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Why I pay little attention to casual pattern testing. Bud just sent this to me, partly because I'm partial to this particular Aquilla load and take some kidding for using Mexican shot shells. Price wise they also beat the good Federal, Winchester and Remington offerings by almost $20. per case.

Source was most likely Trapshooters.com

Interesting that an ounce is not always an ounce.





As Neil was fond of reminding when he would post these kinds of results, you can’t take anything from a single pattern, no matter how meticulous you count pellets, because as the results show, there is a range of 10% and more among ten patterns for each of the cartridge brands, so if you look at only one pattern, you will likely be led astray, either thinking the combination is very poor, or thinking the combination is the bee’s knees, or somewhere in between.

All of the individual cartridge pattern efficiency graphs have been ordered lowest to highest according to that pattern’s PE (Pattern Efficiency.) I got the axis range fixed this time.

I have posted two summary tables. One ordered by pattern efficiency, lowest to highest. The other ordered by “number of pellets in the 30” circle” lowest to highest.

The reason the order is not the same in these two tables is because of the wide range in the number of pellets in the cartridges, from 364 for the Federal Gold Medal Grands, to 408 for the Browning BPT Heavy cartridges.

In each case, three samples of each cartridge was cut apart and pellets were meticulously counted to establish an average pellet count for each cartridge type. When patterning, if you don’t do this, and instead rely on the “standard” data tables for how many pellets are “supposed to be” in an ounce and an eighth of number 7-1/2 shot, your results will be meaningless. Utterly meaningless.

I shot 10 patterns with each type of cartridge in a one after the other sequence to assure that ambient conditions, as the day went along, would not play a factor (that is, I shot one pattern of each cartridge in succession, called them shot all number 1, then moved on and shot one pattern of each cartridge in succession, calling it shot number 2, and so on.)

Earlier this spring when I was testing the hardness of pellets, all of the pellets from these cartridges tested “hard” except the West Coast shot which tested medium to soft.

The pattern testing was performed at 40 yards, shot onto 48" x 48" paper.

Photographs were taken of the paper and analyzed using Shotgun Insight.

Some lessons learned. Take photos on site. Don’t take them home and photograph them in your basement. Don’t waste your time cutting the paper into 48” x 48” individual sheets. Leave it on the roll and cut it in situ. Use clamps to affix the paper to the pattern frame…don’t use staples. Take enough paper! Don’t forget your cell phone at home. Don't try to do 80 patterns in one day.

My Antonio Zoli Ritmo fixed full choke (0.042" constriction) unsingle barrel was used.

I can’t overstate how tedious it is to manipulate all of these photographs within Shotgun Insight. It’s a great program, but it is truly a pain in the neck, and takes forever to get the results you need. Neil and I, and those who have done this testing, know what I mean. So why do we do it? The relentless desire to know what is real, and what is not. And to share that information with our fellow trapshooters. What fun is it to know something and keep it to yourself? After all, as Neil was fond of saying, “it’s only a game. Some people forget that.”

So, what is the result? It depends on how you look at it.

There were no clear winners or losers. All of these cartridges throw good patterns.

Running Student’s T-Test (with some advice from thebigski) there is a statistically significant difference between the lowest and the highest average pattern efficiencies. But if you take any adjacent two, there isn’t. I think I am interpreting it correctly…

So, do you choose highest pattern efficiency, or largest number of pellets in the 30 inch circle? Well, for me, it’s pellets that break targets, not pattern efficiency, no matter how good.

But frankly, I would feel comfortable using any of these cartridges for my handicap shooting.

For what it’s worth, I bought 4 cases of the Aguila shells to take with me to the Grand.

For the good of the sport!!!!

So clay shooters can be every bit as anal as turkey gunners.......... 😁

Good stuff !!! A lot of hard work and time spent to prove that there is not enough significant difference between ANY of those loads to make ME shoot any higher score on clay. 🤗

I am very surprised that the seven different loads did not show a lot more variation. I have done a lot of pattern testing and in doing it I found that small variances in the loads could make startling differences on the patterns. Were the velocities listed for the different loads measured or did you use the published velocity on the box? Did you verify the number of pellets in any of the loads or try to account for the extreme spread in pellet count? 40 pellets is quite a bit if difference.

I didn't do anything, the guy who did is a recognized hand loading guru and published this in trapshooting.com. He is pretty meticulous and some of the loading are handloads. I would suspect with all his attention to detail he also measured actual velocity. He mentioned he accurately counted every pellet in three shells of each particular example.

It helps if you read the text.

Use good hard shot (6% antimony), between about 1175 and 1300 fps, tight quality control and you will have good patterns. Premium shells possess these qualities. And when in doubt, shoot 7 1/2s.

Most pattern testing, except to ensure barrels shoot where they should technically (not for gun fit purposes), is nearly useless. I’ll defy anybody to show me with enough shots to be statistically valid that there is any difference between a Purdey and a lead pipe when both shoot the same load.

There are lots of “barrelsmiths” and magic choke manufacturers who argue otherwise and make good livings doing so. Snake oil and fairy dust might be more useful...