Q for those with Extremely Tight Patterns

I went and patterned my gun last week with some new shells and was fairly pleased with the results. I did not have anything like the 170+ pellets at 40 yards, but I feel confident that what I ended up with would drop a Gobbler in his tracks at that distance.

I left and got to thinking about how my pattern would look at shorter distances. I went back and shot again, this time at 15 and 25 yards to see how my shot string spread out over that distance. Obviously, there was a great difference in the coverage area between the 15 and 40 yard patterns. My pattern went from essentially a softball to a little bigger than an old "kickball" over 30 yards. The margin of error I would have at the shorter distance is drastically smaller.

I was curious what those of you that shoot the super tight patterns at 40+ yards see at the shorter distances. Have you checked to see how that shot string develops between 20 to 40 yards?

It is a completely personal thing and probably depends on where you hunt (fields, swamp bottoms, open woods, etc.), but do you think you can take it too far trying to get that tighter and tighter pattern?

Aim small miss small.Get your head down on the stock and see the bead on the end of the barrel... Focus your aim on the base of his neck or slightly above and squeeze the trigger.

I prefer 30 yards, but 25 is perfect for my gun .It will devastate one at that distance.

My personal philosophy on patterns is this - I want pattern density. Not to kill one at 45 or beyond, but to insure that if I misjudge the distance by 5-10 yards or so- that he is still dead.

I like em close if possible.

Seen it many times before...super super tight chokes..miss a bird at less than 25 b/c it is too tight.

my 12 ga at 20 and 40.

i prefer super tight .. I like to thread the needle and pick one outa a crowd or tag him if hes playing peekaboo behind a tree or a blowdown if I need to ..

not to mention Id much rather have a pattern that opens up between 30-50 . Calling a bird in the 10 -20 yrd range is great . I just havent ever seen the glory in totin a headless bird bleeding down my backside -and into my boots on a mile + walk to the truck . Not to mention getting on the truckseat .
A dead bird is a dead bird .

I have seen a lot more people miss close than further away, I watched 2 guys miss birds i called up for em last year, one at 17 yards and one about 4 or 5. the pattern is like a golf ball at 4or 5 yds, i shoot em in the body at that range, Im shooting a factory full this year, and am very pleased with it, 169 pellets in a 10" circle at 40yds, and still a bit more forgiving at 15yds.

Burritoboy said:

I was curious what those of you that shoot the super tight patterns at 40+ yards see at the shorter distances. Have you checked to see how that shot string develops between 20 to 40 yards?

Click to expand...

I don't like super tight patterns. I have a 20" 600+ pellet killing pattern at 40 yds, and a 10" pattern at 20 yds.