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Old March 14, 2001, 06:27 AM   #1
Dave McC
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Join Date: October 13, 1999
Location: Columbia, Md, USA
Posts: 8,811
I had missed going to Marriotsville for the Sunday trap sessions for a couple of weeks due to weather, work, etc. But, I had a furlough for a few hours, so off I went with a light heart. Taking both Frankenstein(my 21" bbled parts gun) and the newer 870 TB,I headed on up.

I've been shooting the TB at the other place within an easy drive of Casa McC, but bbls less than 23" are Verboten. They say it's because of the increased blast and noise, but since ported bbls are OK there, I'm skeptical.

AGC(Marriotsville) had the usual suspects,I knew about half of the folks there on sight. I greeted one guy who had been helpful and showed him my new toy. He looked it over and asked the critical question, "How does it shoot for you?".

My response was I hadn't shot both side by side, so this was an opportunity to test a few things. My name was called for the next squad so I stepped up to the line with my shiny, pretty, 30" bbled, Monte Carlo stocked, TRAP Gun.

And shot a 14 the first round, 15 the second....

Another shooter I knew(Who got his first 25 straight patch this day) asked where Frankenstein was. I exchanged shotguns for the next round and stepped up to the line with my 21" bbled,field stock sprayed flat black, ugly as 40 miles of bad road, mismatched finish parts gun. To really make it hard, I had forgotten that I had pulled the Modifed tube and put in the Extra Full Turkey tube until I was on the line.

You know what happened next. Shot a 19, even with the overchoking and short sight radius. What does the Good Book
say," Pride goeth before a fall"?

Just to really drive the message home, I used the TB for the last round, 16.


Alibis,excuses and explanations:

First, I patterned the TB at PGC yesterday. Despite the high stock, the TB puts most of its pattern UNDER the POA at 32 yards(max possible at the patterning board). I went to shim the stock and found that with the tools at hand, I couldn't get the stock off. So, it's at the smith's with instructions to reduce the drop by 1/4". That should bring it up to shoot either flat or a little bit high.

Frankenstein puts them about 60/40 above POA.

Second, I've shot Frankenstein a lot, hunted doves,turkey, quail, woodcock and geese, shot sporting,a turkey shoot or two, trap and informal clays.

Third, while both 870s balance at the same point, the extra weight and length of the TB make it a lot slower.To use a simile, Frankenstein handles like a rapier, the TB like a broadsword.

I'm certain that once I learn the TB, it'll shoot well for me, and as I groove into the trapshooting my scores will climb. I just found this interlude interesting,and educational.
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Old March 14, 2001, 09:16 AM   #2
PJR
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Join Date: May 31, 2000
Posts: 1,127
The patterning board rarely lies. A trap gun that shoots low needs immediate correction and the advice of a quarter inch less drop sounds about right. What you might try is putting the stock from the other gun on your TB and see what results.

What is odd that other 870s shoot well for you and yet a high stocked gun trap gun is shooting low. I am wondering whether the barrel might be off or if the gun has choke tubes if one of the chokes is off center. Another idea might be throwing a pattern or two with another barrel on the gun to determine if the TB barrel is performing to spec.

Paul
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Old March 14, 2001, 11:25 AM   #3
Dave McC
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Join Date: October 13, 1999
Location: Columbia, Md, USA
Posts: 8,811
Thanks, Paul. I thought about swapping bbls and seeing what's going on, but if the smith(who I talked to since posting) can take care of the problem, so be it. he says it's a cinch.
IMO,the gun,once properly regulated,will do well.Patterns were nicely centered, only the elevation's off.

Also, it's a fixed Full choke, I may get it swapped over to the Colonial tubes like Frankenstein. If so, I'll have the forcing cone lengthened, again like my ugly li'l gun.

I also have my eyes open for a used 870 bbl for Frankenstein longer than 23", so I can use it at PGC, the range that outlaws short bbls.

At this point in time, I don't want a super high shooting Trapgun. 60/40 would be ideal, since I won't have to alter sight pic.
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