Fibre and Choking

[chippy]

It's one of those things that without some pretty impressive camera equipment, we'll never know the answer to.

I have pattern tested a few steel game cartridges in the past through 1/4 choke and I was quite disappointed in just how big the gaps in the pattern were for a 32g steel 4 compared to a 30g lead 6, easily enough for a smaller game bird to be missed when the ranges were out past 40 yards. I would imagine that a lead 7.5 or 8 would present a pattern that is a lot more populated for a lot longer.

Given that both the shot and target are continuously moving relevant to each other, I'm not sure how effective pattern testing really is.

I shot a pattern plate at 40 yards once and never again. How we manage to break clays at that distance and beyond I will never know.

 

[Will Hewland]

I shot a pattern plate at 40 yards once and never again. How we manage to break clays at that distance and beyond I will never know.

That’s why the accepted optimal distance for evaluating patterns is 16 yards.

 

[FESkent]

That’s why the accepted optimal distance for evaluating patterns is 16 yards.

Think 16 yards is a little close is it not 25 yards?

This information is getting a little dated but still interesting to view.

http://www.shotgun-insight.com/fibreVsPlasticSporterShells.html#fibreWadPatterns
The link also includes software to analyse a photo of a pattern, but needs an old windows PC to run on.

 

[John Billington]

That’s why the accepted optimal distance for evaluating patterns is 16 yards.

The price of cartridges we should be able to smash then at a far greater distance. How did George Digweed kill those clays at 100 yard plus. ?

 

[Will Hewland]

The price of cartridges we should be able to smash then at a far greater distance. How did George Digweed kill those clays at 100 yard plus. ?

Yeah… I wasn’t saying cartridges are only capable of 16 yards. But if you want to compare patterns, what emerges at 16 yards is very telling. Can’t recall where I read it was the optimal distance to study the results but makes sense to me. I usually do 15..

 

[John Billington]

Yeah… I wasn’t saying cartridges are only capable of 16 yards. But if you want to compare patterns, what emerges at 16 yards is very telling. Can’t recall where I read it was the optimal distance to study the results but makes sense to me. I usually do 15..

Maybe in wrong here but I thought you patterned a gun at 30 yards.

 

[Will Hewland]

Maybe in wrong here but I thought you patterned a gun at 30 yards.

I used to pattern at 10,20,30. Then realised I was wasting my time really. 15 yards tells the tale for what I want. Longer is just an exaggeration of that result.