poor patterning

[Double Trouble]

Hi, i shot a pigeon the other day at about 20+yds, left to right crosser but quartering away. It came down hard by the amount of feathers but landed over the hedge in the adjoining field. On collection a little later there was very little breast meat left as it pulverised the bird and the shot must have carried on and out through the birds skull as there wasnt much left. I can only assume that the shot clumped together, not had this before. I was using Eley Pigeon 32/6.5s, along with a couple of non-ejecting cartridges and a couple of misfires I have lost confidence in this budget brand. Advice greatly received..

[wymberley]

Not awake yet and can't remember if there's not another name for this. The shot 'balled', cold welding into one or more lumps. Can and does happen as you've proved. A mate once shot a partridge at a decent range and when we got to it all there was was two wings laying on the ground.

[Imperfection]

As Wymberley said its called 'shotballing' and i've had it happen once with Kent Velocitys.The lead shot literally fuses together creating solid slug.The pigeon i shot kinda disintergrated from the wings backwards.

[The Essex Hunter]

Have you pattern your gun?

 

 

Most people don’t! As making a 3 foot frame out of batten and pinning a bit of old wall paper to it is far too much work. Once you have done this get a piece of ¾ ply wood and put a round at that!

20+ yards is not very far at all with ¼ choke. I used those in fibre wad for a very long time.

I changed to Eley first in fibre some time back and found no difference apart from the cost £55.00 v £38.00….

The odd miss fire out of millions of rounds made is negligible it is just part of shooting…

 

TEH

[Underdog]

I went of those Eley my self but that aside yes `balling`.. Had it happen once on a pheasant,,,,wasted it! (not with Eley, homeload).

 

U.

[Dougy]

If your going to start shooting to see what the pattern is like then you must be prepared for some surprises. It will start you wondering if can ever hit a pigeon again.

[Double Trouble]

Thanks for the replies chaps, not patterned this particular gun yet but I will do. I know this 'shotballing' is a rare occurence but its quite worrying to think that possibly an ounce of lead could potentially be hurtling through the air!

I bought some different cartridges today, so will pattern with them and a selection of a few others to see what seems to suit.

[fabarm gamma boy]

gamebore clear pigeon 32g 6s try them there a good fast shell, and cheap around £50 a slab of 250!

[Guest cookoff013]

you prob hit it in the center of the pattern, nothing more or less.

[wymberley]

Thanks for the replies chaps, not patterned this particular gun yet but I will do. I know this 'shotballing' is a rare occurence but its quite worrying to think that possibly an ounce of lead could potentially be hurtling through the air!

 

I bought some different cartridges today, so will pattern with them and a selection of a few others to see what seems to suit.

As and when you do, from anything handy, cut out some 5" dia' discs. While you're doing your pellet count on the six 30" circles to get the average and therefore the pattern density, also see how many non overlapping 5" dia' areas free of pellets there are on each of the six and again take the average. Because of what Dougy said, this gives you a reasonable assessment of pattern quality to complement the density figure. In fact, it has been said that this is a better way to assess pattern density anyway.

 

I have the numbers somewhere and will dig them out should you go for it.

[coyotemaster]

you prob hit it in the center of the pattern, nothing more or less.

 

That's my take as well. I had never heard of shot balling but don't shoot as much as you guys do. I didn't see what choke he was using but anything 1/2(modified) or tighter would obliviate a pigeon at 20yds. if centered. I have "smoked" a few that close with a light modified. You are probably pushing 400 pellets through an area the size of a volleyball.

[Underdog]

The pheasant I shot I found the clustered shot.

 

U.

[wymberley]

This phenomenon although now a rare occurance is explained at length in Volume 111 - The Gun And The Cartridge - of The Modern Shotgun.

[Tim Kelly]

A friend of mine shot a hen bird with his 20 bore last season and there was virtually nothing left of it. Tested a couple of cartridges firing them at a tree trunk and they were fine, but apparently this cartridge had balled, fused whatever. The damage was astonishing.

[henry d]

Could it have been the wad?

[dipper]

Out shooting pigeons some years ago shot one incomer about 20 yards away hole in breast size of golf ball.On same day shot a crosser at about 30 yards with second barrel when picked its head was missing.Gun was 1/4 and 1/2 game bore felt 6 Dipper.

[Double Trouble]

you prob hit it in the center of the pattern, nothing more or less.

 

Noted, and possibly true - was using 1/2 choke barrel I think, just not had that before.

 

Thanks also to Wymberley for the concise advice.