Does weather/temperature affect patterns?

[deerbasshunter3]

I am going to go pattern my shotgun tomorrow, but it will only get into the mid 40's (Probably less than that when I get out there to pattern.). When April comes around, it will more than likely be warmer than that.

Is this going to affect my pattern come April, or is 40 or 50 yards not enough for it to change?

Also, at only 40 or 50 yards, does the rain affect the pattern?

[Gobble!]

Yes. I have noticed much lower numbers at 40 yards when it's 30-40 compared to 60-70. I was shooting HeviShot #6s and #7s so it still produced a killing pattern. If you were using a shell that put up low numbers at 70 degrees then I may be worried if I had to hunt when it's 30-40.
I have not noticed enough of a change in POI to worry about it.
Never patterned in the rain so I can't help you there.

[dirt road ninja]

As Gobble! posted, yes , you will see higher numbers in warmer weather. The rain question is very interesting. Having shot many many rounds at paper I've never tried it in the rain! I have however killed while it's been raining and that thought never crossed my mind. You've now burdened me with something else to worry about. Lol.

[deerbasshunter3]

So basically, if I pattern my gun tomorrow in low to mid 40s temps, and am still getting good numbers, I should be good to go come April? This is assuming that the temp does not affect the POI.

It is not supposed to rain until later in the afternoon, but then again, how often is the weather man spot on...?

[dirt road ninja]

So basically, if I pattern my gun tomorrow in low to mid 40s temps, and am still getting good numbers, I should be good to go come April? Yes

This is assuming that the temp does not affect the POI. POI will not shift due to temperature. A centered pattern at 30 degrees will be centered at 80 degrees.

[allaboutshooting]

I am going to go pattern my shotgun tomorrow, but it will only get into the mid 40's (Probably less than that when I get out there to pattern.). When April comes around, it will more than likely be warmer than that.

Is this going to affect my pattern come April, or is 40 or 50 yards not enough for it to change?

Also, at only 40 or 50 yards, does the rain affect the pattern?

You raised and excellent question.

A number of weather conditions will affect pattern density. The most influential weather factor is temperature. There can be quite dramatic differences in patterns at 40 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, 70 degrees and so on. Cold air is more dense than warm air and dense air disburses shot more than warm air, so as temperatures rise, all things being equal, patterns will become more dense. It was for that reason that I shot on days when temperatures were in the low 50s for my evaluation of 32 different turkey chokes through 6 different guns with the WLB shells.

I wanted to simulate as best I could, the temperatures that many, maybe most, hunters encounter in the turkey woods in the spring and fall seasons. A rise of just 10 degrees will normally produce much better patterns.

Shotshells, guns and chokes can all be affected by cold/cool weather also. A cold shotshell, in a cold gun may not perform as well as when all those are warm. When you combine that factor with cold and dense air, patterns can be affected.

It's also true that some shells and some chokes are affected more than others by cool or cold conditions.

Some of the very best patterns I've seen have been shot just after a hard rain. I have shot in competition many times between showers and patterns are normally excellent then as well.

Last year at the World Championship still target shoot, we shot in driving rain the afternoon of the first day and saw some of the best patterns we'd seen.

My first turkey was shot at about 10:00 a.m. in a steady rain that had begun about 4:00 that morning. (I would not be out in the woods on a rainy day like that now but back then, little to nothing stopped me.)

So, if you pattern your gun in the 40s or low 50s, you're likely to see the low side of pattern density that your gun/choke/shell is capable of shooting. That's much better than looking at patterns shot in the 60s, 70s or higher temperatures and thinking that's what you'll be shooting in the turkey woods when it's cooler.

Thanks,
Clark

[deerbasshunter3]

It was roughly low to mid 40s today when I was patterning my shotgun. This is my end result at 40 yards. So this should look better come April?

[allaboutshooting]

You should see a more dense pattern if the temperature is warmer but you have a dead bird with that target regardless.

Thanks,
Clark

[owlhoot]

Nothing wrong with that right there!  At any temp that is good.
You are good to go.

[deerbasshunter3]

I was happy with it! I did notice, however, that the poi would rise the further out I put the target. I guess I assumed that it would fall. Do you guys compensate for the rise, or am I missing something. Either way, if I put the sight on the lower part of the bird's neck, it is a dead bird out to 40, maybe even 50.

All in all, a great day at the range and a big confidence booster knowing my gun is on target and good to go. Looking forward to April!

[SumToy]

Yes they will be better in warm temps.   The bigger bore guns will pick up more then the small bore guns. 

[Ihuntoldschool]

Anyone ever seen a weird unexpected relationship between temperature/pattern density?

Who shot today and saw patterns more open than normal across the board with various chokes?

My patterns today around 40 degrees here were more open than patterns a week ago around 20-22 degrees. Same choke,gun,shooter,shell, distance.   Anyone have any explanations? Air pressure was about 29.92 with 38% humidity.  Held true with multiple chokes, same load.   

[Gobble!]

I was happy with it! I did notice, however, that the poi would rise the further out I put the target. I guess I assumed that it would fall. Do you guys compensate for the rise, or am I missing something. Either way, if I put the sight on the lower part of the bird's neck, it is a dead bird out to 40, maybe even 50.

All in all, a great day at the range and a big confidence booster knowing my gun is on target and good to go. Looking forward to April!

It does look like half of your core pattern is above the turkey head.

[deerbasshunter3]

I was happy with it! I did notice, however, that the poi would rise the further out I put the target. I guess I assumed that it would fall. Do you guys compensate for the rise, or am I missing something. Either way, if I put the sight on the lower part of the bird's neck, it is a dead bird out to 40, maybe even 50.

All in all, a great day at the range and a big confidence booster knowing my gun is on target and good to go. Looking forward to April!

It does look like half of your core pattern is above the turkey head.

I believe at 40 yards, I was holding at the bottom of his neck. Is that something that I should just get accustomed to doing, or is there something that I can adjust so that I can hold on one spot from five yards out to 40 and still have a dead bird?

[870supermagnum]

deerbasshunter3, I agree with many others, that pattern equals a dead turkey no matter what the temp is.