Getting ready for spring turkey

[Pioneer flinter]

Hello in the camp. I took my Military Heritage fussil de chase out today and patterned it pardon the art work. I used 1 1/4 oz of #5 and 75gr of ffg at 20 yards. I used the sky chief load. It patterned a little low, I need to trim the front sight down and I should be set to go. Best regards Pioneer Flinter.

 

[Skychief]

Good luck Pioneer!!!

 

[Pioneer flinter]

Good luck Pioneer!!!

Thank you, and thank you for your loading advise.

 

[Tim Torrance]

Beautiful Gun my friend
This helped me get a denser pat, I blended my shot #4 with #6
Good luck this season

 

[Historian]

You also might try bumping up the powder charge to 90 gr's. It will raise your pattern. Good luck to you sir.

 

[Pioneer flinter]

Thank you guys for your comments. I shortened the front sight and got this pattern using 1 1/4 oz of #2 & #4

 

[Eric Krewson]

I would up the powder and shot, I also found 1F gives a better pattern in a 12 ga.

My gun is jug choked but doesn't shoot like it should, the skychief load made all the difference.

25 yards, 90 gr of 1F, 1 3/4 oz of #6 shot.

 

[wattlebuster]

If your gun is a 12 ga I would bet the farm you would get a better pattern with fg. Ive had several 12 ga an 10 ga smoothbores over the yrs an fg performed the best from each of them though your mileage could very

 

[Skychief]

I would up the powder and shot, I also found 1F gives a better pattern in a 12 ga.

My gun is jug choked but doesn't shoot like it should, the skychief load made all the difference.

25 yards, 90 gr of 1F, 1 3/4 oz of #6 shot.

View attachment 26311

 

[Historian]

I would up the powder and shot, I also found 1F gives a better pattern in a 12 ga.

My gun is jug choked but doesn't shoot like it should, the skychief load made all the difference.

25 yards, 90 gr of 1F, 1 3/4 oz of #6 shot.

View attachment 26311

That is a turkey killin pattern! Go get em.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I use 1 1/4 oz. # 6 shot over 80 grains of 2fg in my 20 gauge. Balled up phone book paper for wadding. Patterns aren't super tight, but tight enough at 25 yards to kill a turkey.

 

[william hopkins]

I have 4 smoothbores a 20,18,12 and 10 all shot better with 1F and with less recoil.

 

[Eterry]

I think both groups will bring home the bird...It rained all night here...I didn't wanna get my Butt soaked sitting on the ground...another day.

 

[bigted]

Eric, that is a wonderful 25 yard pattern. Lookin good pard!

 

[Tom Sloniger]

good info guys. I’m planning to pattern my new 20 gauge pedersoli trade gun this weekend for turkey. My plan was #5 shot with amount tbd. I saw one video of a fella with good results at 100 FF and 2oz of #5. Gonna kick the snot outta ya but it shot a great pattern at 30 yards.

 

[bud in pa]

I found that 1F tightened my pattern with no other changes.

 

[Tom Sloniger]

I found that 1F tightened my pattern with no other changes.

Maybe I’ll give 1F a try

 

[JackP]

I have found that 1F also tightened my pattern .

 

[Tom Sloniger]

Not to hijack your thread pioneer but maybe we can both pull some good info from it.

i finally got a chance to pattern my Pedersoli trade gun today. My pattern was very poor. I tried multiple combinations of FFg and #5 shot at 25 yards. The best pattern was 100gr. Of FFg, then an old shot shell wad I picked up off the ground, 1-1/4oz of #5 covered by a felt wad. Still only 3 hits in the head and neck.

I really thought I would Get a better pattern. Without the plastic wad I was lucky to get 1 hit.

any ideas?

 

[Brokennock]

Not to hijack your thread pioneer but maybe we can both pull some good info from it.

i finally got a chance to pattern my Pedersoli trade gun today. My pattern was very poor. I tried multiple combinations of FFg and #5 shot at 25 yards. The best pattern was 100gr. Of FFg, then an old shot shell wad I picked up off the ground, 1-1/4oz of #5 covered by a felt wad. Still only 3 hits in the head and neck.

I really thought I would Get a better pattern. Without the plastic wad I was lucky to get 1 hit.

any ideas?

How low on the powder did you start before arriving at 100 grains?
Did you try about 70 or so under your 1 1/4oz of shot?
What do you have between powder and shot?

Also, what are you shooting at? If all you are going by is a turkey target like those marketed by H.S. Strut, you could have a great pattern, that just isn't centered on the turkey target. You need to be shooting at something in the middle of a huge sheet of clean paper. Look for the area of greatest shot density, then adjust aim to bring that to your target.

This is our patterning board before I covered the hole with cardboard, normally it is many layers of plywood, and years ago even cut and flattened tires,

Those turkey targets should give you an idea of scale. The face of it extends about 6" past the telephone pole uprights on either side. Initially that whole thing should be covered with clean paper and an aim point placed in the middle.