Author Topic: Greatly Improve Your Turkey Pattern (Read 8997 times)

JPhelps · « **on:** March 26, 2012, 07:06:42 PM »

Greatly Improve Your Turkey Pattern

For the cost of around $3.oo you can make your turkey pattern much better.
Materials Needed on Hand:
~Scotch brite pads. You will want to get the green and the blue (metal finishing/no scratch) pads by 3m (other brands fall apart to quickly).
~Drill (cordless preferred)
~12 gauge or 20 gauge bore brush
~Shotgun cleaning rod
~WD40 or lubricating oil

Next if you have a twelve gauge get out the wire brush made for the twelve gauge. You cut the scotch brite pad to wrap around the brush once and then just a little extra. You will want the scotch brite to overlap itself just slightly. Once you wrap the pad around the brush, you need to apply a liberal amount of wd-40 or lubricating oil to the pad. I also use some wet pads to make sure the bore of the barrel is also lubricated. The brush should be attached the cleaning rods so it will reach the length of the barrel. Then attach the end of the cleaning rod in the drill chuck and tighten it down.

35 yds before polishing:

Start with the drill on slow and try to ease the scotch brite down the barrel (starting at the action end). This is where the little extra scotch brite will help as you power the drill, the scotch brite will start spinning and the little extra flap will keep the pad tight to the brush. Then once you get it started, switch to high speed and continue going up and down the barrel for about 5 minutes with the green pad. Put a new green pad on and repeat for another 5 more minutes. Then put on the finishing pads and repeat for about 5 minutes. While you’re doing this make sure to work it up and down the length of the barrel, Also apply oil as needed (the barrel does become a little warm but the oil will help reduce the heat). This is a messy process and it may be best to perform this outside in junky clothing.
Now clean your barrel like you normally would. Take a look down your barrel and it will be as smooth as glass. If not continue drilling. When it is a mirror finish go re-pattern your gun you should be pleasantly surprised how much polishing your barrel can help out a turkey pattern. I got greater than a 25% increase in pattern density with my Mossberg 835 with xxfull comp-n-choke at 25, 35, and 45 yards. All comparisons were done on shot inside a 10″ circle. I believe the reasoning behind this working is that when the manufacturer makes the barrel they do not do a very good job of removing the machining marks. By polishing it out you ensure that the wad does not get dragged down the barrel at a slower rate than the shot. Some people have had better results from polishing their barrels than buying aftermarket choke tube.

35 yds after polishing:

Camp David · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2012, 08:02:01 AM »

Very cool

I just might give it try.

BOWHUNTER45 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2012, 08:06:18 AM »

fOR SURE .....

NOW THAT PATTERN WILL HURT

JPhelps · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2012, 08:10:35 AM »

I don't take credit for coming up with this. I just want to pass it along.

You can search the Internet and others have had great success as well.

MuleySniper · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2012, 08:12:09 AM »

Nice tip thanks!

MS

yelp · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2012, 04:34:46 PM »

It seems to help I did it last year. Jason..Do you have to do it every year?

JPhelps · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2012, 04:41:58 PM »

Nope, once and done. Gun should clean up easy once it is polished.

Limhangerslayer · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2012, 09:06:50 PM »

I better not do it then, I will just miss more birds

Lincoln4 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2012, 09:04:50 PM »

OMG!

I just finished this and took a look... I haven't even cleaned it yet after the final polish. WOW! Like a mirror. You gotta try this... I'll re-pattern it next Friday...

JPhelps · « **Reply #9 on:** April 07, 2012, 09:18:51 PM »

Lincoln4,
I wish there was a way I could have taken a picture of my barrel before and after. Like you I was very impressed with how the bore cleaned up.

Just curious, was there a lot of little tiny metal specks in your pads? I'm interested to hear your results on Friday. The other bonus is how easy the gun cleans afterwards.

Lincoln4 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 07, 2012, 09:26:11 PM »

I just checked the pads that were still sitting on my bench. The first green one was just nasty dirty. The second did in fact have some silver coloring in it. The difference in the bore before and after is simply amazing. Will post results on Friday.

Lingcod · « **Reply #11 on:** April 07, 2012, 11:59:30 PM »

Great info, I'll give this a try before I head out this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out.

kevinlisa06 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 08, 2012, 08:26:24 PM »

Yes it works great I've been doing it for 5years just love improving patterns!

johnsc6 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 11, 2012, 02:47:12 PM »

very good tip , i will try it

et1702 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 11, 2012, 03:38:55 PM »

Quite a bit more expensive than a scotch bright pad. But these guys have the right tools for the project!

http://www.brushresearch.com/brushes.php?c2=6

ET

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