Pattern Plate - 725 w/External Chokes

[Doug Pinnegar]

I was able to take advantage of the nice weather before the rain sets in to get out and try patterning my new gun (Browning 725 Black Edition) and the external chokes that it comes with. I went over to Prescott Shooting where Dan and Emily were helpful, as always, in looking at the results.

I had three types of shell at home at the moment so it was a chance to test them all and see which worked best through the new gun. This topic is likely to be incredibly boring so you have been warned

All shells are 28gm and plas wad. Shots were taken at 30 yards. 

First up, Fiocchi FBlack 7.5

1/4 Choke

Quite an uneven pattern with lots of clumping together.

1/2 Choke

A nicer pattern (slight mismount I think, hence the slight off centre) but still lots of hot spots. Overall quite disappointed with the Fiocchi patterns.

Then I moved on to my latest purchase, the Hull Pro One 8's

1/4 Choke

The pattern is much denser as you would expect from size 8 shot. Quite nice coverage but again some hotter spots.

1/2 Choke

Similar story to the 1/4 choke really. Still quite a nice shell.

Finally, the Hull Sporting 100 7.5's

1/4 Choke

Probably the nicest pattern of them all. I imagine this shell with 8 shot would be pretty much perfect through 1/4 chokes. 

1/2 Choke

Again, slight mismount, but a nice pattern considering the distance and choking.

Overall I think I am going to stick with 1/4 1/4 chokes and will pick up a thousand of the shells in 8's when I need to buy more. Give them a decent testing.

 

[Will Hewland]

Try patterning at 16 yards. You get a better impression of what's happening as everything looks spread out at 30.

I also don't bother with those dartboard patterns to shoot at as I'm not looking at where I hit, just the pellet pattern itself.

just my opinion of course. 

 

[westley]

To be fair Will, I think the 16 yards is better suited for deciding where the gun is shooting and relies on a  decent gun mount. I feel that the OP has it right at 30 yards, to examine cartridge/pattern results. 

 

[Tron]

Try patterning at 16 yards. You get a better impression of what's happening as everything looks spread out at 30.

I also don't bother with those dartboard patterns to shoot at as I'm not looking at where I hit, just the pellet pattern itself.

just my opinion of course. 

Exactly.  POI findings, if not done from a bench rest are moot.  Pellet count however, is a fair assessment.