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

Rich and GC,

Thanks for all the great info!

Talked to Carlsons on the phone today. They said my choke is a .665 and probably too tight after I explained my patterns. They are sending me two others to test and told me to keep the best one and send back the others. Good customer service and a nice guy. If I just can't get any of them to work I will try another brand. Kicks seem to be a popular choice.

On another note I stopped by the brand new Cabelas today and got some more shells to test with and a Limbsaver!
 
Originally Posted By: rynokronRich and GC,

Thanks for all the great info!

Talked to Carlsons on the phone today. They said my choke is a .665 and probably too tight after I explained my patterns. They are sending me two others to test and told me to keep the best one and send back the others. Good customer service and a nice guy. If I just can't get any of them to work I will try another brand. Kicks seem to be a popular choice.

On another note I stopped by the brand new Cabelas today and got some more shells to test with and a Limbsaver!
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I have seen the new Carlson tubes and they look good. They obviously haven't done their home work regarding the mating of nominal bore diameter with a proper choke constriction yet though. They seem to almost always give a guy a choke tube that is either to tight or not tight enough. Oh well, what the hay, they will learn in time. At least they have good customer service. I guess what I am saying is that if they send you a .670 and a .675, then one of them should throw a good pattern for you.
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And now for something completely different......

I ran the girlfriend through the "skunk drill" with my old Mossberg 183 .410 and she did well.

25 yards Remington 2.5" #6 shot fixed full choke:

p1010256lo.jpg


This is my preferred skunk gitter.
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Originally Posted By: CrazyHorse66And now for something completely different......

I ran the girlfriend through the "skunk drill" with my old Mossberg 183 .410 and she did well.

25 yards Remington 2.5" #6 shot fixed full choke:

p1010256lo.jpg


This is my preferred skunk gitter.
grin.gif

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Well she sure enough kilt that woodpecker dead.
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I had a buddy that I hunted some with as a kid that had a bolt action shotgun. All I remember is that it was a 20 gauge. I do remember that he would occasionally have feeding malfunctions. At the time I had a Winchester single shot 20 gauge and we used to haul home the squirrels and rabbits in the fall/winter months around our two farms. Vermin like skunks, coons and possums got shot on sight! They are nest robbers of the worst sort and can really put a hurting on wild turkey nest in the spring. Occasionally they would also pull an egg sucking mission on our hen house and usually paid the price for their thievery. I shot a lot of Remington high brass Express and Winchester Super-X 1 ounce loads of #6 shot back then.
 
Much better results today. Got the .675 Carlsons in my mailbox on Friday.

40 yards Fedral Premium copper plated #4 buckshot
newfedral40.jpg


40 yards Winchester HD Coyote loads. (B's)
newwinchesterbs40.jpg


The Hevi Shot worked much better from this choke too.
3 1/2" Hevi Shot T's 40 yards
hevishot40.jpg


So my Dead Coyote choke (.665) was too tight for the big stuff, but threw a mean pattern with turkey loads. My new turkey choke (.675) worked well with my coyote loads.
crazy.gif

Pretty happy with the results.
 
I have a Rem 11-87 12gauge SuperMag Turkey,23inch barrel and want to set it up for coyote hunting. I am undecided what choke tube to get,I have been looking a Carlson's new coyote choke tube and Kick's Howler choke tube. I plan on shooting 3 inch Hevi-shot T's. Any info you can provide would be very helpful. Thanks Tom
 
Originally Posted By: tom223I have a Rem 11-87 12gauge SuperMag Turkey,23inch barrel and want to set it up for coyote hunting. I am undecided what choke tube to get,I have been looking a Carlson's new coyote choke tube and Kick's Howler choke tube. I plan on shooting 3 inch Hevi-shot T's. Any info you can provide would be very helpful. Thanks Tom

The answers are sewn all throughout this thread, you have to put some work in for a quality result and research is a part of that. Here is a quick cut-n-paste I posted from a couple pages back...

When asked my usual advice is to search in the .050" - .060" constriction range for a sweet spot for 3" .12 gauge lead No. Four Buck and tungsten T's or BB's. With some juggling of constrictions in that area and load checking usually a guy can find a sweet spot. I'm shooting a .670" from my tight Benelli bores which gives me... are you ready? Yep, exactly .055" of constriction.
 
Originally Posted By: rynokronMuch better results today. Got the .675 Carlsons in my mailbox on Friday.

40 yards Fedral Premium copper plated #4 buckshot
newfedral40.jpg


40 yards Winchester HD Coyote loads. (B's)
newwinchesterbs40.jpg


The Hevi Shot worked much better from this choke too.
3 1/2" Hevi Shot T's 40 yards
hevishot40.jpg


So my Dead Coyote choke (.665) was too tight for the big stuff, but threw a mean pattern with turkey loads. My new turkey choke (.675) worked well with my coyote loads.
crazy.gif

Pretty happy with the results.

Here is what I told you earlier...

I think your Nova has a .723" bore and uses the Benelli/Beretta Mobile Choke system. I would look for a choke of about .670" - .680" to handle lead No. Four Buck and Tungsten T's/BB's.

Pretty close, huh?
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Glad it's coming together for you.
 
I have a German combination gun and it has 3" chambers and proofed for steel. It has a fixed half choke which is basically modified. I have measured the muzzle and I get measurements of .700-.712 I know that is a wide variance but the best I can do with what I have. I don't want to get screw in chokes and I am not sure I can because that barrel is very thin. I am going to try
1. Remington HD BB 3"
2. Winchester lead BB 3"
3. Winchester #4 Buck 3"
4. Hornady #4 Buck 23/4"
5. Federal BB+ HVHD 3"
6. Federal Coyote Heavyweight Load BB 3".
I will use the usual patterning protocols discussed on this thread to test the various loads, but would appreciate any ideas since I can only change the load not the choke. Any other loads I should try that I have not listed? I am hoping that the Federal Coyote Heavyweight load meets the criteria because I could also then use it for Turkey. Is there a discussion like this anywhere geared toward Turkey loads and patterns?
 
You can use BB size shot legally for turkey in your state? Many states prohibit large shot size during turkey seasons for safety reasons. I would expect that Federal load to do quite well from your fixed choke since it uses the Flite Control wad.
 
I have reviewed the Ohio regs over and over and I can't find any restrictions on shot size. 10gauge or smaller and it must use shot. That is all I can find. I likewise think the Federal loading with the flight control wad will most likely give best results. The patterning board will tell the truth. I hope to go out this weekend.
 
GC,
I have read that you shoot patterns at 12yards to check poi, if it is off do you sight in with bird shot at that distance or longer range? I have adjustable sights on my gun but today I am hitting about a foot low. The Federal Heavy Weight Coyote load looks promising but to soon to tell. I need to get this thing hitting where I aim first. Thanks.
 
Definitely sight in with some inexpensive low recoil field loads at the shorter range and it will get you close enough to then move out to 40 yards without wasting those considerably more costly shells. It is just like starting at 25 yards to get on paper before moving out to 100 yards with a centerfire rifle after mounting a new scope or changing something that alters your sight-in.
 
I have been patterning my modified fixed choke combo gun and so far the Federal Heavyweight BB Coyote Load with Flight Control wad is the most consistent. At 40 yards paper plate is centered in the pattern with 26 pellets on the plate. At 50 yards I still have 15 pellets on the paper plate.
The Hornady # 4 buck load with the the same wad is not bad but they need to make it in a 3" version so that there are more pellets in it.
I have two left over boxes of the Remington Wingmaster HD BB load if any one is interested in buying them let me know.
 
Originally Posted By: BOOMMMI have been patterning my modified fixed choke combo gun and so far the Federal Heavyweight BB Coyote Load with Flight Control wad is the most consistent.
The Hornady # 4 buck load with the the same wad is not bad but they need to make it in a 3" version so that there are more pellets in it.


That Federal load shines when it's not choked down. Too bad it's so darn expensive.

I couldn't get the Hornady load to pattern near as well either. I couldn't legally use it here in OK anyways due to shot size restrictions.
 
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