Shot Patterns

[northmn]

There are two uses generally utilized with shot out of fowlers or BP shotguns.  One is game hunting where the birds may be flying and the other is turkey hunting.  Turkey loads generally are heavy shot loads, often low pressure to pattern very tightly to a center core.  Shot stringing is not as much of an issue as the head is more or less stationary.  The same principles would work for pot shooting.  Either way, when one talks patterning the old 30" standard is really not applicable, except for determining whether the pattern is giving the text book percentages as stated in books, ie full choke 70%.  Don Zutz was a very strong advocate of 28" patterns as giving a more accurate description of performance.  After doing a lot of patterning I would even agree if one wanted to shring it down a little more.  The outside edges of patterns get pretty sparse.  A way to see that is by using the American method of patterning where a 20" circle is drawn inside a 30" circle.  Thickening is the ratio of the pellet count in the inner to teh outer circle.  I have almost always found the center ratio to be at least 1.5 to one and sometimes 1.75 to 1.  If you are shooting at a flying bird with the old smokepoles, it is really about that size pattern you have results with.

DP

[Pete G.]

You can trace the outline of your fist and arm placed on a sheet of note paper and get a pretty fair representation of a turkey head and neck also.

[WaterFowl]

I also use  sheet paper    the outer ring is 28 inches inter ring 18 inches
The white sheet does not lie! The paper came from a roll ends. free is good!

[Daryl]

While I use the standard 30" circle of lexan for pattering, I also the 20" (of lexan) centre to show thickening which is necessary for long range killing patterns.
To pattern your pelter, mark an aiming point as noted by RB, aiming at it as you would hold on a sitting bird. Note where the centre concentration hits and the whole of the pattern at well. Find the centre of the pattern and see where your gun hits- then adjust the way you hold it to 'hit' the centre. Wonderful is the gun which shoots 'true' - that is, hits centre on your aiming point.  This, of course, gives you the best opportunity for killing the game.  It's bad if the gun shoots high, low or to one side or the other. Changing the load composition can sometimes move the zero around a bit, but sighting or bending the tube might be necessary.

Patterning can be done at close range, ie: 25 yards, but for bird shooting on the wing, 30 to 35 yards might be a better range.  Any choking in the tube should allow patterning farther out.

Many ML's shoot low with shot - patterning is the only way to find out where the gun shoots.  Shooting at water, ie: a pond, shows next to nothing worthwhile.

If you visit a 'Forestry' building, they may have large maps ready to be thrown out - these make good patterning paper, as do rolls of butcher paper.

Fowl's target shows wonderful central pattern concentration, but if the little round circle at the top of the 18" circle was the aiming point, it also shows the low hitting I mentioned above.  One would have to practise in raising the eye above the breeches enough to centre the pattern, especially for 'flying shooting'.

Joseph Manton was the first to incorporate raised ribs to compensate the this 'low' shooting.  Of course, the larger the breech diameter, the higher the impact of shot, but then, a ball from the same gun will tend to hit too high.

[James Rogers]

Always pattern at the range you want to be shooting unless you are determining a choke constriction pattern.

[Jerry V Lape]

One observatiion, most well made and fitted shotguns will pattern slightly above the aim point when shot as in wingshooting.  That is as in a quick mount, swing and shoot.  Something like 70% above, 30% below.  This accommodates the wingshooter.  Wingshooters are focused on the bird or clay target (not the barrel or sights) and instinctively hold the shotgun at a 6:00 o clock position because it enables  clearly seeing  the game or clay target.  If fired as off a bench rifleman style they may or may not center the pattern on the aim point. 

Before modifying a shotgun's static point of aim  pattern the gun as in wingshooting.  You may be surprised to see it is exactly where needed.  There is a dynamic involving gun and man and it is different than rifles where sight alignment is primary. 

Corrections to the shotguns pattern placement is done with modifications to buttstock construction (drop at the cheek and butt,  length of pull, pitch and cast). 

[northmn]

Since there are no turkeys to hunt in my area I cannot make many claims, but I have thought that if building a dedicated turkey gun that I would add sights as one can then center the more concentrated part of the pattern on the head.  With a flintlock fowler where one is kind of meat hunting might also work.  something like Daryls express sights. 
Always been rather cheap when it came to powder for a fowler, but have started wondering lately about different powders.  At this time I use Grafs 2f as it is the least expensive.  Looking at smokeless one sees many different powders, even from the same manufacturer.  Fast burns work for target loads, slow burns for high brass and magnums.  Be interesting to start trying different types for different patterns.  Do not have much 1f left but we did use it once for trap shooting.  Wonder if Swiss would be worth the extra cost?

DP

[WaterFowl]

Jack's powder keg has battle powder 3f goex-same as regular but no graphite...buys it in bulk.. cans it ..puts his name on it  10.something per pound delivered.

My pattern target was shot at 35 yards. this was shot from the bench with just a Small front bead in a T/C New Englander 12 ga. percussion..have since converted it to flint..will be with me this spring chasing tom's!

this pattern was shot during a load work up at that time I was not concerned about point of impact.

here's the result last spring...

[northmn]

While success is hard to argue with, I still think a set of sights might help.  For one thing, you can make sure that the center of the pattern is concentrated on the head.  There were a heck of a lot of trade guns that had some form of rear sight established by their owners.  Sometimes a chiseled up piece of barrel. 

DP