Win Xpert 40 Yd Pattern

Got a chance to fire some shells today and was suprised at the pattern I got from some Win Xperts 3" #2 1 1/8 ounce steel. They're nothing out of this world but it's the most pellets on paper I've gotten with these shells out of any of my guns. I used an M2 with factory mod at between 40-42 yds. The targets were a couple pieces of cardboard box I had in my van that I ripped into pieces.

Would you guys feel comfortable shooting ducks at 40 yds with this combo under the right conditions? Again I'm not saying it's an awesome pattern, but if you saw the way they've patterned out of the other guns/choke combos I've tried you'd understand why I'm pleased, lol.

http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/a...psda885b69.jpg
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Try doing it next time with a bigger piece of cardboard so you can draw a 30" circle around the best spot and get an idea on percentage of pellets in that area. By the looks of it the percentage would be good.

I have tested turkey loads with a worse pattern then that. I would shoot ducks with that load, and have haha.

Had a chance to hunt ducks and geese in Saskatchewan this Fall with a group of local guys. The ammo of choice for everyone was precisely what you used and everyone made some excellent shots. I had brought along some premium stuff but quickly ran out...used the Xpert for the rest of the hunt and actually scored more and longer hits than I did with the expensive stuff! It was a big group and the hunt bosses bought the stuff by the case from CT.

And the beauty of shooting it with a Benelli is that it doesn't matter how dirty those Win xperts are, and, they ARE dirty lol.....

Its hard to pattern waterfowl loads on paper. You have to consider the shot string, and you just cant see that on paper. The pattern may look great, but some of the pellets will be in front of the bird, and some behind it. Dont forget, the bird isa moving.

40yds is doable, but I like to get them closer if I can. Past 40 is doable too, but I let those ones go for the next guy.

S.

Pellets will penetrate cardboard at 40 yards, or even 70 yards. Pattern is only one aspect, but will they have enough energy to penetrate and bring a diver down? I think most people, including myself, will have trouble gauging distance. Mental picture -50 yards is half a football field, and a duck is generally smaller then a football. A skeet range shot is at 21 yards, double that and a bit. Not saying it can't be done, I think sinker has the right idea though.

Wasn’t there an article recently on shot shell testing, with the use of ballistic gel to check pattern and penetration?

Here it is - http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...un-enthusiasts

D.

I agree guys about shot string/penetration being the other parts of the equation. I'm not terribly technical when testing shells but I do find it interesting. Basically I like to find a shell that patterns well up to 40 but most of my shots are around 30 or less with a few out to 40 when pass shooting northern ducks in the eve.

Also I'm sure it's just a gimmick but the crio barrels on the gun I was using are supposed to throw a shorter denser string. Not sure if it's true, but that's what they say. I hear Patternmaster choke can do wonders to your shot string. Does anyone have any experience with them? The reviews for the most part are good, especially for longer shots.

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Originally Posted by terrierman41

I agree guys about shot string/penetration being the other parts of the equation. I'm not terribly technical when testing shells but I do find it interesting. Basically I like to find a shell that patterns well up to 40 but most of my shots are around 30 or less with a few out to 40 when pass shooting northern ducks in the eve.

Also I'm sure it's just a gimmick but the crio barrels on the gun I was using are supposed to throw a shorter denser string. Not sure if it's true, but that's what they say. I hear Patternmaster choke can do wonders to your shot string. Does anyone have any experience with them? The reviews for the most part are good, especially for longer shots.

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No patternmaster experience but wadwizard definitely does have a shorter shot string.....

'wadwizard definitely does have a shorter shot string..'

Please explain how the choke either slows up the pellets in the front, or speeds up the pellets at the back, to change the length of the shot string?

D.