Consider erecting a grease plate, as opposed to only shooting paper. I have shot paper, for patterning, for some 30 years, but only recently built a grease plate. It is a couple miles from home on another piece of property I own, but I'm over there a lot. I've found that I shoot many more patterns with the grease plate than I did with paper because it is always ready. Just roll the paint/oil mixture to erase the last pattern and it's ready to go. The only costs I incurred was the piece of 4' x 4'x 3/16" steel plate and two treated 4" x 4" posts. I had enough scrap, treated 2" x 8"s, to build the framework backing for the plate. I take pics of the patterns if I want to save them, and download onto my computer. Easy, peasy.
I can shoot it as far back as 100+ yds., if I want to. Want to get your feelings hurt? Take your favorite bird gun that has a modified choke in one barrel and pattern it at 60 yds. with a 1 1/8 oz. load. Then look at the number of holes a bird could easily fly through. It's almost enough to make you lose confidence in shooting clay birds at that distance. I shoot a lot of targets on sporting clays courses at 50 - 70 yds., and I can tell you that I am now amazed when I can break 4 long birds straight on a station.
As Tim Conway used to say on the Carol Burnett Show .........very, very in-te-rest-ing.
SRH
