Im planning on purchasing a mossberg 500 super bantam and planning on trying federalw hw #7's. I was looking at different choke tubes and was wondering if you could actually get to tight of a pattern at ranges 20 yards and under?
I guess it depends how steady you can hold. I shot a gobbler at 9 yards the other morning and my pattering is super tight at that range. My buddy hunting with me missed on the first shot at that range but hit it on the second shot. I've missed more turkeys under 20 yards than over.
This is the 30 yard pattern with my Super Bantam with a 562-5 Sumtoy and Fed HW 7s. It is pretty tight. My daughter shot her bird at 10 yards this year. My advice would be get a good choke and a red dot. If you put the dot on his head and pull the trigger he is done for. I like the simplicity of my red dot. I know if I miss it is all on me.
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25yds and under,alot of today's chokes shoot to tight of a pattern in my opinion
Quote from: surehuntsalot on April 29, 2013, 10:55:13 PM
25yds and under,alot of today's chokes shoot to tight of a pattern in my opinion
You got that right, in fact way too tight, especially with HTL loads.
Under 20 yards some shoot like a rifle.You have to practice at closer ranges.
Kevin
I would not worry about being too tight in close as I would about having a good 40 yard pattern. I Have a Super Bantam with a 572 Undertaker. It put 163 in the 10 at 40 with Heavyweight #7. With this setup I killed 2, my 14 year old son killed 2 and my wife killed 1. They were from 20 yards to 40 yards. My wife got hers this morning at 36 yards and she jelly headed him. This is a great gun with alot of good chokes to choose from.
Quote from: surehuntsalot on April 29, 2013, 10:55:13 PM
25yds and under,alot of today's chokes shoot to tight of a pattern in my opinion
Yes, so you better be on! A scope or red dot is highly recommended. Here is a TSS load at 23 yards. Keep in mind however that TSS is not as tight as some of these off the shelf loads at close range, but I think you get the idea that pretty much ALL your shot will be inside 10" and at 10 yards it may be inside 8".
(http://i1031.photobucket.com/albums/y372/Gophert/IMAG0002.jpg) (http://s1031.photobucket.com/user/Gophert/media/IMAG0002.jpg.html)
My 870 is averaging around 160 nice, evenly spaced pellets in the 10" with HW 7's through a Carlson's .570 non-ported at 40 yards. I put a Patriot sear spring in her to fix the horrible, creepy, crunchy triger pull out of the box, mounted a micro red-dot sight and put a ShurShot stock on the wounding end. Now she shoots like a decent rifle, which is good because inside of 20 yards the pattern is TIGHT, where it's beautiful at 40. If you pattern for optimal density at 40 yards you are simply going to have to deal with the super tight patterns up close. Myself? I like to EAT the birds I shoot and not risk a broken tooth on a tool hard pellet in the breast meat, so my hunting patterns are head-centered which will still put some pellets into the upper back/breast, but a ton less than guys that center for the base of the neck. I picked 23 HW 7 pellets out of the head and neck of my bird last year that was shot at 34 yards. I found 6 in the off side, high breast edge and that was it. with that pattern, inside of 20 its gonna be all head and neck and a baaaaad day for mr gobbler when I touch the trigger...