patterning my gun

[goblueM]

So I have a new scope and choke, went to the range today. Kinda last minute, just curious to see what you guys think about the pattern

40 yards (adjusted to the left a bit after this one)

50 yards

Think that bird's dead at 50 yards? I do Can't wait to get out, season starts Friday

[Wanderer]

Eh, personally I think your hits are little light at 50. If you get your pattern on him at 40 he's done.

You should hope for at least 5-7 kill shots, meaning the brain/vertibrae. That helps allow for the holes in a pattern. I hate gambling on the "golden BB" to do the work.

Sometimes turkey can put some distance between you and him with only a heart/lung hit. Often you'll think he just flew away.

Some of the better vets will have some advice.

Good news is, 40 is plenty! Good luck!

[Borch]

You'll be ok at 40 with the adjusted pattern. At 50 yards it's leaving a lot to chance. Call them close and put them down hard.

[goblueM]

Yeah I'm definitely not as confident once it gets over 40, I just thought I'd take a look at 50 just to see. I was pleasantly surprised. Think next year I'll shoot more, to get a better feel. just didn't have the time or money to shoot a whole lot, particularly when its 30 bucks for the box!

[Tipup101]

Yea once your 40 gets sighted in that will look good. But that fifty Is way to light. Remember at fifty yards it is rare that the pelets will penatrate through the body. So you have to have more pelets in the head neck area. I would draw the line at fourty yards.

[esox49]

Does anyone know the exact number of BBs that should be in the kill zone at 30 and 40 yds? I patterned my gun earlier this spring and it was amazing on how much difference there was between different brands of shells and different chokes! Can not wait until next year!!!!!

[Hotspotter]

Esox:

I've read as little as 3 and as many as 7 in the vertebrae/brain. In reality, I've seen birds killed with far fewer, including a single pellet several times to the brain, eye, or center of the vertebrae at ranges far beyond what I felt the shooter should be ethically taking.

However, I think that's a dangerous little factoid. The temptation is to take your best pattern at 40 yards, stretch it out to 50+ and shoot until you get 3 or 4 in the vertebrae and call the gun/load/choke combination lethal to 50. I'm not saying you'll do this and am not trying to knock you down, but I've seen quite a few folks pay too much attention to pellets in the kill zone.

No two shots fly completely alike, and many times, small errors/variables in aim, wind direction and speed, humidity/temp, incline, etc., will affect the amount of pellets in the kill zone.

Strive for an even pattern that consistently puts the greatest number of pellets in a 10" circle at 40 yards. Use the turkey head and its kill zone for reference only, then see how sparse your pattern is out further. Your "wall" or absolute furthest range is not with the best pattern you acheive, but how you do on average. While it's true that your hunting aim may not be as true in the field as it is on a bench, you're less likely to flinch in the field than you are after a round of nasty turkey loads.

Good work patterning the gun and doing the background work. You'll be a better hunter for it!

Joel