Shotgun Patterning

[Jefferson]

Does anyone out there have a source for pre-made shotgun patterning targets? I am looking for a target with a 30-inch outside circle and an inner 20-inch circle.

BTW. There is some really interesting info on patterning to be found at the the following address: www.gsspatterning.com

I do not know anything about the folks at GSS, but their page contains some good back ground information on shotgun patterns.

Happy hunting.

[msdawg]

I looked long and hard once after reading an article in Wildfowl, never found any. Wound up getting some posterboard and tracing a 30 and 20 inch circle on it. Cut you two pieces of string with loops for a pen, one for each length(15" and 10"), center it and trace. If you do find some targets let me know, I would love to have some. I saw some at shooting range once that had a duck, feet down on them, wish I could find those again.

[GulfCoast]

Gamiel Shooting Supply used to have those targets. I don't know if they still carry them.

[mississippi_duc_htr]

Ms dawg ahd a good idea about the string. Too find some big paper check with convience store for pepsi and coke products that have gone off special. they usually take these off their pumps and windows and throw them away. they make excellent targets to check with and usally big enought to cut in half to make 2. wal-mart and K mart are a good source too. Good luck this year.

[msdawg]

Found the ultimate targets

Hunter John Shotgun Pattern Targets

Just happened upon this site when I was checking out a new search engine today.

[RedEyed Duck]

I purchase all my targets for work (firearms instructor) and for play through Alco Target Company. Maybe they can help you.

web page

[Super-X]

If you know of a grocery/meat market you
might be able to talk the butcher out of some
"butcher paper" that is used to wrap meat.
Add the afore-mentioned circles & there
you have it. [img]images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[Steel 3's]

Hey men,

When you pattern a shotgun, DON'T draw your circles before you shoot. If you do, and you don't perfectly center your pattern, your data will not be representative. Patterning is not to evaluate your ability to hit a particular spot, but to evaluate the quality of the pattern from your gun/load/choke/distance combination. Patterning targets I've seen before have a variety of possible circles already drawn on them, but they tend to be expensive.

I mention expense because as many of you may know, there is a lot of shot-to-shot variation in patterns .... even from the exact same gun/load/choke/distance combination. Shooting 1 pattern is almost useless. You need at least 3, and 5 is better to have a reasonable idea of what to expect from any combination. It also gives you maybe the single most important piece of information ... how consistently your gun patterns a particular load.

I would suggest using a blank sheet of paper with an aimpoint ... I use a black dot stick-on. When you shoot from a rest, aiming at the black dot, you can evaluate your gun's point of impact. Then draw your circles around the densest part of the pattern, which may be off center but hopefully not by much, and then start counting pellets. I usually get rolls of 40-inch butcher paper or table-cover paper from a local paper supply which costs about $20 for 400 feet.

I use a different method than GSS (but thanks for that url ... that was cool), and have a 30-inch circle cut from cardboard with a 15-inch center hole or core. I overlay the cardboard "donut" such that it covers the maximum number of pellets, then draw the outer and inner circles and get to counting.

[Jefferson]

Steel3's -- I was wondering if you would ever show around these parts. I have enjoyed reading your posts on other sites and am happy to see you here. Hope your season is going well.