Thanks, Please allow me one indulgence. I did some tests to prove the aiming point/ camera view for the development and manufacture of my camera system.
I also tested the pattern of my Miroku Mk38 Chokes:
Skeet Pattern Card
Full size picture on A4 – 90mm Midi Target.
Skeet Choke @ exactly 40 yards.
Popular brand Clay Cartridge: 1oz - 7 shot size
Aiming point: centre of target.
Could an edge on Target get through this Skeet Pattern?
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Yes absolutely it
could.
But there are several issues of note here, some factually provable others reliant on long term practical observation/evidence which appears to defy logic.
Most targets thrown are standards, most show some if not a lot of face (as did yours in the video), most aren't that far away and most are shot at with the more usual 7.5 or 8 shot which contain many more pellets. Now you could pose a fairly valid argument : is 7 shot more liable to allow targets to escape through the pattern to which the absolute mathematical answer would be yes, it is more likely than 7.5's which in turn yield to 8 which yield to 9's. This from a purely numbers game by the way and not necessarily meaning that 9's are therefore better.
The other less easily provable phenomenon is the appearance of 2 dimensional patterns V their actual performance in practice. In my early days I did a lot of pattern playing and along with many here agree that even some rather tight chokes appear to contain loads of empty spaces through which clays
could escape (as they mathematically and statistically must) at some point particularly when we are less than perfect in placing the centre of our patterns on the moving targets, i.e, relying on the margins of even tight patterns is a mugs game.
In short it's a wonder we really hit anything beyond 40 yards because the pattern plate would have you think otherwise but undeniably we do so there is something not quite black and white here. Some have argued it's the tear drop shape and length of the shot string that cause this (I disagree entirely) others look for the more obvious answer and that is 1) most misses would not have occurred had the centre of the pattern been on target - in other words you missed with the poor margin
2) there are maybe half a dozen empty holes in a pattern compared to hundreds of UNempty spaces - meaning you have a far greater chance of being
lucky with filled spaces than not.
I don't in principal disagree with you that open chokes will cause missed targets but I maintain that your sample of evidence here is small to non existent. Most experienced shots have already hinted that the more (probable) cause of the miss as well as the poor breaks was being too far in front.
Had you filmed 100 or more 40 yard targets shot with Skeet and then 100 shot with 3/4 using either a jig or at least an extremely experienced shooter with suitable tea breaks and elimination of other factors then I would stand by any variance in outcome. I actually believe that as well as seeing much more convincing breaks with tight chokes, that there may indeed be an actual numerical advantage.
I have had some great kills on edge on targets with open chokes at distance.
This is undeniable and possibly proof that one or two pellets can give good break signatures due to the centrifugal forces acting on the clay which need only fracture just enough to start to tear itself apart.
