RIO PRIMERS

[Stan Hillis]

Originally Posted by Andrew Sacco

Stan and Mike you both make great points, except for how to make patterning fun. I'm not even sure I know how to pattern properly, I'll ask that in another (sure to be flamed) thread later : )

Andy, I can't say that I find patterning really fun, but I find it so worthwhile that I don't consider it a bother, or a chore. The confidence in my load and gun, that I glean from meticulous pattern testing, transfers to better shooting. And .......... that is fun!

Stan

[Cold Spring]

Originally Posted by Stan Hillis

Andy, I can't say that I find patterning really fun, but I find it so worthwhile that I don't consider it a bother, or a chore. The confidence in my load and gun, that I glean from meticulous pattern testing, transfers to better shooting. And .......... that is fun!

Stan

Patterning can be made very much easier if you get a 30" and 20" circle template made up of transparent plastic, something like 1/8 or 3/16" thick. Think of a doughnut with a 30" outside diameter and 20" inside diameter.

You slightly open the crimp on at least 3 shells and count the pellets to get an average count. Then replace the pellets in each shell and tighten the crimps using your fingers. Often you'll find that the actual count doesn't match the listed number for that load in terms of ounce/fractions and pellet size.

Set up your paper at 40 yards (or whatever) and shoot offhand at a temporary aiming point centered on the paper. I use a red or yellow sticky note about 2-1/2" square.

Then after shooting you remove the aiming point, eyeball the transparent template to center it over the bulk of the pellet strikes, and draw your outer and inner circles with a pencil. That shows the actual center POI versus the aiming point. Usually the POI doesn't exactly coincide with the aiming point and can be many inches away from shot to shot. After patterning for a while you'll find that some factory ammo is more uniform than others.

Then if using a tightly choked gun you only have to count the pellets outside the 30" circle. Subtract from the average pellet count and you can cipher the efficiency (pattern percentage). For those interested in comparing hot centers for long range performance you can count the pellet strikes in the 20" circle. Lastly, if testing an open choke gun you count the pellet strikes inside the 30" circle as per typical practice and do the math.

Some day you might want to do patterning with spreader shells; that can be eye opening.

Now, I know some readers are thinking all this is way too detailed and they just shoot their vintage guns with existing chokes made for bare shot/fiber wads and with random modern shells. Great if that works for you on clays courses and in the field.