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Varmintmist
Posts: 8,305 Senior Member
Win Longbeard XR 20ga
Varmintmist
Posts: 8,305 Senior Member
Stumbled across a box of this, about 10 boxes in fact, for 23 bucks/10. Not unreasonable. It seems to work. Took a couple with the nitro turkey to get the scope close, then 2 more to firm these up.
The scope is 1 moa clicks so I clicked 2 LEFT on and backed up.
Better but still left. Shot from a sitting position, no rest so I figured it might be me, so I backed up
Pattern still a bit right, but none were not OK. I put 3 LEFT on it and called it a day. That group to the right should be closer to the center, but all of the targets I shot would bring home a bird.
MUCH more comfortable with these at longer range than the Nitro Turkey. Would they work? Yep and I am not throwing them away. But on the 45 yard XR there are about 70 holes in the first 8 in circle, with the NT, there were 24. Most of my shooting will be under 40, probably under 25 if history repeats itself. But it is nice to have the ability there.
Specs again. 870 20 ga Ute, Phoenix Tech stock (33.00 optics planet) a Mesa Tactical
adapter (870 12 ga stock to 20ga receiver 23.00 OP) and Tru Glow
gobble stopper choke tube and FO sight combo, (30)Bushnell TRS-25 red dot (56, Amazon) Aimtech saddle mount (45,Amazon)
It's boring, and your lack of creativity knows no bounds.
Replies
Oh, and what is the constriction on your choke?
- Zero your scope at very close range, 10 or 15 yards, and use extreme trigger concentration like you would want for long range rifle. The goal is a virtual slug hole dead center in azimuth to determine - to the gnats ass - that the load will hit right in line the head/neck if a bird is in close.
- Then, adjust the zero about 1" high and dead center at this range for a sure kill on a still bird in close while offering enough loft on the pattern to compensate for minor downrange drop. *DO NOT* settle for anything less than a perfectly centered pattern at this range.
- Confirm pattern effect at expected distance intervals and discern your max effective pattern range.
- Go kill a turkey.
I use this zero method every year when I mount the scope for turkey zeroing. Once it's confirmed good at 10-15 yards, I know my current load will get it done out to 45+ yards. Definitely think twice before going that far with a 20 GA if it's smaller shot or a slow payload.
While I do not make it a point to take 40+ yard shots, the oft' repeated folklore that #6 lead shot from a 12 GA doesn't have enough energy to kill that far is hogwash. I dropped a mature Tom stone cold dead at a laser-confirmed 52 yards with the 2 oz./1200 fps/#6 Long Beard 3.5" 12 GA shell last year. A few years prior, a fog-corrupted laser rangefinder reading led to me accidentally making another 50+ yard kill. Again, not recommended that you make a point to shoot that far for other reasons, but lack of energy is not one of them.