FPS...is there any 'perfect' number here?

[.45 COLT]

Originally Posted by tube_ee

Is there a "standard" relationship between dram equivalents and velocity for different load weights in each gauge? By "standard" I mean "agreed to by more than one source"... more than that I'm too jaded to hope for.

Yes, for 12, 16, 20, 28 Gauges and .410 Bore. 10 Gauge sort of confused. The standard is agreed to by Federal, Remington, Winchester and others. DON'T put any stock in Fiocchi's numbers - they're some right, some wrong and some ridiculous.

I'm not particular good at explaining, but I'll try with 12 Gauge here:

For a single weight of shot, every 1/4 Dram Equivalent increase (from a known base) equals a 55 FPS increase. Starting with a 1 1/8 ounce load @ 1,200 FPS. It's a 3 DE load. So 1 1/8 ounces with a 2 3/4 DE would be 1,1,45 FPS, 3 1/4 DE is 1,255 FPS, 3 1/2 DE is 1,310 FPS, etc.

Changing weights:

Add 1/8 ounce of shot. With the same DE, in this example 3 DE, subtract 35 FPS. Thus, 1 1/4 ounces at 3 DE is 1,165 FPS. The same 55 FPS / 1/4 DE relationship holds with any weight of shot.

Take away 1/8 ounce of shot. With the same DE, again 3, add 35 FPS. 1 ounce with 3 DE is 1,235 FPS.

I use 1 1/8 ounce, 3 DE, 1,200 as a base mainly because for many years that was the standard Trap load.

When the mfgrs. list "Heavy", "Maximum", "Magnum" or any other DE other than a number, it's marketing.

DC

[Brad Clodfelter]

oneounceload
Member


Join Date: 04-18-2008
Location: N. Central Florida
Posts: 43 before you head to the fields, head to the range and pattern them to see which ones work best in your gun

Guys,

I can't specify enough how true the above statement is. Until you pattern a gun barrel with a particular choke and load on cardboard at say 30 and 40yds, you just don't really know how effective it really is. I had a Smith&Wesson semi-auto shotgun I bought back in the early 80's that I bought brand new from Wally World. I was having trouble killing squirrels with it at even 15 to 20yds. A squirrel at 30yds was safe from the way this gun was shooting. I decided to test it on cardboard with the full screw in choke at either 30yds or 40yds I can't remember for sure. I was shooting 1 and 1/8oz #6 reloads I believe. Anyway to make a long story short at 30yds I believe I was only putting 77 shot inside the big and I do mean big piece of cardboard. That's terrible. Needless to say I took the gun back and traded it on a Rem 1100. It turned out to be a squirrel and rabbit buster with its fixed full choke barrel. I still have that gun. It still shoots perfect centered patterns.

My buddy had a Smith&Wesson 3" pump turkey gun that he was having trouble putting gobblers down with at even 40yds. I finally got him to shoot the gun on cardboard at 40yds to show him that the gun wasn't and shouldn't of been called a turkey gun to begin with. Terrible, I mean terrible patterns. I sold him my new black synthetic stock 3" 870 pump with a .640 Hastings choke tube that would shoot Federal 2oz #5 and #6 loads extremely well. He has seen it shoot on cardboard and knows very well how it patterns. The first gobbler he smoked with it at 35yds, he said feathers from the turkeys neck just went everywhere. He told me that gun just shoots so much better than his old gun. I gave him a super deal on that gun, and he is now smoking gobbler after gobbler with no more gobblers running off like from his old gun. I think he finally sold that gun or traded it in on another rifle.

You got to shoot what your gun barrel seems to shoot the best. My Mossberg 835 barrel shoots heavy tukey loads better than extremely well. It shoots 90% patterns with 4's, 5's, and 6's if you use the right choke with it. Now that's the heavy 2 and 1/4oz turkey loads. On the 6 shot loads, I use a .675 Carlson choke tube. On the 5's I use a Lohman Long Shot .680 choke tube. And on the 4's I use a HS Undertaker .695 choke tube. I found through shooting heavy turkey loads on cardboard, and don't ask me why this is cause I really don't know except maybe it's the buffer compound or the kind of shot used, but 4's seem to shoot the best out of Winchester Supreme shells and 5's and 6's shoot the best from Federal Premium shells. Now that's out of my Mossberg 835. I found the exact same thing to be the case in both of my 870 barrels as well. But like I said earlier, the heavier #4 turkey loads won't shoot as well out of the 870 barrels and 11/87 barrel that I have tested. Since you can't shoot 2 and 1/4oz Winchester Supreme #4 turkey loads in a 3" shell because they don't offer them, you will have to compare the 3" 2 oz loads of Win #4's shot out of these different barrels here or the 3" 2oz load to the 3.5" 2oz load. The difference shooting 3" Win 2oz #4 loads out of a 870 or 11/87 barrel vs the Mossberg 835 barrel is and I do mean night and day difference. The same can be said for when comparing the 3" 2oz Win #4 loads out of the 870 or 11/87 barrels to the 3.5" 2oz Win #4 loads shot out the Mossberg 835 barrel. I can't tell you how much better the 835 barrel will shoot these loads vs the 870 or 1100 barrels. You would have to see the difference on cardboard to comprehend it. The 12GA 870 and 1100 barrels from what I have seen, just won't pattern the heavy 4 loads well. A matter of fact, I would say they pattern these loads rather poorly.

From my testing 12GA's, you can use tighter choke constrictions on 6's and 5's. On 4 shot loads, you need to open the choke constriction up quite a bit to get the best patterns from what I have seen. Actually on 6 shot turkey loads, you can go all the way down to .640 choke constriction to get optimum patterns from 870 barrels. My buddy's 11/87 barrel had a .665 Rem Super full choke and it would flat ass pattern the Federal 2oz #6 turkey loads. So anything in the .640 up to the .665 choke constriction would shoot 6's and 5's extremely well from a 870 or 11/87 barrel when talking heavy turkey loads.

Here's a picture of the Lohman Long Shot .680 turkey choke that shoots the 5 shot turkey loads so well out of my 835 barrel. I think this tube is about 4 in. long or so.