the goal is a quick kill with minimal hide damage, the choices become considerably fewer. GUNS FOR THE GAME
Selecting a shotgun for predator hunting is the easiest
and most flexible part of the equation. Yes, I did kill that first red fox with a single-barrel shotgun and in fact turned sev- eral more into cash using other, albeit lesser, single-barreled shotguns over the years. If I had to hunt with a single-barrel I would, but, fortunately, there are better choices. The first time I realized I was undergunned with my
one-shot scattergun was early one February (mating season for foxes) when two prime reds showed up at the same time. I could have taken both of them had I elected to bring even a double, over-under or repeating shotgun, but that second fox gave me no chance to reload – at the shot he was gone, no doubt to look for a new mate! For some years I hunted with what I considered the
be-all and end-all of shotgun, the venerable Savage Model 24, which had a 20 gauge lower barrel and a 22 rimfire up- per barrel. With it (and with practice) I could shoot one fox with the 22 and then drop the hammer again on the shotgun barrel. Thinking this to be the final solution to my predator- calling problems, I used that great gun for nearly a decade but eventually realized that it was not up to all of the tasks of a predator caller. Coyotes began to show up in the mid-70s and presented
not only multiple shot opportunities when family packs stormed my position but situations where I’d need additional firepower to handle these bigger, tougher critters. I finally made the step up to repeaters, and went through
a rack of Mossberg, Browning, Remington and Winchester autos and pumps along the way. All were good, reliable per- formers and put many a predator hide on the stretcher, but then I began to see that there was still more to shotgunning and calling than merely filling the air with lead. In fact, the nuances were mind-boggling and had me spending long hours at the range tweaking chokes and loads, looking for that “perfect” combination.
SHOTGUN BARRELS Had it not been that my father worked for the old Poly-
Choke company in Connecticut I may never have considered that not only are all shotguns not the same but nearly every one, even mass-produced models, patterns differently with various loads and chokes. I’d spend my Saturdays at the facility’s underground
range watching my father demonstrate how different chokes, barrel lengths and even barrel thicknesses affected shotgun accuracy, and was astounded to find that it was sometimes necessary to use a barrel-bender to make a rogue shotgun shoot a straight pattern. Shotgun barrels may look straight to the human eye and the majority is “within tolerances,” but few are absolutely true. With a bend here and a twist there any single-barreled shotgun can be made to center a pattern at 30 yards. But even then one must assume that the shotgun “fits” the shooter properly at comb and heel. Otherwise (and in most cases), the shotgun will pattern high or low because the shooter is not actually looking straight down the barrel. Another important aspect of shotgun shooting is that
not all chokes are the same (which in fact is why the famous Poly-Choke adjustable choke sleeve was so popular). Despite manufacturers’ best efforts to produce same-dimension bar- rels and chokes there is something called “tolerances,” which means there’s a degree of variation in each barrel that is “good enough” by industry standards. However, “within tolerances” can mean a lot to the individual shotgunner who may hold, sight or cant his firearm a certain way. Toss in variations in choke tolerances and you have the perfect recipe for those unexplainable missed shots. For all these reasons there is no substitute for patterning
your shotgun with your loads using your eyes, hands and shoulder. No one can pattern your shotgun for you and no new shotgun, regardless of price, should be taken afield with- out first firing a few proof tests on paper. If you don’t know how your shotgun patterns with specific loads, how are you going to explain missed shots, failed patterns and lost game? Go, shoot, pattern – there is no substitute. Assemble a
dozen sheets of 30-inch-wide patterning paper (or buy them ready-to-go), put a 3-inch aiming point in the middle of the paper and draw a 30-inch circle around the aiming point. Aiming carefully with a solid hold, shoot one shot each
Actions for all shooting disciplines
at separate targets from 20, 30 and 40 yards and then count the number of hits within the 30-inch circle. Divide this into the number of pellets in the load (cut a shell open and count them if necessary) to get your pattern percentage. If it’s not at least 70 percent, there’s work to be done. Also, if you can see that your pattern is left, right, high
11550 N. Bruss Rd. Rathdrum, ID 83858 Phone: 208-687-0341 Fax: 208-687-1250
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or low there are adjustments to be made, up to and including bending the barrel (which should be done only by a competent gunsmith – no rebar-and-Vise Grip adjustments, please!). Most often the issue in off-patterning shotguns is that
the gun does not fit the shooter. Changes in drop at heel, comb or toe can be made using a variety of methods (try padding first before going to stock adjustments or replace- ments). If you are not looking straight down the barrel at each shot your pattern is going to waver. Use the same hold and form when shooting each time so that a consistent pattern develops. Then, make the necessary changes to get the pat- tern centered on paper.
Page 178 Winter 2013
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