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I recently bought some Gamebore White Gold 28gm 7.5 Fibre Quad Seal hoping for decent results from a relatively premium cartridge. These were quite expensive compared to the Fiocchi FBlack Sporting 8.5s Fibre I usually use. I opened one up the other night to have a look at the quad seal. The first thing I noticed was the shot was meant to be 5x graded… It contained shot from 2.2mm to 3.0mm - not very uniform and noticeably all over the place. In fact, some pellets weren’t even round. Secondly, the quad seal was rock hard. I have no idea how it was expected to seal a barrel? I expected it to be more like nylon in feel allowing for expansion. I know these came from a supplier who has stored them properly, as I collected them from a sound environment. The last thing I noticed, is they are very ‘thumpy’, in fact overly for their use. They haven’t shot well either compared to the Fiocchi. Has anyone else experienced this? I generally steer wide of Gamebore game cartridges as I have had similar experiences in the past. A considerably expensive letdown.

Morning team. Im after some 30" pattern plate targets, I understand I could get them printed by a specialist, but wondered if anyone knew where I could buy a few of the "self healing" old plastic type? I don't have the space for a painted steel type. Thanks a lot in advance.

Hypothesis The Fiocchi ‘Pigeon 32’ cartridges that I have been using appear to cause excessive wounding. Earlier investigatory testing on the pattern plate (at various ranges with various chokes) showed these cartridges behaved erratically; the pellets tended to stick together with a lot less pellets than expected hitting the target. Better shooting performance could be achieved by trying two readily available brands and undertaking pattern testing in the method described by John Harradine for the BASC, June 2013. To provide some context, here are some example results from earlier testing using a factory extended 1/2 choke (20 thou) at 40 yards: Fiocchi Pigeon 32g – 98 Eley Pigeon HV 32g - 168 Gamebore Clear Pigeon 32g - 171 Desired average – 140 Note: Based on this earlier testing, I invested in a 3/8 choke (15 thou). Method Shoot the pattern plate then draw a 30 inch circle over the centre of the pattern. The goal is to achieve the minimum average pellet count in a 30 inch circle, at the desired range, with at least 10 pattern tests per cartridge. For more detail on the method see: https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/340965-basc-pattern-test-we-need/ (I can’t find a copy of the original document) My specification is: Range = 40 yards Minimum average pellet count in 30 inch circle = 140 (for pigeon) Do no exceed 140 by too much as shooting is expected to be at 25 to 40 yards and the pigeon must be edible. In addition to the method described in the link, I have created two extra sets of data in an attempt to provide indicative results on how erratic a given cartridge can be. This is because its difficult if not impossible to consistently judge the evenness of a pattern with the human eye, but it is possible to collect data on the perceived errors in a pattern. Multiple Hits (MH) – This is the number of times pellets appear to have hit the same place at the same time; 2 hits in the same place gives a hole that looks like a figure of eight. Number of Pellets Together (NPT) – the total number of pellets that appear to have hit the same place at the same time; the sum of the pellets counted in multiple hits. For example: A pair of pellets hitting one place and a pair hitting another would be MH=2 NPT=4. Note: I have no way of knowing if 2 pellets did hit the target at the same time. Its possible one pellet was at the front of the shot cloud and one at the back. I do think its more likely that the pellets become stuck together in the barrel. Multiple Hits can be identified by multiple uniform curves around a hole in the target, this can be can be as high as 5. Its possibly why sometimes your quarry appears to have been ‘hit hard’ - it got it by 5 pellets in almost the exactly same place at the same time. Apparatus Gun: Browing Maxus, 26 inch barrel, Briley Helix Hunter ‘Mid-Range’ Choke (15 Thou) Medium: Lining paper from B&M Bargains Target: Mk2 Portable Pattern Plate (patent pending) Specifications of Cartridges under test Fiocchi: ‘Pigeon 32’ - 32 gram - No. 6 - Fibre Wad Eley: ‘Pigeon HV’ - 32 gram - No. 6 - Fibre Wad Gamebore: ‘Clear Pigeon’ - 32 gram - No. 6 - Fibre Wad Results Testing of the Fiocchi cartridges was not continued due to obvious poor performance; its not worth the time or effort. Conclusion The Fiocchi cartridges under test were of exceptionally poor quality. The pellet count and spread of the pattern was poor. This accounts for the excessive wounding. I have cut open some cartridges and found all the pellets are all separated so large amounts of pellets must stick together in the barrel. Perhaps the lead is too soft and/or the diameter of the wad does not provide sufficient obturation. Both the Eley and Gamebore cartridges gave much better results than the Fiocchi. With a 15 thou choke, the Eley cartridges achieved the desired average pellet count without exceeding it too much. With a 15 thou choke, the Gamebore cartridges did not achieve the desired average pellet count; 17% less pellets in a 30 inch circle when compared with the Eley. The standard deviation for pellet count was significantly lower for the Eley cartridges; 14.43 compared with 18.21 for Gamebore. Therefore the Eley cartridges are more consistent when compared to the Gamebore cartridges. The Gamebore cartridges had on average 27% more Multiple Hits and a 37.55% higher Number of Pellets Together. This is more evidence of inconsistency from the Gamebore cartridges when compared to the Eley cartridges. The Gamebore cartridges would benefit from a 20 thou choke to increase the average pellet count, although it is highly unlikely that this would improve consistency. Just because the Gamebore cartridge is marketed well with a nicely printed box and celebrity endorsement… it doesn't mean its any better than the competition. Notes on the Efficacy of the Method I’m satisfied that 10 tests per cartridge gave meaningful average and standard deviation values for pellet count, MH and NPT. If I stopped at 5 tests per cartridge, the results for average pellet count would have still been accurate enough to reach a worthwhile conclusion, although the Standard Deviation for pellet count would have been a lot less accurate. Scores for the first 5 tests only would have been as follows: In future, I am unsure as to weather I would spend the time & effort on 10+ tests for each cartridge if there is an obvious trend emerging after 5 tests. FAQ Q: Why did you bother with all this!? A: I was interested in the real world effects of different chokes & cartridge combinations and whether or not these match up to the gut feelings & rules of thumb people like to iterate. Q: What have you learnt so far? A: So far I've found that even if you stick to the same loads at a similar price, the choice of cartridge is very important, more important than choice of choke. I’ve never heard anyone say that before. I thinks its generally assumed that ‘similar’ cartridges behave in a similar way, but they certainly don’t. Q: Would you do it again? A: Yes, I plan to do this two more times; once for game and once for clays. Q: Why did you choose a Briley Helix Hunter ‘Mid-Range’ Choke? A: Its a 3/8 choke (15 thou) which was my best guess to achieve the desired average pellet count, based on earlier testing. Its advertised as being optimum for 25 to 40 yards using lead shot. Its aftermarket & extended which should give more consistent results with a wide variety of loads when compared to factory Invector chokes (based on information from American writers such as Randy Wakeman). Most importantly, I think it looks good on the end of a semi-auto. Q: Any tips for conducting pattern tests? A: It’s actually difficult to hit a stationary target at 40 yards in a consistent manor with a shotgun. I think this is because you are not moving you body, your muscles are not offering much resistance to recoil forces that are far higher than most rifles. This can lead to excessive barrel flip and throw the centre of the pattern so far off that the result is unusable. I used a semi-auto, I imagine this effect can be far worse with a double barrel. To achieve a consistent result, I mark my point of aim 2 thirds from the top to the target rather than half way down. I’ve found its best to mount the gun slightly over the top of the target, pulling tightly into the shoulder with both hands, slowly lower the gun on to the point of aim while breathing out, stop when out of breath & at the point of aim then finally pull the trigger. Do not hold on the point of aim as there is a tendency to drift side to side. My Portable Pattern Plate is 40 x 40 inches, I recommend 50 x 50 inches to alleviate this problem.

Both guns cleaned in the same way, shot at the same time in the same weather, similar number of rounds. The 12g barrels are almost spotless (after 150 rounds) -- the 20g barrels are /filthy/ -- not just the barrels in fact, the ejectors, and even beyond. There's crud everywhere, and flakes of unburnt powder -- both barrels too, so it's not just one 'bad' cartridge it seems. Is it normal, or a 'bad batch' ?