How to PatternA Shotgun
Patterning replaces assumption with evidence. It tells you where your gun actually shoots, how dense the pattern is at the distance you care about, and whether the choke and cartridge you trust are doing what you think they are.
Why Pattern at All
Every claim about chokes, shot sizes and cartridges is general until you test it in your own gun. Barrels, forcing cones, choke tubes and loads interact, and two combinations that look identical on paper can put visibly different patterns on a plate.
Patterning answers two separate questions. First, where does the centre of the pattern sit relative to where you were looking — a fit and point of impact question. Second, how evenly and densely are the pellets distributed at the distance you shoot — a choke and cartridge question. Both matter, and they are diagnosed differently.
What You Need
A steel pattern plate at a range that provides one, or large sheets of paper on a safe backing frame. A measured distance, marked so you can repeat it. A small, clearly visible aiming mark in the centre. A marker pen, and enough cartridges to shoot several repeats of each combination.
Do this only on a range or ground where patterning is permitted, with a safe backstop, and follow all range rules and directions from range staff. Never improvise a pattern board where you cannot guarantee what lies beyond it.
- DistanceChoose the distance you actually shoot targets at, and record it.
- RepeatsSeveral shots per combination — one shot is not evidence.
- RecordsNote gun, choke, cartridge, shot size and distance on every sheet.
Shooting the Plate
Mount the gun normally and shoot the way you shoot targets — a natural mount with both eyes on the mark. Deliberately aiming down the rib like a rifle produces a pattern that tells you about the barrel but not about how the gun fits you, which is usually the more useful information.
Take one shot per sheet or per whitewashed plate, then mark or clear it before the next. Shoot several repeats of the same combination so you can distinguish a consistent tendency from a single unrepresentative shot.
Change one variable at a time. If you swap choke and cartridge together you cannot attribute the difference to either. Work through chokes with one load, then loads with one choke.
Testing fit versus testing choke
For point of impact, shoot with your normal mount and normal gun-up or gun-down routine. For pattern density and evenness, a deliberate, careful shot at the mark is acceptable, because you are measuring the pattern itself rather than your alignment with it.
Reading Point of Impact
Find the visual centre of the pellet distribution and compare it with your aiming mark. A pattern that sits consistently high, low, left or right across repeated shots with a natural mount indicates how the gun points for you.
Some point of impact bias is intentional. Many clay guns are built to shoot slightly high so that a rising target stays visible above the barrel at the moment of the shot, which is a deliberate design choice rather than a fault.
A consistent lateral bias, or a vertical bias much larger than the gun was designed for, is a fit issue. Cast, comb height and length of pull are the adjustments that address it — no choke change will move the centre of the pattern to where you are looking.
Reading Density
Look at the whole distribution for gaps and clumps. What you want is an even spread across the useful width of the pattern, without holes large enough for a clay to pass through unbroken at the distance you are testing.
The traditional formal method is to draw a circle of a standard diameter around the densest part of the pattern and count the pellets inside it, then compare that count with the total in the load. That gives a percentage that can be compared between chokes and cartridges. For most clay shooters the simpler visual comparison — which combination looks most even and least gappy — is enough to make a decision.
Test at more than one distance if your shooting varies. A combination that is excellent at close range can be thin further out, and that is precisely the information that changes choke choice on a course.
Acting on the Results
If the pattern is centred where you look and even at your distances, stop adjusting and go shoot. The purpose of patterning is to confirm or correct, not to become a permanent project.
If the centre is off, address fit before anything else. If density is the problem, adjust choke first — it is the fastest and cheapest change — and only then consider shot size or a different cartridge.
Re-pattern whenever something material changes: a new gun, a new stock setting, a different choke, or a switch of cartridge. Keep the sheets or a note of the results, so the next decision starts from evidence rather than memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
- At what distance should I pattern?
- At the distances you actually shoot targets. Test more than one if your presentations vary widely, since a combination can be even up close and thin further out.
- Should I aim carefully or mount naturally?
- Mount naturally when testing point of impact, because that reveals how the gun fits you. A careful aimed shot is fine when you are only measuring pattern density.
- How many shots do I need per combination?
- Several. A single shot cannot distinguish a consistent tendency from a one-off, so repeat before drawing conclusions.
- My pattern is off to one side — what do I change?
- That is a fit issue rather than a choke issue. Cast, comb height and length of pull are the relevant adjustments.