I know I should pattern them and will when I get a chance.
But just wondering how will spreaders pattern out of a twelve gauge cylinder bore? I have a case of them from 10-15 years ago and thought I’d use them up on ruffed grouse.

A cylinder bore will already give you all the spread you want and maybe more. By all means pattern some. You may find they put you out of the game at normal ranges. They are designed, after all to open up patterns from tight chokes.

Grouse are too few and far between here to futz around with poor patterns.

Yes, I was kind of thinking that too. I don’t want to handicap my chances at grouse. I’ll pattern them out of both twelve gauges, but probably just save them for my Merkel that is choked full and full.
Thanks for the reply.

If you have a bunch, it would still be worthwhile to pattern a couple. You just never know. Might be useful on rabbits, definitely on woodcock, if you’re quick!

From everything that I have read, spreader loads don't spread as much as the choke is opened up. I make spreader loads with X-Stream inserts from BPI and Spred-R inserts from Polywad. When I pattern tested the spreader loads, I confirmed, at least for myself, that spreader loads don't spread much in open chokes.

That’s interesting. Thanks Carbon12.

That IS interesting. You just never know until you pattern in your setup.

I've got some of the Doublewide spreader 20ga loads from Polywad. Use them in my pack 20ga folding shotgun for grouse/rabbits, etc. Typically keep in a Modified choke and then have the Doublewides and normal shells ready so I can pop in whichever shell the situation calls for. Patterned with the Mod choke and the Doublewides live up to their name and work just as described.

cylinder in 12 ga 1 1/8 oz # 8 shot is a grouse murdering combo

IIRC Mule Deer has written about their use a couple times. Again, IIRC, he bought a SXS that was full/full and used the spreader loads for birds he didn't want to use a full choke on. A pm to him might not be a bad idea.

I think if they are 1 oz or more, they will work great. I shoot a 20 ga Cyl and use #9 Skeet loads for Grouse and Woodcock. The 9 shot just helps dense up the pattern a bit. The simple fact is that if you are on the bird, you are on the bird.

When I was a young hunter, my upland gun was an older Western Field single shot 20 gauge with barrel cut down to 22 inches. Cylinder bore. Many rabbits were downed but I missed most grouse as they flew through the hardwood thickets. I was handicapped with only one shot but I did OK overall with that gun. It may not have been repeater but it was mine and I took good care of it.

Sherwood

Hunting friend has a 97 Winchester that was originally 30" full choke. He was a fair shot with it. Barrel got banana peeled about 30 years ago, it's now about 24" cylinder bore. Deadliest sharptail and Hun gun I've seen, good out to 25 to 30 yards with modern loads of 1.25 oz of 6s. He now lets long shots go, and hits nearly every time on close birds. Taking a lesson, I use a skeet #1 for early season birds. Works well when they are flushing a few feet ahead. I switch to light modified or modified after the early season birds get wiser.