Post by steve46511 on Apr 25, 2013 9:10:57 GMT -5
Yep. A lifetime license for 26 years and this is my first year to try turkey hunting. Go figure.
Late too? Yep, again. Nasty weather doesn't put me in much of a hunting mode but more so than that.....I'm not "ready", so......not going yet. Right is right and wrong in wrong IMO.
Part of it is because 11 days after ordering and paying for the shells I wanted (Federal heavyweight), the place still hasnt SENT THEM but others coming next week through my FFL. Still honked off.
Anyway, I did have some copper coated 5 shot ammo so, out came some turkey targets. It will be mandatory (I think) to shoot the new shells when they come.....or IF they come in time,lol.....to compare but these gave me some results I didnt expect and fairly confident that what I am seeing most of you already have seen yourself but maybe one or two haven't.
Keep in mind this target is NOT going to show the dense pattern you "big boy" ammo shooters shoot. This is a 1.25 ounce load of #5 copper coated. About 212 pellets total.
Advice all over the web informs us newbies to PATTERN YOUR GUN and even though I'm not PLANNING a long shot, I thought it would give me some giggles just testing the ones I had "just in case" I have a shot before the Federals show up.
If I'm going to use something, regardless of what is coming, I wanted to have all my ducks in a row. Not one accustomed to "losing" a shot beastie......I am not willing to start now. I needed to know my "maximum range" with said ammo with gun and choke I'm using so when one is NOT in range......I don't "point, pull and pray" depending on luck. Mine is always bad!
Three days, three shots, three different weather conditions, and I have one CERTAIN thing going. This set up shoots LOW from where I am aiming and I am not getting adjustable "rifle" sights to put on the rib so I'll need to use a little KY Windage. Hardly the first time for me, but first time with a scattergun.
A LOT, of the POI is admittedly "ME" yet the low point of impact is pretty uniform and I may be the culprit for the "off center" patterns too, be it trigger pull, or old eyes?? LOL. Regardless I DID notice that at 40 yards, a CROSSWIND is considered simply because each "off center" pattern, hit slightly downwind, so I'm doing a little hmmmm thinking right now. It isnt a HUGE amount but this Truglow Strut Stopper Xtreme is TIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT IMO and off center impact is very noticable.
This photo shows how low my pattern consistantly strikes the target and also shows the center being slightly "off" my point of aim, left to right. Wind direction was almost 90 degrees coming from my left.
HAD this been a real bird, I would probably have killed it. 11 pellets low in the neck, pure luck, as you can see I totally "missed" the head. Pattern was just too low. I also would have spent some time "chasing lead" in the bird while cleaning it since the major center of the pattern was smack dab in the body area below the neck.
Good stuff to know. I'm going to have to cover his eyeball aiming at a Tom, should I be so lucky.
Again, POI being off is almost assuredly the shooter, but never the less...........food for thought.
Fairly amazed with the pattern. 40 yards is "stretching" a 20 gauge with 5 shot but again, just testing. That said, there are 76 pellets out of 212 in a 9 inch (paper plate stensil) circle at the pattern center. That's 35.8 percent in a paper plate at 40 yards.
Now to put the pattern ON the head and neck.
With the weather change that is coming, I wont be able to sit here waiting on the shells to start over so expect I'll go a few times this weekend.
30 yards and blot out his eye, I should be good to go with this load till the Federal 1.5 oz loads show up.
Just 2cents on my findings.
God Bless
Steve
Late too? Yep, again. Nasty weather doesn't put me in much of a hunting mode but more so than that.....I'm not "ready", so......not going yet. Right is right and wrong in wrong IMO.
Part of it is because 11 days after ordering and paying for the shells I wanted (Federal heavyweight), the place still hasnt SENT THEM but others coming next week through my FFL. Still honked off.
Anyway, I did have some copper coated 5 shot ammo so, out came some turkey targets. It will be mandatory (I think) to shoot the new shells when they come.....or IF they come in time,lol.....to compare but these gave me some results I didnt expect and fairly confident that what I am seeing most of you already have seen yourself but maybe one or two haven't.
Keep in mind this target is NOT going to show the dense pattern you "big boy" ammo shooters shoot. This is a 1.25 ounce load of #5 copper coated. About 212 pellets total.
Advice all over the web informs us newbies to PATTERN YOUR GUN and even though I'm not PLANNING a long shot, I thought it would give me some giggles just testing the ones I had "just in case" I have a shot before the Federals show up.
If I'm going to use something, regardless of what is coming, I wanted to have all my ducks in a row. Not one accustomed to "losing" a shot beastie......I am not willing to start now. I needed to know my "maximum range" with said ammo with gun and choke I'm using so when one is NOT in range......I don't "point, pull and pray" depending on luck. Mine is always bad!
Three days, three shots, three different weather conditions, and I have one CERTAIN thing going. This set up shoots LOW from where I am aiming and I am not getting adjustable "rifle" sights to put on the rib so I'll need to use a little KY Windage. Hardly the first time for me, but first time with a scattergun.
A LOT, of the POI is admittedly "ME" yet the low point of impact is pretty uniform and I may be the culprit for the "off center" patterns too, be it trigger pull, or old eyes?? LOL. Regardless I DID notice that at 40 yards, a CROSSWIND is considered simply because each "off center" pattern, hit slightly downwind, so I'm doing a little hmmmm thinking right now. It isnt a HUGE amount but this Truglow Strut Stopper Xtreme is TIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT IMO and off center impact is very noticable.
This photo shows how low my pattern consistantly strikes the target and also shows the center being slightly "off" my point of aim, left to right. Wind direction was almost 90 degrees coming from my left.
HAD this been a real bird, I would probably have killed it. 11 pellets low in the neck, pure luck, as you can see I totally "missed" the head. Pattern was just too low. I also would have spent some time "chasing lead" in the bird while cleaning it since the major center of the pattern was smack dab in the body area below the neck.
Good stuff to know. I'm going to have to cover his eyeball aiming at a Tom, should I be so lucky.
Again, POI being off is almost assuredly the shooter, but never the less...........food for thought.
Fairly amazed with the pattern. 40 yards is "stretching" a 20 gauge with 5 shot but again, just testing. That said, there are 76 pellets out of 212 in a 9 inch (paper plate stensil) circle at the pattern center. That's 35.8 percent in a paper plate at 40 yards.
Now to put the pattern ON the head and neck.
With the weather change that is coming, I wont be able to sit here waiting on the shells to start over so expect I'll go a few times this weekend.
30 yards and blot out his eye, I should be good to go with this load till the Federal 1.5 oz loads show up.
Just 2cents on my findings.
God Bless
Steve
