Recently I created a new style crow target and did some shell testing. The idea is to help me sort out which shell, and choke, gives me the best pattern effective for crow hunting.
Parameters for the test are: shotgun used is a SKB M-XL900, 26" bbl. 12 ga. with various chokes and shells. Aiming point was the center (chest) of the largest part of the yellow crow silhouette, all targets shot at 30 yds. The yellow silhouette is of a actual crow I killed, singed off the feathers, and traced the actual body, wing, and head size. The silhouette is presented at 90 degree angle, chest view, giving maximum possible area for the pellet strike zone. A crow at any other angle would not present as large a strike zone, and if a crow was flying low, say 25 degrees, the area would be much smaller, and not absorb near as many pellets. All of the pattern test show that a crow would have been killed, under these controlled conditions.
Target No. 1....... Federal Field-Target shell, 3/1.125/8, SKB full choke, 65.2% pattern.
Target No. 2........ " " " " 3/1.125/7.5, Carlson .690" full choke, 74.7%. For long range crow shooting...35-45 yards.
Target No. 3.......Nobel Hunting shell, 3.25/1.125/8, SKB modified choke, 61%, very good pattern and percentage for crows.
Target No. 4....... " " " 3.25/1.125/8. Carlson .710" choke, 65.6% pattern. Too tight for crows under 30 yds. OK for 35-40 yards.
Target No. 5......Rio Game Load shell, 3.25/1.125/7.5, SKB modified choke, 51.3% pattern. Too open of a pattern, unless crows are very close.
Target No. 6......Federal Field-Target, 3/1.125/7.5, Carlson .710" choke, 72.6% pattern. Too tight of a pattern for my skills! OK long range 35-45 Yds.
These tests show that various shell, choke, barrel length combinations do not necessarily give expected, textural results. Shooting the shells I used for the test, in your gun, very well may give different results.
Images of targets: The two suspicious looking dudes in one of the pics is of me examining Bob Aronsohn's Rem. M-870 shotgun.
Pattern testing provides useful information about guns and loads and often you will find out a choke may not perform as marked, BUT we must be mindful that we are shooting shotguns and not rifles and that cluster of pellets is not consistent. For instance move target 1 about one crow body to the left and the results would be vastly different. One of things I kike about shooting an old side by side with two triggers is the ability to select the choke I want in a split second before I pull the trigger.
