NEW Shotgun Pattern Test Results - Detail & Pic' heavy...

I went out today and did a little shooting. I was using my 12 Ga Remington 870 Express 28” barrel, with a new Primos Jellyhead .665 choke I had just purchased. I set my targets out (9” paper plates) at 40 yards. My ammo for this round of pattern testing was Remington 3” #4 Buck. On my first shot, I think I pulled a little left. I was a bit twitchy, not knowing what to expect. I got my act together for the next two. I think I can kill a coyote with is setup.

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2ndShot40yards.jpg

3rdShot40yrds.jpg
 
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In the above picture the copper coated lead pellets are number 2's, the next size bigger lead pellets are BB's and the biggest lead pellets are "T" shot from BPI.

All of this information is for lead shot.

4's are .129" dia with 135 pellets per ounce

2's are .148" dia with 90 pellets per ounce

BB's are .18" dia with 50 pellets per ounce

"T" are .20 dia with 31 pellets per ounce

Number 4 Buck are .24" dia with 21 pellets per ounce

I have noticed some people don't pay any attention to pellet size or pellet count when they use a shotgun for coyotes. A real eye opener is to put some different sizes of pellets like 2's, BB's, "T" and number 4 Buckshot in your hand.

Number 2 bird shot pellets are really big pellets when you compare them to 6's or 7-1/2's. But 2's look pretty small when you compare them to BB's, "T" or number 4 buckshot.

On each size difference between 2"s, BB, "T" and Number 4 buck, the pellet weight increase is about 40% more per pellet as you go up in pellet size.

The difference in inches in diameter does not look like much between the pellet sizes but the actual pellet weight per pellet is huge.

Many years ago I shot some coyotes with copper coated lead number 2's and if the shot angle was not perfect, I didn't like the results.

When I switched to copper coated lead BB's I could see the difference in performance right away. At the time I didn't really know that the BB's weighed 40% more than the 2's, but I did see that they performed much better than the 2's.

To get killing penetration on a coyote when the shot angle is not perfect it has to be a heavy pellet. 2's, 4's and smaller size pellets will not penetrate deep enough or break bones like the bigger pellets do.

The point I am trying to make is go with the biggest pellet size in lead pellets that you can and still get a dense pattern. In factory ammo that would be BB's or number 4 buckshot.

It is too bad nobody makes a factory lead load in BBB or "T" shot. I have reloaded BBB and "T" lead shot that I got from BPI. These two sizes seem to be perfect for penetration and pellet count in lead pellets.

The heavier than lead, Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote "T" and the Remington Wingmaster HD Predator "T" and the Rem HD Waterfowl BB loads are even better but they are much higher priced.
 
I got a Midway flyer the other day and Winchester has a new coyote load. It is hevi-shot B's that they say are going 2100fps. That seems a little fast but I was wondering if any one has tryed them. I have been using Winchester lead BB this year and have had good luck so far.I dont think I will change in the middle of season but might see how they group this summer.
 
yeah i saw that gander mtn. had some the other day when i was in. i guess we're lucky in bama that we can use buckshot. #4 buck is pretty popular but if we couldnt use it i would go for bb shot.

btw- what chokes are safe for hevi-shot?
 
This is a great thread, thanks for all the information. I had been experiencing some strange problems (read as close range misses) with the Dead Coyote shot and the Dead Coyote choke. For some reason when using the load and choke out of my Mossberg 500 the load shoots really high. I have sent a couple of shots right over the backs of coyotes, which is very frustrating. I have ahd no problems with the gun shooting high with other loads and chokes, so I must attribute it to this combination.

Thanks again for the info.
 
That illustrates exactly why we go to all the trouble to pattern our guns and loads before we hit the field with them. Thanks for telling that story that may save someone else some grief in the future.
 
Anyone have an idea on distance that a good pattern of HD bb's carry enough energy to effectively drop yotes? If you have the pattern at 50-60 yards, will they carry the energy?

I jut picked up 2 boxes of 3" Remington HD BB's to try out of my 870 Supermag Shurshot with a 13" barrel, and an Indian Creek BDS. All post pics when I get to pattern them.
 
Rick, the HD-BB's have the energy for clean kills at 60 yards. I say that from personal experience. I head shot a coyote looking directly at me and the pellets penetrated the skull with enough force to pop the eyes of that coyote from their sockets. Dead right there! That is not an easy angle for shot to penetrate hard angled bone from. Broadside shots will reach through and tear important stuff up.
 
Shot a red tonight with a Remington 11-87 SP and a Full Rem Choke (.685" I believe they are) at 25 yards with Remington Express 3" #4 Buckshot. Looks like the fox hasn't even been hit. DRT!
 
Just my 2 cents but here at home I shoot a lot of steel board targets and I have used about everything in the arsonal different brand guns and different chokes, keep in mind this is only #9 shot but it seems I always get my azz handed to me by the older fellows with the old long barrel guns like Remington 1100 with 30-34 inch barrels and those Remington Wingmaster with the cob forarms everytime. I'm hoping this can tie end with coyote hunting and patterning guns but it's my 2 cents. I just wonder what some of those long barrel guns would do with the ammo your using...just thinking out loud.
 
It might be interesting. I’ve had two 36” barrel long Tom single shots in the past. One was a 10 gauge and one a 12 gauge, both fixed full choke of course. I’ve also owned two 30” barreled Remington 12 gauge Magnum’s, one an 870 pump and one an 1100, both with fixed full chokes. They were all turkey guns at one time. I do know none of them with their best load would outshoot my current turkey rig with a 24” barrel and choke tubes.
 
Those old guns like I was saying Remington and Winchester was the toughest to beat in a steel board shoot no matter what screw in choke I had or any anyone else had everyone at the match will pay high dollar for a good tight gun. I might get lucky and win a money round but the old guns won alot of the times 3-4 straight. When the old guns win the price goes up and hard to afford a gun at the shooting match. Never sell you winning gun. There is a bit of luck like wind at times I get lucky but like I said this is #9 shot but I'm curious about the larger shot size in one of these guns. I been shooting these screw in chokes and many of the other shooters shoot them as well and its amazing to see these remington and winchester doing this good at all the shoots I go to even out of state. They hold a tight pattern, but you can lose by less than 1/4 in these shoots. If I can trade or buy one of these shotguns right I will try the larger shot with pics and post them if I can get one of these shotguns.
 
Are those shooting match guns still factory choked? The ones around here have all been "buggy hubbed" or whatever they call it to a tiny choke constriction. I wouldnt want to slam a magnum load of large shot into one of those teeny tight chokes. Have you tried the special “card shooter” chokes that are offered by several makers? Some of those 12 gauge card shooter chokes go down to .640” and below!
 
Your choke can't be tighter than .660 here and people all the time try to bring in sleeved guns but they get caught. People seem to cheat in anything anymore. Specifications say only factory chocked guns only. I have even seen some of these old timers sneak a reloaded ammo into their gun and get caught by switching out the load at the time to shot it. I would be interested in trying one of the older long barreled guns like the Remington 1100 Ducksunlimited with 34 inch barrel for coyote just to pattern it with #4 shot and if it didn't do good I would use it for steel boad anyway. Its been awhile but awhile back we were watching a video od a shotshell fired on a target and it was in slow motion so you could see what the bb's are doing in flight, can't remember the name of the video but it seems that bb's kind of zig zag as it spreads out and the idea is to catch the pattern of the bb's crossing each other...I know there is to much scientific variables to this stuff. This is a great trend you started on shotgun pattern test.
 
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I don't know much about card shooting. It used to be popular around here. My wife's granddad was into it big time. I think a local VFW Hall still host shoots weekly.

I only began this thread and as you can see a bunch of guys have picked it up and carried it through with more and more info to look over. There are a few trends that seem to be holding fairly constant. The one clear thing is that patterning the gun is VITAL! Without patterning it is like going coyote hunting with a rifle you have never sighted in; you just don’t know where the shot is going to go.
 
Thanks, but no sir. In fact, I just added a 26" vent rib field barrel to the all black M1. I took it out to pattern it with the new barrel and then dumped some called crows a week or so ago with it. Shoots dead on the bead 50/50 patterns.
 
Would like some input from the Mossberg 835 / 935 (24" barrel) shooters. My pet load is Rem. 2 3/4" #4 buck; I like the cost and I'm willing to give up 14 pellets for a little speed; that's just me.

Anyway; I had to have a DC choke and I'm really not that impressed. Don't get me wrong; the pattern is very evenly spread (good thing ?); but, seems that I'm seeing tighter patterns posted here. I'm getting probably 25 of the 27 pellets even spread over a 24" circle +/- at 35 yds +/-. Anyone shooting a Kick's Buttkicker with the same or 3" load ? If so, which one ? I've tried the more open factory chokes and they down right suck with #4's. I realize the ticket is actually the parallel section AND the bore. Or I'm I good to go with this ???

Heck while I got the floor; anybody shooting regular old Win. 2 3/4" lead #2 shot and what choke? I came across a couple boxes real cheap to use on fox.

Thanks in advance !!!
Noc
 
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