pattern size and numbers?

[Richyb]

For turkeys everyone counts holes in a 10" circle at 40 yards, so my question is there any magic number and circle size and distance for goose hunting?

[TrophyTracker]

When shooting Honkers, I generally set up my gun as follows, a more open tube that is rated for Steel in the .711-.716 range if I'm shooting shot larger than BB. I concentrate on a 20" circle at 40yds, looking for a nice even pattern within it. This helps me get it sweetspotted for the expected 25-30yd shots on decoying geese.

My current set-up is a Hevi-Shot Mid tube in my Benelli's(.711) and 3in BB shells. This allows me to also hunt Mallards when the season overlaps and I am sneeking the river bends

[SumToy]

Most look at a 20 inch.  That is the numbers we test.  Now most shoot BB's.  I got to play with the new Heavy Metal blend and it is BAD.  It looked good out of HV and ST Light Mod.  Now as numbers I look at good even patterns over the 20 inch.  Now you think about you dont need a hole in the pattern that may let him slip by with just some shot in places that just hurts him up to died days later

[savduck]

I dont count pellets. I think shooting a pattern at a flat piece of paper with a circle is useless for ducks. Turkeys are sitting still usually when you shoot, so patterning your pellets in a circle makes sense. Ducks are flying so your shot string is stretched out over many feet. If your gonna waste shells....go shoot skeet. its not the same as ducks...but will still teach you leads and other skills.

When shooting steel I prefer improved cylinder to modified in most situations with a 3" round between 1300 to 1450 fps. # 3s or # 2s.  Remember steel patterns tighters in a more open choke.

[Richyb]

Thanks guys ..  The 2 choke options i have are skeet cylinder choke and improved modified. I am shooting 3" remington BB's. I have been using the imp.mod. choke and doing fairly well but missing a couple of close shots so dad figures i should be using my skeet choke to open it up. Lastnight i tried the skeet and at 20 yards wounded one and spent the rest of the night searching a couple fields over to find it. He only had 1 pellet through his breast. Im going to go back to the imp.mod because i seemd to either smoke em or miss. Just wanted to know if theres a science to the pattern like with turkey hunting that everyone finds acceptable.

[SumToy]

Richyd that is what I would run a LM in a aftermarket choke or try to find you a stock M to run with the BB's.  Now if you don't want to buy new choke you may drop to a smaller shoot if the birds are on top of you.  Try a number 2.

[savduck]

Richyd that is what I would run a LM in a aftermarket choke or try to find you a stock M to run with the BB's.  Now if you don't want to buy new choke you may drop to a smaller shoot if the birds are on top of you.  Try a number 2.

Agreed.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

Try dropping down to #2 Steel.  Or, if your shots are normally 20-30 yards and you don't expect to see geese, defy conventional wisdom and try some #4 Steel.  More Pellets is your best friend out to 30 yards.  Improved Cylinder, Light Modified, and Modified are what you need to pattern.  One of them will probably work well for you.

Skeet is probably too open.  Improved Modified is probably too tight, except for long range pass shooting at ducks and geese.  But, IM will hammer them when you put it on them.