Vintage shell pattern test

[Richard Flanders]

Go for it Larry! Use the old stuff and make sure to inhale the sweet intoxicating odor of the shell after the shot and post pics afterwards. Those 4 and 5 shells should do the trick at a reasonable range. I have stacks of old 20ga Super X and Remington paper 20's on the shelves and love to shoot them. This wily old Montana rooster fell to an old Remington 20ga shell and was a shot that Trigg and I will never forget. Trigg said it was like watching a movie unfold as he watched from a distance as his dog Dodger and I slowly tracked this bird and finally got it to fly from cover.

As an aside, has anyone seen the new Remington 3" 20ga shells of 1.5oz tungsten that is heavier than lead and patterns incredibly tight. The wad is a solid tube that pulls away from the rear of the shot column in flight using a parachute like concept. Very interesting. Can be seen in the latest American Hunter.

[10 bore]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

From Scott Kittredge:

"This pattern was shot with an old REM-UMC SHURSHOT paper 12 ga 3 drms 1oz #4, 132 pellets to an oz. This shell is about 40 to 50 years old. I shot it out of a 12 ga CHE acme barrels choked .022 at 40 yds rest shot. 115 out of 132 = 87%. So do the new shells shoot tighter or are the old ones just as good?"

I bought this back to the top. I shot this pattern 11 years ago with an old factory shell. I did another test soon after to see if it would do the same and it did.
Scott

[Richard Flanders]

Who needs a pattern any tighter than that out of a .022" choke???? A pigeon could barely survive that pattern.

[Stan Hillis]

Originally Posted by Richard Flanders

Who needs a pattern any tighter than that out of a .022" choke???? A pigeon could barely survive that pattern.

A turkey hunter, maybe?

[Researcher]

Back in 1963 when I got my 12-gauge, 3-inch, Super-Fox, it came with three boxes of late 1930s Remington ARROW EXPRESS Magnum Loads. One each #4, #5 and #6. None of the boxes were quite full, a few shells out of each. When I was cleaning out my Father's house in 2003 after I retired I found the pattern sheets I'd shot back then were still there in the basement, rolled up and tucked up in the main floor joists. They showed 79% with the #4s and 85% with the #5s. Also the #6 box with 14 shells was there in the basement too.

ARROW EXPRESS 12-gauge 3-inch Magnum Load.jpeg

Guess I shot the #4 and #5 shells at Columbia Basin Mallards back in the 60s.

I didn't realize at 17 that my 1928 vintage gun was actually made for 1 3/8 ounce loads. I even tried some of the 1 7/8 ounce loads in it, but they made very patchy patterns so I stuck with 1 5/8 ounce loads until bismuth came along.

[charlie cleveland]

I too have some of those old 1 3/8 ounce loads and the 1 5/8 ounce loads these loads were top performers in their day...I ve shot hundreds of the old 1 5/8 ounce loads but the 1 3/8 ounce loads were before my time...now the 1 7/8 and the 2 ounce loads were my favorite loads for turkey for several years till the 3 1/2 inch shell in 12 ga came along...I ve used this shell up to this past year when the new tss no9s in the 3 1/2 inch shell came along with 2 1/2 ounce of shot..this is the best turkey shell ever fired....I still like the old paper and plastic shells.....charlie