How to Pattern a Shotgun for Turkey Hunting: A Complete Guide

Patterning your shotgun is totally different than zeroing a rifle. You possibly can’t regulate the bead in your shotgun barrel, not like a rifle scope and a few iron sights. For those who’re utilizing optics, you have to sight them in, however we gained’t focus on how to do this on this article. We’re studying methods to sample a shotgun for turkey searching, and fortunately, it’s not sophisticated. I’ll break down my easy-to-understand course of so you may really feel assured within the turkey woods this spring if you pull the set off.

What Does It Imply To Sample Your Shotgun?

When somebody says they patterned their shotgun, they imply they went to a protected location, arrange a goal, shot it, and examined how the pellets’ sample seemed on the goal. 

Turkey hunters should do that to be taught the place to purpose whereas within the area. Some shotguns shoot slightly excessive and to the correct, whereas others shoot slightly low and to the left. Your ammo and choke choice considerably have an effect on how your firearm will sample, so let’s start there.

Step 1: Get The Ammo & Chokes

I like to recommend buying a few turkey chokes and numerous turkey ammo to find out which mixture patterns greatest for you (In case your price range forces you to decide on, purchase one turkey choke and some totally different turkey searching hundreds). You would possibly discover the mid-tier ammo and prolonged turkey choke patterns higher than high-end ammo and a mid-tier choke or vice versa (that’s why we’re patterning your shotgun). 

Step 2: Set Up The Goal

Now that we’ve got a small collection of ammo and chokes, it’s time to move to a protected taking pictures location and arrange the goal. You should use common targets or fancy turkey-shaped paper targets to higher perceive how the pellets will fly by means of the air and impression the turkey. I like to make use of a goal no less than the scale of a dinner plate (larger is healthier) so I can clearly see how my gun patterns.

In case you have restricted ammo, set the goal at 35 to 40 yards and proceed to the subsequent step. Nevertheless, when you’ve got loads of ammo, it’s greatest to see how the sample modifications at totally different ranges. I like testing at 20, 40, and 60 yards with my 12-gauge. 

Step 3: Create The Artwork (Shoot The Goal)

Now comes the half that’s the second most enjoyable: Step again to the gap you wish to sample your shotgun, plop in your listening to and eye safety, and shoot. It’s best to make use of a secure taking pictures platform, akin to a taking pictures vice. At minimal, I regular my firearm by sitting on the bottom and supporting it with a tripod or bipod. 

After you pull the set off and it’s protected, try your masterpiece and do it once more a pair extra instances to find out the place to purpose when a turkey is available in at that distance. Repeat the method at as many distances as you favor (as I discussed, I like a close-range, medium-range, and long-range shot when patterning, however that is overkill for many hunters who keep on with one or two medium-range pictures). 

Step 4: Analyze Your Sample 

I prefer to shoot three pictures at every distance on totally different targets to get a median of how my shotgun patterns at these distances. Perhaps it is a little bit of a hangover from sighting in my searching rifle, but it surely’s handled me nicely thus far as a result of it provides me a clearer image of the place I have to purpose.

If my sample is persistently low and to the left, I ought to purpose larger and to the correct of the turkey’s head, or if it’s excessive, I do know to purpose decrease. I’ll make an observation on my telephone as a result of I typically get to the woods and confuse myself attempting to recollect the place I have to purpose. 

For these utilizing a pink dot or adjustable sights, now could be the time to regulate them in order that they’re dead-on. 

Step 5: Head To The Woods

Okay, now it’s time for the perfect half. So long as you patterned your shotgun accurately, you should not have any downside harvesting a Tom as soon as he’s in vary. You’ll know the place to purpose based mostly on the info you gathered whereas patterning your shotgun, so that you gained’t miss your likelihood.

Parting Photographs: Learn how to Sample A Shotgun For Turkey Searching

I sample my shotgun yearly shortly earlier than turkey season to make sure I accurately bear in mind the way it shoots, and I like to recommend you do the identical, particularly for those who purchase new ammo (even when it’s the identical ammo you shot the earlier season).

It’s easy, however some hunters mistakenly overlook it, which might critically price them when it’s time to drop the hammer. 

Wes Littlefield

Wes is an avid outdoorsman from Oklahoma all the time on the hunt for the subsequent journey. When he isn’t writing, he is most likely in his kayak reeling in a fish or attempting to trick waterfowl into trying out his unfold.