Ok did a little more studying of my federal 7s....found some interesting stuff.

[savduck]

First off...if you look at my picture in previous post, my 10 ring actually only about 9.5. I found a perfect 10 today and some of the pattern numbers jumped up a little. I also moved my patterns around a little and tried to get 3 ring average per target. I have notes on if the shot was dirty and the lot numbers. Here is my finding. My goal when setting this gun up was to get that 140 to 160 magic pattern I heard everyone getting. Ive actually changed my mind a little. Im thinking I want to stay about 115 to 130 with the federals. Here is my data just in my gun.

1. I have two lots numbers. With all three chokes....the averages per target were all higher with one lot number than the other. One lot the IC was 130, TG 113, and Sumtoy 109, The other lot IC 175, TG 126, Sumtoy 113.

2. When shooting clean and dirty. The dirty affected individual chokes. The truglo definately like a clean choke with the feds. IC liked it a little dirty, Sumtoy was consistant no matter what...even stayed on par with the targets i shot week before last. Every one of these chokes, except one shot, put around 90% of the payload on my poster board 36 X 36. The IC was 93% and 96%, the sum toy was 90% and 89%, and Truglo was 81% (dirty) and 88% (clean)

3. When the pattern count in 10 stayed at the 115 to 130 average it was putting 25 to 30 pellets in the head to neck region at 40, and you could shift the core pattern around up to 4 inches in any direction and maintain a similiar 10 ring count over 100. your margin of error is very high. The shots that had over 140( using the two hevi 13 patterns here to) Could only be moved twice to maintain that high average and they could only move an 1.5 or less. If you went more than that, the counts went WAY down. If you are off just a hair its an ugly pattern.

Im gonna shoot some more now knowing what I know from these shots and see if this data holds up.

[chipper]

I noticed the SSx dropping #,s dirty also.

[MERCing]

Interesting info.
Thanks for taking the time to compile it and post it.

I've noticed changes from lot number to lot number. It can be very frustrating, especially considering what we're paying for the HTL loads. I know I've went thru a bunch of them, especially the Hevi's.
With availability issues and having to order most of it on-line, kind of a shot in the dark as to what you're going to get

[thundrchikin]

Good job savduck,thanks for the info and time compiling it. I'm thinking along the same lines as you. I'd rather have a even killing pattern than with fewer 10 ring #'s than a high 10 ring count and no room for error. Which lot # are you getting the higher count with again? Thanks

[goblr77]

Good info Savduck.

[savduck]

Good job savduck,thanks for the info and time compiling it. I'm thinking along the same lines as you. I'd rather have a even killing pattern than with fewer 10 ring #'s than a high 10 ring count and no room for error. Which lot # are you getting the higher count with again? Thanks

Ill let you know as soon as I secure myself about 5 more boxes.

[thundrchikin]

Good job savduck,thanks for the info and time compiling it. I'm thinking along the same lines as you. I'd rather have a even killing pattern than with fewer 10 ring #'s than a high 10 ring count and no room for error. Which lot # are you getting the higher count with again? Thanks

Ill let you know as soon as I secure myself about 5 more boxes.

I guess it really doesn't matter anyway I have a local sporting goods store that carries them and that's where I'll buy mine to help him out.  His lot #' s are the 37VT455. Good luck in your search

[savduck]

Did a little more shooting today. I'll try to get some more patterns up. Two things I am certain of about the feds, after shooting some more

1. They are FINICKY
2. They do not like to be shot out of a dirty gun.

[jscrapmetal]

I got 180 out of my BENELLI M2 20ga today.

[savduck]

Here is the data. Polished my gun some more. About 100 swipes with steel wool, clean with alcohol. Shot 11 total shots today. I shot off my knee just as I was hunting. Shot some clean, some dirty. Numbers were all over the place with the Federals, but some data is holding strong from me shooting the other day. So here you go. And I only shot the lot # that is supposed to shoot well. Oh by the way. The lot that my guns likes was a 3V lot from midway, the one that didnt shoot was the 3U lot from Dunns.

Shot 1........Tru Glo 550, clean, 30 yards........209 in 10, 320 on poster board. 73 in head and neck, 22 in spine and brain. 97%. POA and POI match

Shot 2..........Sum Toy 562, clean, 30 yards............191 in 10, 318 on paper. 64 H&N, 20 S&B....96%. POI POA match.

Shot 3...........Indian Creek 555, 30 yard............249 in 10, 336 on paper, 79 H&N, 22 S&B......POI,POA match 100%

40 Yards

Shot 4, Sum Toy Dirty........87 in 10, 282 on paper, 23 H&N, 2 spine and brain...........85%

Shot 5, Tru glo Dirty..........67 in 10, 264 on paper, 21 H&N, 7 S&B..........80%

[savduck]

Shot 6...IC, dirty...147 in 10, 308 total..39 H&N, 11 S&B......93 %

Shot 7......Tru Glo, Clean...........143 in 10, 294 total, 41 H&N, 16 S&B..........89%

Shot 8...........NO CHOKE. I cleaned gun and forgot to put choke in and shot. 89 in 10, 269 on paper. 20 H&N, 7 S&B....82%


Shot 9..........IC Clean.........121 in 10, 305 total, 28 H&N, 9 S&B............92%

Shot 10..........Tru Glo, Clean Hevi 13 7s..........161 in 10, 29 Head and neck, 9 Spine and Brain

Shot 11...........Tru Glo, semi clean Hevi 7s..........155 in 10, 36 Head and neck, 9 Spine and Brain

[savduck]

And to Sum it up.

1. The Feds are Finicky in my gun no matter what. They are really affected by a dirty gun. Of the three chokes, the IC seems to be the least affected when dirty, the Tru Glo is the most affected. The numbers drop off but still put up high numbers. C

2. The one screw up with NO CHOKE...actually put up numbers that some of the dirty tight chokes put up. Notice however that it is really even. This leads me to believe that the guys suggesting the Remington Super full or Hastings are on to something for sure.

3. In my gun dirty/ cleaned combined. Counting shots from the other day and today.  The sumtoy had a 4 shot average of 103.5 in 10, The Tru glo had a 4 shot average of 112, The IC had a four shot Average of 143. The Truglo with Hevi 13 had a 3 shot average of 158.

[drenalinld]

I was just about to suggest Rem SF from Wal mart when I hit to your last post. A full might even do the trick. It doesn't need much constriction.

[DUPREE]

Very good info. After seeing shot 8, I wonder how a factory full would do. Ive said that when my son gets big enough to hunt he will toting a 20 with feds and a modified choke.

I Thought all guns would shoot in the 170's, but after I got my charles daly shooting like that, my buddy jamie (300mag) got a 20ga 870. He tried a bunch of chokes like you have and nothing would touch my pattern. The nest numbers he got out of his gun was in the 150's, with my "lead only" rsf.

[savduck]

I think when shooting the Feds, the 120 to 130 Average is the best pattern to try to aim for. It puts a ton of pellets in the kill zone and is VERY forgiving for error.





The 150 and up is just way to tight. It is an AWESOME looking pattern but there is no room for error. Here is a 161 nice and tight, but I pulled the pattern about 2 inches to the right at 40. If I had pulled a few more inches....the bird flys away