Garrett and I learned this weekend that patterning your shotgun is a complete waste of time.

Maybe it's because we were shooting Benellis, you know, the softest-shooting, fastest-cycling, hardest-hitting, most-hookers-and-blow-attracting waterfowl guns on the market today.

Maybe it's just dumb luck.

But seriously, we threw 5 shot, 4 shot, 3 shot, 2 shot, we ran Kent, Winchester Xpert, Hypersonic, Black Cloud, Rio,

it didn't matter one bit-- well, not within our parameters anyway.

We patterned at 20 yards** (otherwise known as "a sportsman's length" or "gentleman's duck shootin range") and he used a mod choke and I used an IC. His was slightly tighter patterns. Not even a significant difference.

You couldn't hardly tell one pattern sheet from another, I mean we wrote down the variables and everything.

The most interesting thing that happened all day with patterning was we ate german buffet beforehand (I had a Franziskaner on tap too) and second most interesting is the Rio loads tended to blow the wad right through the waferboard we were using to staple the paper to.

All joking aside, I'm being dead serious. It was a waste of time. I will continue to shoot whatever I have, can find, or is cheap. They all performed so close to one another there wasn't one single load or pattern that was preferable over another.




** we might have run 40 yard patterns later to see what the differences were but frankly it got hot outside and doing that would have interfered with our adult beverage time. See, the brewskies were getting warm fast in the heat of the day.

20 yards?????

You should both be hunting with a cylinder choke.

Wow

Sir, I hear your wow and yet am still unenlightened as to the general direction of your comment in response to my writing.

Ground swat distance

DANG, sorry guys!!! How far does a skybuster have to pattern their shotgun? 80 yards???

I don't know where to start.

Why did you choose 20 yards?

Have you even met Garrett? It was the most convenient distance. Besides, no shenanigans, we do actually decoy ducks before we shoot them.

patterning your shotgun: a complete and utter waste of time

The more I think about it, the more I can't believe a MODERATOR posted this.

I've met Garrett but I had been drinking so I can't judge

And I agree, patterning a gun at 20 yards with a mod choke will tell you nothing.

I would hope any shotgun and any choke could make great patterns at 20 yards. Its at 40 yards that tells the tale.

Really? What difference does it make? Moderators are to keep the peace and help members having troubles not to make sure everyone has the same opinion.

I sweat through a good shirt for nothing

O.K. now go out and do it at 30,40 and 50 yards.

we dont shoot ducks that far out

Hey, I always heard on the intertoobs you were supposed to pattern your gun at the distances you shoot at. Since we decoy ducks, we chose 20 yards.

If some of you guys aren't decoying ducks, well maybe you're the problem instead of the solution??? <- check the SMILEY that is supposed to be in good fun..

I only shoot decoying ducks as well, but still patterned my gun at 30 yards. Made a huge difference and I found the best pattern at that range. If you get them into 20 before you shoot at them, your 3rd shot will still be 30 out I'd imagine. Try it again at 30

so you don't shoot the ones that set down at the end of your spread? Or do you put all your deks around your feet?

A for effort though... well maybe...

Honestly we probably should. But did I mention Garrett didn't want to walk that far to hang paper? And did I mention our beers were getting hot? Maybe we'll do it again.

But since we decoy ducks the first shot is at, like 5, yards, the second shot is at about 15 and the third miss is right around 20 yards

Well you must be missing at 20 yards or you wouldn't have felt the need to pattern.

I've seen Taylor miss a duck at 20 yards but I didn't realize it was a common centex problem

Actually we felt like we needed to pattern to be official internet duck hunters. And you know, when experienced people say stuff like pattern your gun and you're the kind of person that wants to always get better you try new stuff

Now the Taylor thing, he has to shoot way out at 20 yards because he refuses to buy real man sunglasses. He is always wearing those mirrored jobs so the ducks won't come in any closer.

To me, a MODERATOR is kinda like the "role model",...someone to be respected,.....someone that (hopefully) gives a good response/advice to any given question asked.

Patterning a shotgun is a must (in my opinion, although I will say that at 20 yards, it is probbaly a waste of time. I pattern from 30-60 yards) and ALSO determines point of impact, a very important thing to know about every gun a person owns.

Basically, what you posted is akin to getting on the deer hunting section and telling people not to take the time to sight in their deer rifles.

Patterning a shot gun is not like shooting a rifle to see if it is tack driving.
I agree with Redgun you must pattern your shotgun and its not a waste,the main reason I would is to see what each choke and shot is doing in the gun I'm shooting so I think you guys did the right thing be it 20 or what ever yards take what you got down on paper for what it's worth.

So you say that you two shot at 20yrds well thats fine but dont hate what it has shown you....Thats just what it is.

Dave is a terrible mod...next time a vote come up I'm voting for redgun, his stance on mods seem to mirror mine

If I was a MODERATOR, this post would have been locked/deleeted.