doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Patterning a .410

Would somebody please tell me the proper method of patterning a .410.
I remember reading somewhere that the .410 is patterned at 25 yards. (somewherer else I read that it was 30 yards).
I think I also read, that the circle drawn around the densest part of the pattern, was 20 inches, instead of the usual 30 inches.
I am trying to determine the true chokes of the gun.
Pete

Try this link:

http://doublegunshop.com/choke.htm

It is patterned at 30 yards using a 30" circle.

Pete

you need to checkout these guys http://www.4-10.co.uk/

For many years the standard was stated to be a 20" circle @ 25yds. This is a little less rigid than 30" @ 40yds. A 30" circle @ 30 yds would not even be in the same ball park.

The instructions on the HunterJohn Shotgun Pattern Target from Shotgun Sports magazine state (in red) "25 Yards for Skeet & 410 Gauge" using the same 30 inch circle.

Thanks for the information, all who responded.
I just came back from shooting a few patterns.
Now I wonder how I manage to hit anything at all.
The .410 patterns are terrible. I tried using a twenty inch circle and a thirty inch circle. Either way the patterns were terrible.
The gun is an Iver Johnson "Skeet-er" and it is marked O and C
(open and choke). the left barrel is cylinder and the right barrel is full. At 25 yards the open choke's pattern is pretty much blown, only about 20% but the full choke is about 70%.
I shoot skeet pretty well with it as long as I remember to use the open choke on incommers only.
Pete

Pete,
In my experience, .410's seem to be especially sensitive to any bore issues that a 12ga may never show signs of. Pitting on one of my .410s causes some weird patterns. A small choke problem caused a really bad pattern also. I also had some problems from a badly lengthened chamber. So, I had to make a special reamer to clean up the chamber and lengthened the cones in the process, mainly just to clean up the mess from the other hack that did the chamber lengthening.

I patterned my 410 Superposed New Model Skeet at 30ys, 30" circle. Surprisingly got an averag of 61% rt and 72% left with skeet chokes. Patterened my Uggie 410 which is marked Mod/IM (2 stars/3 stars) at 25ys, 20" circle and got 70% rt and 74% left avg. 2 1/2" Win AA, 1/2 oz #8's.

Thanks Chuck, and Devrep,.
Those are some nice patterns you got on your .410s.
Do you think I can put some choke into the cylinder barrel of the "Skeet-er"? The barrels look too thin for a jug choke. How thin can the barrels be?
Pete

You might check with Mike Orlen about installing a permanent soldered choke sleeve. I'm thinking of sending off a gun of mine with cylinder bores to have chokes put in both barrels. BTW I consider modified to be as much choke as you'll ever need in a .410. If I ever get my gun off to Mike to be rechoked it'll be M/Sk.
Steve