance to get through un-scathed and it wasn't due to our aim.

 

Mike,

 

The way you hold a shotgun is slightly different from the way your wife does, that's why the pattern shifted, yet remained the same density-wise.

 

Changing any of the variables such as choke, ammo manufacturer, wad type/size or hull maker if reloading your own shells, as well as the sheer amount of lead will to some degree effect how the pattern prints on a patterning board or paper.

 

A friend of my son who lives in Iowa makes his own reloads with various wads. Just by altering the wads he can alter the density or the spread of the pattern without even changing the choke in his son's gun. This guy has a 13 year old son who is a State Champion in Sporting Clays for his age group. He can tell you how all of the popular brands of ammo "print" out of his son's 12 ga. and whether or not there are any holes in the patterns for clays to fly through! He's got it down to a science, and he's a real friendly guy. I can't wait to go back so I can shoot with him!