Shotgun patterning. (40 yard target added)
- Thread starter getfoxy
- Start date
Ky Fur Buster
New member
The Hornady stuff does better with less choke.
Jeff, You need to shoot more than one pattern, often one shell will pattern better/worse than the previous.
Are those loads buffered? I don't think you can see through the shell so you will have to cut one open to find out.
If the shotgun shoots low for you, in my experience you will shoot low with many shotguns, only Browning BPS, A-5, and Mossburg 500 shoot dead on for me, all others shoot low. Beretta, Benelli have shims where you can adjust for a certain amount of fit. An adjustable butt plate that will adjust for height in your pattern will probably be in your future with this shotgun.
Also, Remington may have changed their load over the years...you never know. Shotguns are just like rifles, they have certain loads that they like.
Keep things in perspective, if a long shot is 40 yards for you, do you really want to shoot a turkey choke that will put all the buckshot in a 20" circle at 40 yards? That would meant that all your pellets at an average distance of 15-30 yards would be so tight that it would be like shooting a rifle. Extremely tight patterns along with gun fit, equates to an optical sight, add on the rib sights, or an adjustable butt pad where you can adjust for your fit.
Try another pattern at 30 yards, and cut open a shell to verify that it is buffered. You are hunting in very dense cover compared to guys that hunt in the dessert, keep that in mind. Too much choke will leade to a lot of misses, you will be shooting at running targets most of the time! Super tight chokes in close cover leade to misses as you have already found out, especially if your targets get smaller such as foxes and bobcats, BB and #2 shot may be best for you since your shots are relatively close.
In as far as gun fit, as I mentioned you are going to have an issue with that with many shotguns since you are shooting low as it is part of your physical make up. I use a Burris speed on my 11/87 which also shoots low, so does my Beretta 390 and 391 and Benelli SBE, the latter three also shoot left and low...speed beades all the way around.
You also mentioned that you like to shoot crows, keep that in mind as a crow flying in over the top of a pine tree would be like shooting a 22 rifle if you had a turkey choke or an extra full. There is a happy medium, and from your pattern already, you have it for 15-35 yard shooting and beyond with your long shots being 40 yards.
Now, just go kill some and post some great pictures! Good luck!
Are those loads buffered? I don't think you can see through the shell so you will have to cut one open to find out.
If the shotgun shoots low for you, in my experience you will shoot low with many shotguns, only Browning BPS, A-5, and Mossburg 500 shoot dead on for me, all others shoot low. Beretta, Benelli have shims where you can adjust for a certain amount of fit. An adjustable butt plate that will adjust for height in your pattern will probably be in your future with this shotgun.
Also, Remington may have changed their load over the years...you never know. Shotguns are just like rifles, they have certain loads that they like.
Keep things in perspective, if a long shot is 40 yards for you, do you really want to shoot a turkey choke that will put all the buckshot in a 20" circle at 40 yards? That would meant that all your pellets at an average distance of 15-30 yards would be so tight that it would be like shooting a rifle. Extremely tight patterns along with gun fit, equates to an optical sight, add on the rib sights, or an adjustable butt pad where you can adjust for your fit.
Try another pattern at 30 yards, and cut open a shell to verify that it is buffered. You are hunting in very dense cover compared to guys that hunt in the dessert, keep that in mind. Too much choke will leade to a lot of misses, you will be shooting at running targets most of the time! Super tight chokes in close cover leade to misses as you have already found out, especially if your targets get smaller such as foxes and bobcats, BB and #2 shot may be best for you since your shots are relatively close.
In as far as gun fit, as I mentioned you are going to have an issue with that with many shotguns since you are shooting low as it is part of your physical make up. I use a Burris speed on my 11/87 which also shoots low, so does my Beretta 390 and 391 and Benelli SBE, the latter three also shoot left and low...speed beades all the way around.
You also mentioned that you like to shoot crows, keep that in mind as a crow flying in over the top of a pine tree would be like shooting a 22 rifle if you had a turkey choke or an extra full. There is a happy medium, and from your pattern already, you have it for 15-35 yard shooting and beyond with your long shots being 40 yards.
Now, just go kill some and post some great pictures! Good luck!
Update.......
The weather cleared off over night and I was able to make it out a little further today
Put this guy up at 40 yards and this is what I got in return. This is holding center mass ever so slightly high.
You have 2 hits in the 4.5" which makes for 11 total in a 10.5 " radius at 40 yards. I know one does not ever stop testing but this is better than I thought it would be and I don't think I'd have any problem taking this load hunting. What are your thoughts? Bear in mind this is not off of a bench...this is off of my shooting sticks from a typical field position.
The weather cleared off over night and I was able to make it out a little further today
Put this guy up at 40 yards and this is what I got in return. This is holding center mass ever so slightly high.
You have 2 hits in the 4.5" which makes for 11 total in a 10.5 " radius at 40 yards. I know one does not ever stop testing but this is better than I thought it would be and I don't think I'd have any problem taking this load hunting. What are your thoughts? Bear in mind this is not off of a bench...this is off of my shooting sticks from a typical field position.
spotstalkshoot
Well-known member
Go kill some fur with it!
Change ammo as you should have 70% bare minimum in a 30" circle at 40 yards. I see 28 out of 41 pellets on the paper which is horrible for THAT full choke. You would have still put the coyote down on that shot for at least a follow up shot as you would have hit the coyote with probably 7 pellets, and 4 is enough to kill one with #4 buck.
40 yards would be your longest shot, right?
Here is the answer to the shooting low:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jack-west-adjustable-stock-Remington-1100-1187-trico-west-/161950612659?hash=item25b5023cb3:g:OYQAAOSwpRRWnFgO
Shotguns are a lot more complicated than you would have thought, eh? Even if you lay down $1400 for a shogun and start analyzing patterns the way you are, you sill will have to find the ammo the gun likes and deal with shotgun fit. An education costs money, time, and trouble.
Even if you sell the barrel and buy a rem choke barrel, you will have to go through the same issues with chokes. I have three extra full chokes for my Beretta 391 in extra full and they all pattern differently with the same ammo... Turkeys.
Your fit on a shotgun will probably mean that you shoot low with a lot of shotguns, so be prepared.
You paid $325 for the 1100 3", vent rib full choke with a good Neopreme sling and sling swivels, the action alone was worth that. So, if you are not happy, sell the barrel on ebay, as it has had the forcing cone lengthened cone lengthened, and an extra gas port added, drilled and tapped with a set screw so you can shoot light shells also. The barrel should sell for $150 on ebay, put the money toward a Rem choke barrel, and there is a Rem 1100 3" Hastings Wad lock rem choke type barrel on there right now.
Before you do anything else, you should try some Federal Premium and some Winchester Supreme 3" #4 buck, along with some 3" 1 7/8 oz BB.
It is too bad that things in life are not as simple as we need them to be, as job and our budgets seem to get in the way.
In an answer to your question in your first post as to whether you have a viable shotgun or not, consider this, in the picture below you see where the individual name tags that was taken off of many single trophies and were consolidated onto this one plaque. The Predator Hunting club asked the older members to donate their trophies to save money and give the new guys more of a chance to get nice trophies. I gave another box of trophies back to the club to recycle to new guys when I left Ca. That 1100 of yours was on everyone of those hunts. We would have not tolerated a shot gun that was knocking down coyotes with them running off costing us to loose a club hunt or State hunt.
That shotgun has killed over 500 predators of different kinds, and I will say it again, a shotgun that gimped up coyotes, missed foxes, and bob cats would not have been tolerated for one minute.
You need to work on two things, gun fit, and finding the ammo that shoots well in that shotgun, the factory has obviously changed the load that they loaded years ago. Nothing has changed about the shotgun except that I took off the camo tape.
For the kind of terrain(thick woods) that you hunt in, having a turkey choke shotgun would not fit your needs well, as these kinds of chokes are better suited for 35-60+ yardages in open terrain.
Good luck
The same thing will apply to your crow shooting, shells from different makers will vary greatly in their ability to pattern.
40 yards would be your longest shot, right?
Here is the answer to the shooting low:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jack-west-adjustable-stock-Remington-1100-1187-trico-west-/161950612659?hash=item25b5023cb3:g:OYQAAOSwpRRWnFgO
Shotguns are a lot more complicated than you would have thought, eh? Even if you lay down $1400 for a shogun and start analyzing patterns the way you are, you sill will have to find the ammo the gun likes and deal with shotgun fit. An education costs money, time, and trouble.
Even if you sell the barrel and buy a rem choke barrel, you will have to go through the same issues with chokes. I have three extra full chokes for my Beretta 391 in extra full and they all pattern differently with the same ammo... Turkeys.
Your fit on a shotgun will probably mean that you shoot low with a lot of shotguns, so be prepared.
You paid $325 for the 1100 3", vent rib full choke with a good Neopreme sling and sling swivels, the action alone was worth that. So, if you are not happy, sell the barrel on ebay, as it has had the forcing cone lengthened cone lengthened, and an extra gas port added, drilled and tapped with a set screw so you can shoot light shells also. The barrel should sell for $150 on ebay, put the money toward a Rem choke barrel, and there is a Rem 1100 3" Hastings Wad lock rem choke type barrel on there right now.
Before you do anything else, you should try some Federal Premium and some Winchester Supreme 3" #4 buck, along with some 3" 1 7/8 oz BB.
It is too bad that things in life are not as simple as we need them to be, as job and our budgets seem to get in the way.
In an answer to your question in your first post as to whether you have a viable shotgun or not, consider this, in the picture below you see where the individual name tags that was taken off of many single trophies and were consolidated onto this one plaque. The Predator Hunting club asked the older members to donate their trophies to save money and give the new guys more of a chance to get nice trophies. I gave another box of trophies back to the club to recycle to new guys when I left Ca. That 1100 of yours was on everyone of those hunts. We would have not tolerated a shot gun that was knocking down coyotes with them running off costing us to loose a club hunt or State hunt.
That shotgun has killed over 500 predators of different kinds, and I will say it again, a shotgun that gimped up coyotes, missed foxes, and bob cats would not have been tolerated for one minute.
You need to work on two things, gun fit, and finding the ammo that shoots well in that shotgun, the factory has obviously changed the load that they loaded years ago. Nothing has changed about the shotgun except that I took off the camo tape.
For the kind of terrain(thick woods) that you hunt in, having a turkey choke shotgun would not fit your needs well, as these kinds of chokes are better suited for 35-60+ yardages in open terrain.
Good luck
The same thing will apply to your crow shooting, shells from different makers will vary greatly in their ability to pattern.
Keith in not sure exactly how to respond to your post as I don't doubt what this particularl shotgun has done for you in years past.....all in saying is I've tried 2 of the tried and true and haven't found a load yet....I'm just wondering what exactly I should be looking for and where I should stop
I have tried the Winchester supreme. It was the first load I tried.
If you think the above load is bad, you should have seen the Winchester. Terrible.
So then I moved on to a couple of hornadys loads, those were less than stellar to put it mildly. But the bb load patterned much better out my modified choked 870.
Then we move to Remington 3" 4buck.....well the proof is in the pudding above as to how it's working out.
So that leaves the federal load to try. Somehow I'm just not sure it's gonna be a magical load.
Like I said there's still a lot of work to do, more loads to try etc as funds allow. But I'm thinking a barrel swap with interchangeable chokes is in order
Shoot by the time it's over I may slap an improved cylinder barrel on it and use it in the grouse woods.
I have tried the Winchester supreme. It was the first load I tried.
If you think the above load is bad, you should have seen the Winchester. Terrible.
So then I moved on to a couple of hornadys loads, those were less than stellar to put it mildly. But the bb load patterned much better out my modified choked 870.
Then we move to Remington 3" 4buck.....well the proof is in the pudding above as to how it's working out.
So that leaves the federal load to try. Somehow I'm just not sure it's gonna be a magical load.
Like I said there's still a lot of work to do, more loads to try etc as funds allow. But I'm thinking a barrel swap with interchangeable chokes is in order
Shoot by the time it's over I may slap an improved cylinder barrel on it and use it in the grouse woods.
All I used to shoot was Rem 3" and Fed Premium 3" #4 buck and 3" BB's in both.
I cleaned the bore to a perfect spit shine, first that I can ever remember...maybe that is the problem...hee hee!
I kept really good notes on pattern testing, I will try and dig them up. This is something that has never been discussed that I have ever seen, how a company can change a load, but I know that they do it all the time.
That Rem 3" load is what I would expect out of my old Rem 28" modified choke.
I cleaned the bore to a perfect spit shine, first that I can ever remember...maybe that is the problem...hee hee!
I kept really good notes on pattern testing, I will try and dig them up. This is something that has never been discussed that I have ever seen, how a company can change a load, but I know that they do it all the time.
That Rem 3" load is what I would expect out of my old Rem 28" modified choke.
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I just checked my notes from 1986, I was getting between 18- 28 #4 buckshot In a 20" circle at 40 yards between Fed and Rem. Some shells will pattern better than others....no figuring that out. 90% pattern in a 30" circle.
You need to go and hunt with that gun and the loads since your shots at 40 yards are rare. Remember, this is not T shot, nor BB's. It does not take anywhere near as many #4 buck to kill.
As you are seeing more cats and foxes, you may be well advised to use 1 7/8 oz of BB, and lead #2's work extremely well, aim for their shoulder and you will grind them up.
I always used a 30" circle due to the pigeons we shot and crows.
There is a balance between shooting close range and having enough pellets hit the coyotes body further on out to kill him outright or knock him down and hit him again. Coyotes running in full bore are a challenge because you have to leade them, same with foxes and bot cats.
Often, guys will begin to think in terms of shooting a group with a shotgun like you are shooting a group with a rifle. You do want some spread on the close range shooting for your area, and that barrel has about perfect for crows at 40 yards-50 yards. That 1 1/2 oz Golden Pheasant load is wicked ugly on crows on out there. We were also bad about slipping in some crow loads when a predator stand was blanked, change gears to flying varmints.
You need to go and hunt with that gun and the loads since your shots at 40 yards are rare. Remember, this is not T shot, nor BB's. It does not take anywhere near as many #4 buck to kill.
As you are seeing more cats and foxes, you may be well advised to use 1 7/8 oz of BB, and lead #2's work extremely well, aim for their shoulder and you will grind them up.
I always used a 30" circle due to the pigeons we shot and crows.
There is a balance between shooting close range and having enough pellets hit the coyotes body further on out to kill him outright or knock him down and hit him again. Coyotes running in full bore are a challenge because you have to leade them, same with foxes and bot cats.
Often, guys will begin to think in terms of shooting a group with a shotgun like you are shooting a group with a rifle. You do want some spread on the close range shooting for your area, and that barrel has about perfect for crows at 40 yards-50 yards. That 1 1/2 oz Golden Pheasant load is wicked ugly on crows on out there. We were also bad about slipping in some crow loads when a predator stand was blanked, change gears to flying varmints.
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