Learning how to shoot and how to select the right shooting equipment is quite essential for hunting.
However, aside from those two, hunters should know to do a lot of things. They should learn how properly operate the firearm that they are using.
It would be quite impossible to get the most out of a firearm without knowing the ins and out of it.
If you are just starting to learn about shotguns specifically, you might be asking yourself why do hunters pattern their shotguns.
Most importantly, you might not even know what patterning means for firearms.
Nevertheless, you do not need to worry about anything about the topic anymore as you have found us.
We will fill you in on each of the small topics by offering you an adequate amount of knowledge about them.
What Does Patterning A Shotgun Mean?
Before we get into the reason behind why shooters pattern their shotguns, let us give you a brief idea about what it actually means.
When you get yourself one of these from the shop, there is a high chance that it will shoot consistently. For that reason, shooters first familiarize themselves with the way that the firearm shoots.
On that note, we can assure you that no two of these firearms are going to shoot at an identical pattern. The pellet pattern will differ highly between the two of the models.
However, the chances of getting a similar pattern would be high if you have the same model from the same manufacturer.
In short, the pellet pattern will highly depend on the firearm model and the manufacturer. That is why shooters pattern them accordingly.
It helps in figuring out the required stance. Eventually, it will increase the overall accuracy, and the shots are going to land on the target.
Why Do Hunters Pattern Their Shotguns?
Now that you know what exactly patterning means let us get to the main point, which is why the shooters go through this extensive process.
Well, when you plan to use a particular firearm for hunting, you would not want to be in the field without having proper knowledge about how it will act when you pull the trigger.
If you do happen to do that, especially in a serious competition, the shots you are going to miss will be plenty in number. And in such situations, where each trigger pulls matters the most, you would not want to miss a single shot you will take.
And if you want to assure that for a shotgun, you will have to pattern it beforehand. Without having proper knowledge about how it will perform with the shell you are using, aiming can get difficult.
And without aiming properly, the chances of landing your shot will be less than you finding a needle in a haystack.
For that reason, even if your shooting skill is among the top-rated hunters of the region you are in, you should not step into the field without patterning it.
By making the patterned firearm coordinate with the skill you have, you can make sure that the kills are clean.
Considering all of these factors, patterning the shotgun is basically the first step that most hunters do before taking their newly obtained firearm into the field.
How Is A Shotgun Patterned?
The process of patterning these firearms requires a reasonable amount of time.
It is a lengthy process, but the outcome of this is well worth the effort and the time that you will invest in it.
That being said, patterning is basically the process of getting accustomed to the model that you have. And you need to repeatedly shoot a target using different shot sizes and various shells for doing that.
Throughout the process, you will get to know about each of the shells’ performance and shot sizes for the particular model you have.
As the process is finished, you should have a proper idea about each of the shells and shot sizes that you have shot.
Eventually, you will know which one performs the best on the particular firearm you have. And once you have done that, the process of patterning is finished.
Now, if you are wondering which steps you need to follow to pattern a shotgun, they are as follows:
Step 1: Get Yourself A Target
It is quite simple to make a target at home. All you are going to need are sheets of blank paper that are about 4 feet x 4 feet in size.
If you are reluctant to use the simple targeting system, you can opt for the commercial bulls-eye.
However, we would recommend you to use sheets of paper to get the best result.
Step 2: Start By Aiming At The Center
Now that you have yourself a target, you need to start the actual process. First, you should shoot at the center of the target.
Repeat the process two more times. Use a new sheet for each of the shots.
Step 3: Scrutinize The Shots
Then, draw a 30 inches circle from the densest part of the landed shot. After that, you need to count the number of shots that are outside the circle.
We recommend marking them with a marker. Then, count the number that is inside the circle.
Step 4: Calculate The Percentage Of Load
Once you are done counting the number of holes, make an average of each of the sheets. You need to calculate both the percentage of the shots that are in the circle and the ones that are outside.
After doing that, you need to divide the pellet count by the number of loads for the shell that you are using. Multiply the number by 100.
Step 5: Study The Load Percentage
Before you do get into this step, you must ensure that the percentage you have calculated at step number four is accurate.
If something feels a bit off, then you should calculate both the numbers again. To be sure about the percentage that you have calculated, you can add both of them and check whether the total is 100 or not.
If it is not 100, you must carry out the calculation again. Now that you have made sure that the percentage is accurate, you have to look for a pattern with a high density.
The denser the pattern, the cleaner the kill will be. And you can ensure a denser pattern with the calculations that you have done in the previous step.
The percentage of the pellets within the circle should be at least 55 percent compared with the load number. If you can not reach that percentage, you should try a different shell.
You can even try to improve the number by changing the choke. Use the one that provides you with the densest pattern.
Tips On Using A Shotgun Properly
Knowing about how to use a shotgun and about the pattern will not be enough.
Alongside those two, you should keep these important things in mind:
Safety Measures
When you are using a firearm, safety should be your number one concern. And for shotguns, it is quite important to wear protective gear.
Ear protection is something that you should not skimp one bit on. These firearms are usually loud, which is why you should protect your ears first.
Then you need to make sure that you have eye protection as well. It will protect you from accidents that might occur during any misfires.
Know Where You Point Your Gun
You would not want to injure your hunting friend for a misfire, would you? That is why you should not point your gun where you do not want to shoot.
The death of a person can be on your hands for pointing the gun where you should not.
Avoid Shooting Targets That Are Out In The Open
We recommend you look around when you are taking a shot at your target. The best possible scenario would be to land the shot on the target when it is in front of a background or a backstop.
That will make sure that the bullets do not travel far if you miss the target.
And even if you do miss the target, the backstop will make sure that you do not cause injury to a living being that you do not wish to kill.
Put The Unfired Shells At A Safe Place And Check The Barrel
After you are back home from a hunt, you should keep the unfired shells in a safe place. That will make sure that the shells are in their best form.
Also, make sure to clean the barrel. The last thing that you would want is something obstructing the barrel when you are taking a shot at a target.
Final Words
Hopefully, we properly fed your curiosity about why do hunters pattern their shotguns. And as you know the proper steps of patterning one, we hope you would be able to pattern your firearm properly.
That being said, we wish you good luck on the hunts that you are going to go with your patterned shotgun.