shot pattern

[Mortblanc]

OK it posted as a link, good enough.

I have been engaged in a PM conversation for a couple of days and the subject of buckshot patterns came up.

The photo shown is actually two patterns; a #4 buckshot pattern and a #8 shot pattern on top of each other, both at 40 yards. The shotgun was a Remington 870 using a "modified bore" screw in choke tube. The small circle is 12" and the larger is 24".

Also consider that there were only 18-19 pellets in the #4 buckshot load so all are present inside the target at that range. #4 buckshot is .24 caliber. This is the same performance on target as if an entire magazine of .22lr had slammed into the target at the same instant. This buckshot load would have been effective even if the pattern were doubled and shot out to 60 yards.

The #8 load is even and dense enough to have provided a meal of bunny, squirrel or any other small critter for the pot without damaging the meat.

I used this one as an example because in this case the modified tube provided a dense pattern that was more effective than many of my full choke barrels.

Do not hesitate to use your smooth bore even if the target is approaching the "way out there" zone, as long as you know how it performs.