Why? I mean I get it, but why?

[drenalinld]

The reason you should do it is most simply you owe it to the game you hunt to know for certain you give your best effort to make a killing shot. The tighter the choke restriction and the heavier the payload the less likely POI will match POA. With turkey chokes and heavy turkey loads it is more likely than not these will not match. Shooting 40 yard patterns is certainly eye opening. If I kept the shots to 25 yards or less as you talked about I wouldn't bother with turkey loads or turkey chokes. Just shoot high brass pheasant loads and factory full.

[jakesdad]

I dont chase numbers anymore but do like to know how a certain load/choke combo is going to perform.POI/POA is crazy different from setup to setup in some guns. Once I find a combo that is close on POI/POA then I look at pattern densitys. Ill right it down in a notebook so I know what works and what dont.I like to look for solid even coverage more so that just giant numbers in a 10".

[bbcoach]

For me there are several reasons for doing it and most of them have been mentioned.  1. POA/POI issues, I want my gun to shoot POA/POI because most of today's shells and chokes shoot so tight I want to know what my gun does at close range.  My 835 shot low right when I first got it so I put a Red dot on it to correct that problem.  2. I don't chase numbers but I sure want to know what my pattern does at 40 yards to see if I have enough pellets to kill ethically if that shot presents itself.  3. Each of us owe it to the turkeys we hunt, to make an ethical kill.  That is why we should know what our gun, ammo and choke will and won't do at all ranges.  You normally sight in a rifle or slug gun for deer, why wouldn't you do that for turkeys.  With todays technology, we aren't shooting our Grandfather's scatter gun at turkeys anymore.

[eddie234]

Sometimes you can over think it. I've tried numerous shell choke combinations and always seem to come back to my original set-up. I guess some feel the need to chase numbers. I've finally realized I'm not getting any better numbers than I'm getting now. I've got enough shells to last the rest of my life.

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[Planner]

Thanks for all the great replies- I just might have to put a shot or two at some targets before the season cranks up here in a couple of weeks.


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[Hansonc]

Like others have said to check POI. The biggest thig I take from it is confidence I know how my shell is performing at various distances. Takes all uncertainty out of the equation

[paboxcall]

Like others have said to check POI. The biggest thig I take from it is confidence I know how my shell is performing at various distances. Takes all uncertainty out of the equation

I learned the POI lesson years ago on a Mossberg 500.  Bought a Hastings choke tube, ran some Winchester lead #5 and found the gun was 3 - 4 inches left and couple inches low.

When Hevishot hit a few years back it was exciting to see what everyone was doing.  I tried a JH with Hevi 13 #7, and liked what I got, bought a bunch of the Hevi and good since.  I know what I got will get the job done.

[g8rvet]

I shoot ducks and geese and when trying a new load (speed, weight, brand, etc) I pattern them in my gun.  I have found that my gun does not like Rio steel, but loves the cheap Federal Blue Box.  I have killed birds in large numbers with confidence. If I miss, it is because of me, not the gun or the pattern.  I just want a nice even spread at 35 yards. 

I have missed a turkey at 35 yards.   To this day, I do not know why.  I had patterned my gun, took it home and shot it afterwards. It was not a rushed shot, I can still see the sight picture and feel the surprise of the report as the gun went off and where I was aiming.  I do not like how that makes me feel even today, 4-5 years later, and I will do everything I can to not feel that again.  But that is just me.

[mudhen]

I enjoy the patterning process...

Probably doesn't matter to many, but it matters to me, and that's all that really counts...

In my 35+- years of hunting them, I've had some tough hunts saved by good equipment...

Sure, I prefer chip shots, but life is not all chip shots...

I like to know what my guns are capable of...

The turkey & weather gods don't seem to care that I only have a few days to hunt in other states or areas....

A well patterned gun can be a good equalizer...

At the same time, I hunts ducks & geese 30-40 times a year, and have not patterned a duck gun or shot trap/sheet in maybe 20 years...


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[Gobble!]

I put to much time into scouting and making sure I have everything I want/need to kill a bird to not know what my gun can do at different ranges. I chase 10" and 20" numbers to have full confidence that when I pull the trigger at X yards the bird is not going to walk away.

[BINK McCARTY]

Thanks for all the great replies- I just might have to put a shot or two at some targets before the season cranks up here in a couple of weeks.


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Be sure to shoot at a large piece of paper ( I use a 3'x3') that way you will see the difference...if there is any... between POA/POI. To answer your question ....In my humble opinion....when I first started it was out of necessity so I could learn about the aforementioned difference POA/POI , the limits of my set-up,and to see what the best possible set-up is.Now,its more so I can try and improve my pattern,and the limits of my set-up....not to mention its a whole great big bunch of fun to get together with some buddies and shoot with them,and also help them or new people be more successful,and to learn some new stuff myself!!!! From listening to what you been saying , it sounds like you have have a great set-up ,and know the limits of it....keep on puttin' em ' down!!!!

[Cut N Run]

I consider my turkey gun more like a slug gun considering how close most of the turkeys I kill with it are. You need to know what works best.  Patterning your gun will only help you understand where the best part of your pattern is and reveal any poor performing shells.  It may also identify holes or weak sections in the pattern, which could lead to wounded or injured birds.  At mid-range hunting shots it shouldn't matter much, but at longer range, why not have the most efficient pattern possible?

Good luck.

Jim

[Farmboy27]

I always check a new gun/load for Poi.  That being said, my uncle has hunted his whole life with an Ithaca 37 modified choke and 2 3/4 loads(whatever brand is cheapest when he needs shells). Don't thinks he's ever shot a shotgun shell at paper in his life and he kills his longbeard every year.  But the modified choke gives him a little room for error and I don't think he's ever pulled the trigger on one over 30 yards.  So he considers shooting a shell at paper to be a waste of time and money.   

[TauntoHawk]

Never heard of "patterning" until I joined this site.

Now I my gun, ammo, and choke combos have vastly changed I require reddots on all my turkey guns and my effective range has increased drastically.

One other way to fuel the obsession.


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[owlhoot]

I always check a new gun/load for Poi.  That being said, my uncle has hunted his whole life with an Ithaca 37 modified choke and 2 3/4 loads(whatever brand is cheapest when he needs shells). Don't thinks he's ever shot a shotgun shell at paper in his life and he kills his longbeard every year.  But the modified choke gives him a little room for error and I don't think he's ever pulled the trigger on one over 30 yards.  So he considers shooting a shell at paper to be a waste of time and money.

Not pulling the trigger at one over 30 yards being the key. I shot a old pump marked MOD. for a dozen years with 2 3/4" Remington Express Mag 6's, surprisingly it did fairly well on the paper and the birds, I did pattern it with different loads and shot sizes though , learned about that in 1978.