doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Trying ITX....what do you think? **patterns added*

I got 1lb of #4's to try out and pattern. I was planning on using 3/4oz mostly to keep the pressure down but if I can find 7/8oz recipes under 8k psi I'll try that. I may use 7/8oz of shot in a 1oz wad if space becomes an issue as well.

No patterning today as I had to put a starter in my truck.

So I loaded up a few shells today. Took longer than I thought but I learned a few things...
1) my 1oz Mec charge bar drops 3/4oz of itx 6 shot
2) it takes a 1oz wad to hold 3/4oz of itx

I loaded 3 different powders(15g extralite, 16g tightwad, and 16g clays ) keeping all other components the same.

3/4oz itx 6 shot (by weight)
CB1100 wad
Win 209 primer
Win AA hull

Below are the patterns tested at 35 yards in the more open choke of my Sterlingworth skeet and upland.

Extra-lite


Titewad


Clays


All loads were easy on recoil and should clock in around 1200fps if performance is anywhere near lead.

I am by no means an expert, I was nearly experimenting so take what you see for what it is.

Ithaca33,

You have gone the extra mile to pattern and try and determine whether the loads are suitable, or not. That is admirable. My opinion of the patterns is that I would not use any one of the loads on ducks at the distances they were shot at. The density necessary to put ducks down dead just is not there. What you have shown with the patterns is what I expected, patchiness and lack of density.

Good on you for going to the trouble to pattern.

SRH

I agree, I'm going to try again with 1oz loads. I was really surprised by how lite the recoil was with these 3/4oz loads so I think I'll be safe trying some 1oz ones.

My take on all of this is that i should just have bought nice shot in the first place and I think I'm going to when I get back from grouse camp. It's proven, and i know it'll kill ducks.

Usually larger shot will tighten a pattern, but then you have fewer shot.

I have been loading ITX in 10 ga for my Super 10 NID 2&7/8 and 10 ga NID mag 10 31/2. In both cases ITX patterns better with lighter shot weights then I would get from lead. I prefer #3 shot for Goose and Swan. Better patterning and clean kills

Not bad for the guns choking.

ITX Trials
I started with a 1950 Husqvana 615 12 gauge. Bores .117 & .718. Gun came choked Full and X-full. I drove the gun to a destination gun smith not far from Owatonna to have the chokes opened to IM and LM. Also had them ream the chamber to 3 inch which in retrospect was a waste of money as I can get all the performance I need with 23/4. I then patterned the gun using 11/8 and 11/4 ITX loads � relatively low pressure nothing over 9000 PSI. Results were horrible; as one of my friends stated where did the shot go? Unbelievably bad patterns. I then checked the gun it appears the smith never pushed the Gilchrist reamer all the way through the bore leaving a small lip at the end of the chokes. Gun also kicked like a mule. I bought my own tools and lengthened the forcing cones and re-cut the chokes to IM (.023) and LM (.013). The Husky printed better but was not acceptable. I then used my Montefeltro as a �control�. Using Carlson IM chokes I got OK patterns from the same ITX loads but when I went to LM (Skeet II) the patterns were excellent. I then had the opportunity to pick up a Knockabout that had been built as a 10 gauge but reworked by the previous owner to 3� 12 gauge. Briley sleeved the chambers making it a heavily over-bored 12 gauge. The Francotte throws excellent patterns with ITX and anything else I have shot so far. The Husky has been relegated to an upland gun. My tests with lead shot suggest a short shot cup like the BP Brush Wad throws the best patterns with #5 and #6 lead. IMO the ITX is just a little too hard for the tight bores and chokes when combined with a heavy shot cup designed to carry tungsten payloads. Based on my experience combined with comments from others the ITX runs much better with more open chokes and I would probably just run with NICE shot if I was to load for an original European double gun.