Quick Way to Improve your Pattern Count

[Broken Brow]

The quickest way to improve your pattern count is to move south. Here is how much you can improve:
If you are getting over 100 pellets in the 10 @ 40 yards in April in Minnesota:
That same gun and choke will get ~ 115 in Iowa.
Missouri will bring you up to ~ 125.
Arkansas will bring you up to ~ 135.
Louisiana will bring you up to ~ 145.
That is based on the average high temperatures for April. Remember that when you are comparing patterns. A pattern count is only useful if it includes the corresponding air temperature.

 

[Ar257weatherby]

I used to pattern all my guns every year and count the pellets in a 10. and 20 at 40-50-60 ...I dont even bother with it anymore If the gun will shoot a tight pattern at 40yards it will kill them at 55 yards ...I much rather have a bird a t20 yards and try to get em that close , dont always work but there are many wounded birds in our area every year cause joebob went and bought a SBII and a kicks choke and hevishot and shot it once at a turkey target and had a few on the head and thinks he can knock every bird off his feet at 90yards ...
I got a gun that will shoot a crazy good pattern at 50 yards , and last monday had 3 big paintbrush beards come in struttin at 52yards, they didnt like somthing (decoy) I believe and started puttin ..the biggest bird broke away and stopped in a opening and I put the gobbledots on him and shot ...he hit the ground floppin ..I went to standup and he got his feet under him and pitched off side of bluff , I shot at him in the air and knocked feathers out , I was very disappointed ..looked down the hillside for 150yards nothing,, 2 days later owner calls me and found him at the bottom floating in the lake in shallow waters, turtles eating him ..I went out next morn before work waded out and got him and wasnt much left except wings and bones ...
I dont know what happened but I guess just like deerhunting every once in a while there are some tuff ones ...

 

[Broken Brow]

I know what you mean. You see it on the internet all of the time. There was a cold and windy spring a couple of years ago. There was one site telling hunters they can shoot turkeys at 70 yards, but they were not provided the information needed to account for those types of weather conditions. Hunters started posting very negative results. It must be frustrating. But the site was so money hungry and afraid of upsetting a sponsor, they lost their focus on what was really important. A bunch of old gobblers probably paid for that decision.
For the most part, this site seems to attract the most responsible hunters I have seen. The members have taken the time to prepare and educate themselves on proper shooting techniques.

 

[7 loader]

I stopped counting. Found a load at 1400 fps with #4 1 1/4 load in a 2 3/4 AA hull that will take them out to 55 yds. Took two whith this load on oppening day. Use Hodgdon's Long Shot it will do it.