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(0)Tips For Shotgunners
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- Patterning That Shotgun
- Big Bore, Big Pattern?
- What’s Wrong With My Shotgun Pattern?
- Another Correction For Bad Patterns
- What Determines Gauge Size?
- “Dram” Measurement Obsolete Yet Common
- Determining Choke Size
- So What Is “Pull-Ahead” Method?
- How Important Is A Shotgun’s Barrel Length?
- Long Barrels For Slug Shooters?
- Do Sabot Shotgun Slugs Shoot Farther?
- Slug Shooters Face Unique Problems
- Characteristics Of A Turkey Gun
- Copper-Plated Shot Ideal For Turkeys
- Steel Shot Won’t Damage Today’s Barrels
- Unburnt Powder–The Curse Of Steel Shot
- Rethinking Chokes For Steel Shot
- Different Cleaning Technique For Backbored Barrels
- Determining a Comfortable Load For your Shotgun
- Is Barrel Porting Worth It?
- Proper Gun Balance is Key to Good Wingshooting
- Stance is Essential to Accurate Shotgunning
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.
All-In-One Package
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.
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.”
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.
Shotgun and Choke Tube Cleaner
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.
“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.”
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.
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.”
Quick Srub III Cleaner/Degreaser
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
MC#7 Bore Cleaner and Conditioner
“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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
MC#7 Bore Cleaner and Conditioner
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.”
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.”
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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