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Tips
for Shotgunners
PATTERNING
THAT SHOTGUN:
Tiger Woods wouldn't tee up at the Masters with a set of clubs
he'd never swung before. Jeff Gordon wouldn't go to the Daytona
500 starting grid in a car he hadn't thoroughly tested. These
guys are among the best at what they do -- but they don't rely
on talent to overcome ignorance of their tools' capabilities.
By
the same token it doesn't make sense to take a gun afield if you
don't know exactly where it shoots. Seldom does a shotgun center
its pattern exactly on target. Most times the density of the pattern
will be high, low or slightly off to the side of the point of
aim. It's essential to know where your shotgun centers its pattern
so that you can either compensate or have the gun adjusted.
"The
industry standard for patterning is a 30-inch circle at 40 yards,"
said Ohio-based shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia. "But you
should set up for the distance you'll be shooting most often.
"For
instance," said Ventimiglia, president of Shooter's Choice
gun care products, "40 yards is too long if you're patterning
an open choke and No. 6 shot for pheasants or No. 8 for grouse."
Your
first shot should be at a clean sheet of wallboard or plywood
(aim at a well-marked center) to get a general idea of where your
pattern is going. Then use paper (two sheets of butcher paper
taped lengthwise is wide enough). Mark the center and shoot. If
you're patterning for wingshooting, don't take careful aim --
snap the gun to your shoulder, get the sight picture and slap
the trigger just as if you were in the field. If you're patterning
a turkey load or buckshot, take careful aim as if you were shooting
a rifle. Take at least five shots at five different pieces of
paper before making any adjustments.
Remember
that pattern density and even distribution can be ruined by a
dirty bore since powder, lead and plastic (from shotcups and wads)
residue drags on shotcups and effects the release of the shot.
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BIG
BORE, BIG PATTERN?
A common misconception among shotgunners is that a larger gauge
throws a larger pattern. After all, it's easier to score in skeet
or trap with a 12-gauge than with a 20, isn't it? Yes, it's easier
to break birds with the larger gauge, but not because of the size
of the pattern. "The rate of shot spread is controlled by
the choke, not by the gauge," says shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooter's Choice. "The pattern is about the
same size whether it's a 12-gauge, 16, 20 or 28. You'll probably
score higher with the big bore because there are more pellets
in the shot string -not because of a difference in the size of
the pattern." A trapshooter shooting from the 16-yard-line,
for instance, can count on a 12-inch pattern from a full choke
gun or 16 inches from a modified barrel, regardless of gauge.
At 27 yards the full choke patterns about 24 inches in diameter
and a modified 28 inches, regardless of whether he's shooting
a 12 gauge or 28.
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WHAT'S
WRONG WITH MY SHOTGUN PATTERN?
Over the years there has been a great variety of "correct
depths" used for shotgun chambers -- many of them shorter
than the 2 3/4" or 3" overall fired length of today's
plastic hulls. Couple this with a short forcing cone (the taper
from chamber diameter to bore diameter) and you've got a performance
problem common to older guns. The crimp must have sufficient room
to unfold completely flat when the shot and wad go from hull to
bore or the results are deformed shot, distorted patterns, excessive
recoil and pressure. "Any older gun that isn't shooting well
with today's shells should have the chamber and force cone lengthened
by a competent gunsmith," says shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooter's Choice gun care products. "Just a
little adjustment can make a tremendous difference in patterning,
recoil and performance."
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ANOTHER
CORRECTION FOR BAD PATTERNS:
Your skeet scores are dropping and quail keep flying even after
you make those "sure" shots. You can attribute it to
a slump, fatigue, even advancing age. It may be any or all of
the above, but before you jump to any conclusions, check your
shotgun bore. Sure you clean it once or twice a season -- after
all, how much effect can a little powder and plastic fouling have
on the flight of an ounce or two of shot?
The
answer is plenty! "When powder and plastic fouling build
up, they tend to catch the wad or shotcup and drag it away from
the shot or even tilt them in the barrel," says Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooter's Choice gun care products. "When they
are separated from the shot or tilted to the bore axis they can't
do what they're designed to do -- that is seal the bore and contain
the shot for a full, consistent pattern."
The
result of shooting with a dirty bore is often ragged or erratic
patterns. Maybe you're a better shot than you thought. Keep that
bore clean and find out.
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WHAT
DETERMINES GAUGE SIZE:
Ever wonder what the terms "12 gauge", "16 gauge"
or "20 gauge" referred to? The system of grading shotgun
bore sizes was developed long ago when a gun's size was determined
by the weight of the largest lead ball that would fit into the
bore.
"If
it took 12 of those balls to weigh one pound, you had a 12-gauge
gun," said Frank Ventimiglia, vice-president of Shooter's
Choice gun care products. "If the ball that fit the bore
was smaller and it took 20 to make a pound, your gun was a 20-gauge."
The
exception to this is the .410, which is named after its nominal
bore diameter of .410 inches. Had the .410 been named in the same
way as its larger cousins, you could go squirrel hunting with
a 67.5 gauge gun.
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"DRAM"
MEASUREMENT OBSOLETE YET COMMON:
The current labeling system for shotgun shells came into being
years ago when shot shells were still loaded with black powder.
For instance, a box labeled 3 1/4--1 1/8--8 contained shells loaded
with 3 1/4 drams of blackpowder and 1 1/8ths ounce of No. 8 shot.
Blackpowder is now obsolete yet the labeling process remains.
"Today shotshells are loaded with smokeless powder and boxes
are marked to show what a given charge is equivalent to in the
old blackpowder dram rating," explains shooting expert Joe
Ventimiglia, president of Shooter's Choice gun care products.
"Shooters still use it to evaluate the effectiveness of a
specific load. "But remember, smokeless powder is measured
in grains and that a very small amount is equal to a much heavier
charge of blackpowder. To load a shell with 3 1/4 drams of smokeless
powder would be catastrophic."
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DETERMINING
CHOKE SIZE:
For
years manufacturers have determined shotgun barrel choke measurements
- full, modified and improved cylinder and variations of those
- by what percentage of the shot charge printed in a 30-inch circle
at 40 yards. But in actuality the degree of choke in a barrel
is simply a measure of constriction from the bore to the muzzle.
Since virtually all interior barrel dimensions are different,
often ranging up to 20 thousandths of an inch gun-to-gun, there
is a better way of determining your choke. "The choke is
determined by the difference between the diameter of the bore
relative to the diameter of the choke," says shooting expert
Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter's Choice gun care products.
"By
subtracting the diameter of the choke from that of the bore you
will be able to determine the amount of constriction (choke) you
have regardless of the roll-stamp on the barrel. That measurement
is what really counts. "For instance, if you have a choke
tube that is cylinder relative to your 0.728 bore, the choke will
be modified if used in a barrel of 0.742. But if your barrel's
interior diameter measures 0.732 that same choke tube would represent
cylinder bore.
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SO
WHAT IS "PULL-AHEAD" METHOD?
The increasing popularity of sporting clays is bringing more people
into shotgun target shooting and has spawned a variety of shooting
techniques. One of the newest is called the "pull-ahead"
method. So what is the difference between the conventional "swing-through"
and "sustained lead" techniques and the new "pull-ahead"
method? "Swing through" involves starting the gun behind
the flying target and accelerating the barrel through it before
pulling the trigger. It's a timing shot that makes barrel swing
and follow-through a little easier than the "sustained lead"
method, where the gun is mounted ahead of the bird and stays there,
maintaining a predetermined allowance. "The "pull-ahead"
technique that we hear everyone talking about is actually a variation
of the "swing-through"," says shooting expert Joe
Ventimiglia, president of Shooter's Choice gun care products.
"But instead of starting behind the target the barrel starts
on or slightly below the target and swings to the required forward
allowance. "The "pull-ahead" technique seems to
work well for the shooter who finds it difficult to come from
behind and move aggressively through the mark. The shooter sees
the target more readily and many find it easier to maintain the
swing using this method."
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HOW
IMPORTANT IS A SHOTGUN'S BARREL LENGTH?
The reign of the "Long Tom" as king of American shotgunning
passed a couple of decades ago. Long (30- to 32-inch) barrels,
once thought necessary to attain peak velocity and accuracy, faded
in favor of shorter, lighter shotguns that were easier to tote
afield and yielded surprising comparable ballistics. But the long
barrel is making strong comeback today, particularly among sporting
clays enthusiasts who see 30-inch barrels as a bare necessity
and 32- or 34-inchers as the vogue. "The move toward shorter
barrels was based primarily on marketing -- the performance dropped
a little and the weight dropped a lot, which made them easier
to sell," notes firearms expert Joe Ventimiglia, president
of Shooters Choice gun care products. "The long barrels weren't
ineffective, they just didn't fit new lifestyles." "The
fact remained that barrel length is an integral part of wing-shooting
dynamics. The longer barrel's improved sighting plane is one factor,
so is the fact that powder is given more burning time in a longer
barrel, which aids velocity. But probably the biggest factor is
that the inertia involved in swinging a longer barrel makes for
a smoother swing and more certain follow-through. It simply improves
a shooter's form." Maybe the old-timers were right.
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LONG
BARRELS FOR SLUG SHOOTERS?
We've determined previously that the length of a shotgun barrel
makes very little difference in ballistics when shooting conventional
shotshells. But what about in the case of shotgun slugs? The powder
used to propel most shotgun slugs is burned in the first 16-17
inches of barrel length, so any barrel of at least 18 inches should
be adequate in that respect. Slugs, like shotshells, thus gain
nothing ballistically from a longer barrel. In fact, unlike shotshells,
slugs have characteristics that may actually make the shorter
barrels more accurate. "When you figure that slugs are so
slow that the gun recoils almost an inch before the slug can get
out the muzzle you're dealing with a scenario that is unique to
shotgun slugs," said shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president
of Shooter's Choice gun care products. "Because of this phenomenon
a longer barrel is actually detrimental to accuracy because the
longer the slug stays in the tube the more it is effected by the
barrel movement caused by recoil."
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DO
SABOT SHOTGUN SLUGS SHOOT FARTHER?
As human and whitetail deer populations expand and compete for
elbow room, more and more municipalities are mandating the use
of shotguns and slugs for deer hunting rather than the far longer
range of the modern rifle. As the slug hunter market grows, manufacturers
are putting more and more technology into the development of loads.
The latest slug designs, known as sabots, incorporate a plastic
sleeve that envelopes the 50-caliber slug and grips the rifling
in the shotgun bore, imparting a stabilizing spin on the slug.
The saboted slugs are more stable, accurate and retain their energy
farther than conventional slugs. The question is now circulating
whether or not the saboted slugs shoot farther than conventional
slugs -- which would decrease their appeal to municipalities seeking
to limit range. "The saboted slugs have a longer effective
range," says shooting expert Frank Ventimiglia, vice-president
of Shooter's Choice. "They are more accurate for a longer
distance than conventional slugs, but they don't carry any further.
"Today's shotgun slugs, either conventional or sabot, both
carry a maximum range of about 800 yards. The sabot has no advantage
at all in terms of maximum range."
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SLUG
SHOOTERS FACE UNIQUE PROBLEMS:
With whitetail deer and human suburban populations expanding at
astounding rates, there is natural competition for elbow room.
With that in mind, more and more municipalities are legislating
the use of shotguns and slugs for deer rather than risk the potential
next-county lethality of the modern rifle. There are more than
3.5 million slug shooters in the U.S. today and the number grows
every year. Many of the newly initiated slug shooters are facing
problems they never saw before - excessive lead fouling in the
barrels of their shotguns from conventional slugs or plastic fouling
in rifled barrels from the use of saboted ammunition. Shooter's
Choice new Lead Remover is specially formulated to dissolve and
remove lead fouling far faster and more thoroughly than anything
else on the market. And Shooter's Choice MC7 Bore Cleaner has
long been the fastest acting lead and plastic fouling agent available.
So whether today's slug shooter uses conventional lead slugs or
the new high-tech saboted version, Shooter's Choice has the answers
to his problems.
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CHARACTERISTICS
OF A TURKEY GUN:
It's turkey hunting season and all thoughts turn to the dense,
full shot patterns needed to subdue these large, tough birds.
The need for a full choke is obvious. And big pellets retain their
energy farther. But a tight choke and big pellets don't usually
make for good patterning.
Copper-plated
buffered shot has the characteristics needed for consistent patterns,
but those can be useless when large pellets are crowded through
a small bore. "Many custom turkey gun barrels feature a lengthened
force cone and choke or may even be back-bored (oversized tube),"
says firearms expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of shooter's Choice
gun care products. "These things make for a more gradual
constriction and less chance of the pellets getting crowded."
Other
custom guns are coming with parallel straight grooves to stabilize
the shot cup and/or ported muzzles to reduce gas pressure on the
wads and minimize disruption at the end of the shot string.
"One
choke will handle one load well while another won't, even if they
are stamped the same on the barrel," Ventimiglia says. "Try
a variety of loads in your gun to see which one patterns best."
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COPPER-PLATED
SHOT IDEAL FOR TURKEYS:
There is little argument that copper-plated buffered shot is the
ideal load for turkey guns. It patterns up to 30 percent better
than conventional lead loads, which means that much more potential
when it reaches the target.
You
can find custom guns sporting everything from lengthened forcing
cones or back-bored barrels to shotcup-stablizing grooves and
vents to minimize gas influence on the wad and shot string. But
whether you use a custom or conventional barrel, copper-plated
shot leaves its signature.
"Copper
fouling is more stubborn than lead and requires more than conventional
solvents to remove it," says Joe Ventimiglia, president of
Venco Industries, makers of Shooter's Choice gun care products.
"Shooter's Choice Copper Remover has been shown in independent
tests to be the most effective specialty solvent on the market
-- and that's what you need to get the bore clean and keep the
patterns consistent."
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STEEL
SHOT WON'T DAMAGE TODAY'S BARRELS:
There were a lot of detractors when steel shot was first introduced
and began to be mandated for use in waterfowl hunting. Steel's
ballistics were inarguably inferior to lead's and its hardness
was thought to be potentially damaging to shotgun barrels. The
ballistics problem could be at least partially solved by moving
up two shot sizes from what the shooter had used in lead shot.
For example, if a hunter had used No. 6 lead for decoying ducks
he or she would be better served to use No. 4 steel. But steel's
potential for damage was another matter. "In the early 1980s
when steel was first introduced it was hard on older barrels.
It could score and even bulge the soft steel that older barrels
were made of," said shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president
of Shooters Choice gun care products. "In fact, even newer
guns had problems early-on because their interchangeable choke
systems were too soft and would swell so much when a load of hard
steel shot passed through that you couldn't ever get the choke
tube out of the barrel. "But those were the old days. Any
shotgun made the in the last 20 years will handle steel shot easily
and you'll find that steel shot loads have advanced to the point
that they are much more efficient." Ventimiglia notes that
today's high-tech steel shot loads, such as Winchester DryLock,
are much closer to lead ballistics and that shooters are finding
that they need move only one shot size larger than they use in
lead.
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UNBURNT
POWDER -- THE CURSE OF STEEL SHOT:
In terms of ballistics, steel shot is significantly different
than lead. For one thing, steel is much harder and lighter. Hunters
must change shooting techniques and shot sizes to adjust. They
must also clean their guns more often.
"Due
to some complex internal ballistics characteristics, steel shot
uses a slower-burning powder than lead," explains Frank Ventimiglia,
vice-president of Shooter's Choice gun care products. "And
slower powder means more residue left in the barrel. "The
powder residue traps plastic wad residue and other foreign particles,
which attract moisture and hold it against the walls of the barrel.
The fouling can not only mess up your pattern but can also rust
the tube."
Immediately
after coming in from the field -- especially on those dark, damp
days that waterfowl hunting is known for -- your gun's chamber
and barrel should be worked with a phosphor bronze brush and cleaned
with a quality bore cleaner. Ideally your bore cleaner should
not only dissolve and remove powder and plastic fouling but also
lubricate, like Shooter's Choice MC#7.
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RETHINKING
CHOKES FOR STEEL SHOT:
In the formative years of steel shot's use for waterfowl hunting
the rule of thumb was to open chokes at least one constriction
more for steel than you did for lead. Steel pellets were much
harder and therefore less susceptible to deformation than lead
and thus threw a tighter pattern without as much constriction.
But as technology advanced in both steel shot loadings and choke
tubes, that thinking has changed a bit. It's not so simple any
more. "Shooters are finding that a modified choke no longer
throws steel loads in patterns that fit within full-choke parameters
like they once did," said shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooters Choice gun care products. "At least
not in the smaller sizes, like No. 2s through 6s or 8s. Today's
smaller pellets spread well with open chokes but through modified
chokes they pretty much shoot patterns that fit within conventional
modified parameters. "Large steel shot, however, and I'm
talking No. 1s and BBs and even F-shot, quite often will throw
a full-choke pattern through a modified choke. Of course it will
vary with chamber size, barrel and the brand of chokes you use
but generally speaking, steel shot patterning is changing."
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DIFFERENT
CLEANING TECHNIQUE FOR BACKBORED BARRELS:
Got a problem getting your new shotgun barrel clean? You're not
alone. The inability to get new barrels absolutely clear is one
of the most common dilemmas we face. So what causes this phenomenon
and how can be it solved?
"The
problem in many cases can be solved by simply using common sense,"
says shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter's Choice
gun care products. "Many new barrels -- and usually those
that have the problems -- are backbored. Some call it overbored.
Browning, Mossberg and Remington all have models with backbored
barrels. Backboring or overboring means that the interior diameter
of the barrel is increased to lessen recoil and clean up patterns.
That means the interior of your 12 gauge barrel may actually approach
10 gauge dimensions. "That's why your 12 gauge brush and
patches won't do the job. Get a good quality phosphorus bronze
wound 10 gauge brush and oversize patches -- and, of course a
good solvent -- and clean that barrel again. I think you'll solve
the problem."
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DETERMINING
A COMFORTABLE LOAD FOR YOUR SHOTGUN:
W.W. Greener, an innovative 19th century British gunmaker, once
noted that for a shotgun to last and be comfortable to shoot,
it should be no less than 96 times heavier than the weight of
the shot charge. Of the various pronouncements made by early gunmakers
, this one remains true.
"Using
Greener's rule of 96, a shotgun firing one ounce of shot should
weigh at least 6 pounds," says shooting expert Joe Ventimiglia,
president of Shooters Choice gun care products. "If the load
is 1 1/8th ounces, the gun should weigh at least 6 3/4 pounds.
Want to shoot an ounce and a quarter - the gun had better weigh
at least 7 1/2 pounds.
"Try
shooting a heavier load in a lighter gun and you'll see what Greener
meant. It's not comfortable for you or the gun."
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IS
BARREL PORTING WORTH IT?
Porting a barrel or using a compensator reduces felt recoil. But
the sound pressure wave delivered to the shooter's face and ear
is greatly increased by any compensator or porting.
Extensive
testing has shown that porting increases the report's noise level
by at least 8 decibels.
"Eight
decibels may not sound like much," says shooting expert Joe
Ventimiglia, president of Shooter's Choice gun care products.
"But it represents an increase in the sound pressure magnitude
of 60 percent. That's obviously significant."
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PROPER
GUN BALANCE IS KEY TO GOOD WINGSHOOTING:
Pick up and mount a high-quality shotgun that fits you and
the concept and value of gun balance will be immediately evident.
The gun will move fluidly to a position where your eye is precisely
aligned with the sights.
"A
well-balanced gun makes gun mounting so much easier and provides
a major key to accurate wingshooting," says firearms expert
Frank Ventimiglia, vice-president of Shooter's Choice gun care
products. "Ideally 50 percent of the gun's weight should
be between your hands, 25 percent in the buttstock and 25 in barrels.
"Some
target shooters, however, prefer to have more weight forward in
the form of longer barrels, which tends to steady the hold and
accentuate the barrel swing."
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STANCE
IS ESSENTIAL TO GOOD SHOTGUNNING:
Stance, or foot position, is critical to good marksmanship. American
shotgunners typically adopt a rifleman's stance in which the feet
are situated at a nearly 90-degree angle to the flight path of
the target. This foot position, however, severely restricts the
barrel swing to the left for a right-handed shooter or to the
right for a left-hander.
"Good
shotgunning technique places the feet parallel to or slightly
to the right for a right-hander or left for a left-handed shooter
to the flight path," says shooting expert Frank Ventimiglia,
vice-president of Shooter's Choice gun care products. "This
position frees the swing and lessens the chance of stopping the
barrel."
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