Given the same size of shot & charge weight pattern density will be determined by three things. First is pattern percentage. 2nd is pattern distribution. Third is o9f course range. The first is obvious, a gun with an 80% pattern will have more density than one giving a 50% pattern. The 2nd is core thickening, two guns may have the same number of shot in the 30" circle, but one of them due to a higher core thickening may have more in a 20" circle. This gun would have higher density, thus a bit longer range, on a "Centered" shot, but a bit less on a fring hit. All patterns of course get thinner as the range increases. Nuff said on that. First goose I ever killed was a little Blue with a 3" 20ga shooting 1Ľoz #4. 2nd was a Canada killed with a 3˝" 10 ga firing 2oz of #2, both in lead days.
If either of these could have been called "Irresponsible" it would have been the Canada with the Big Ten. It was a pass shooting situation, my first attempt at it, so I was not truly Proficient on such shots, probably pure Dumb Luck that I hit it. When we dressed there were two shot holes found, one in the wing tip which would not have even slowed it down, the other centered its chest & killed it in air, it just hit the ground & bounced, not a flop.
