Post by rascal01 on Dec 22, 2019 0:01:54 GMT -5
I was favorably impressed today with my 24C when shooting Winchester Double X turkey loads. These 3” magnums made it quite clear that the 20 gauge is more than a quail or grouse gun.
These shells were loaded with 1 1/4 ounces of copper plated number 5 shot. The out the barrel velocity is stated to be 1185 FPS. The shot is buffered and surrounded by the wad. All in all, this appeared to be a premium load.
Recoil was similar to shooting an ounce and a quarter load out of a lighter weight 12 gauge shotgun. It was not fierce or terrible though I was aware of that possibility. When shooting at a flushing bird you may/may not notice it. You would notice it shooting skeet, trap or sporting clays. The 3” shells would not be a good choice for a novice shooter or youngster.
I tested these loads at 15 and 25 paces, or roughly the same distance in yards. I chose that distance due to the 24 C’s cylinder bore barrel, and because I have encountered flushing birds at those distances. I hung a cardboard backer and then put a 6” day-glow orange circular bullseye centered on the upper third of the backer.
At the 15 yard line I folded my rear sight to the down position and placed the blade of the front sight on the orange bull. The top of the blade was not quite to the top of the bull. After firing the shot I checked the target. The upper third of the pattern covered the bull evenly and more densely than I expected. Though the majority of the shot impacted lower than the bull, it was clear a game bird would have been taken cleanly. The shot was evenly disbursed throughout the pattern, which appeared to be 26 to 28 inches across. Sorry, I should gave taken a tape measure to the range.
The process was repeated at the 25 yard line, although this time I pointed the front sight blade so it touched the top of the orange bull. The shot impacted a bit higher on the target, and again the shot was evenly distributed and surprisingly dense. The pattern had opened to perhaps 30/32 inches. Those numbers are estimates, by the way.
If you own a 24C and have shot the shotgun much you are likely familiar the performance of the cylinder bore barrel. One of the reasons I bought my 24C was the gun having a cylinder bore. But if you want longer range performance or to take larger birds, loading with 3” magnums can give you what you need. The upgrade in performance is substantial.
I liked what I saw. Though I won’t use 3” magnums for everything, the are a viable option when more performance is needed or desired.
These shells were loaded with 1 1/4 ounces of copper plated number 5 shot. The out the barrel velocity is stated to be 1185 FPS. The shot is buffered and surrounded by the wad. All in all, this appeared to be a premium load.
Recoil was similar to shooting an ounce and a quarter load out of a lighter weight 12 gauge shotgun. It was not fierce or terrible though I was aware of that possibility. When shooting at a flushing bird you may/may not notice it. You would notice it shooting skeet, trap or sporting clays. The 3” shells would not be a good choice for a novice shooter or youngster.
I tested these loads at 15 and 25 paces, or roughly the same distance in yards. I chose that distance due to the 24 C’s cylinder bore barrel, and because I have encountered flushing birds at those distances. I hung a cardboard backer and then put a 6” day-glow orange circular bullseye centered on the upper third of the backer.
At the 15 yard line I folded my rear sight to the down position and placed the blade of the front sight on the orange bull. The top of the blade was not quite to the top of the bull. After firing the shot I checked the target. The upper third of the pattern covered the bull evenly and more densely than I expected. Though the majority of the shot impacted lower than the bull, it was clear a game bird would have been taken cleanly. The shot was evenly disbursed throughout the pattern, which appeared to be 26 to 28 inches across. Sorry, I should gave taken a tape measure to the range.
The process was repeated at the 25 yard line, although this time I pointed the front sight blade so it touched the top of the orange bull. The shot impacted a bit higher on the target, and again the shot was evenly distributed and surprisingly dense. The pattern had opened to perhaps 30/32 inches. Those numbers are estimates, by the way.
If you own a 24C and have shot the shotgun much you are likely familiar the performance of the cylinder bore barrel. One of the reasons I bought my 24C was the gun having a cylinder bore. But if you want longer range performance or to take larger birds, loading with 3” magnums can give you what you need. The upgrade in performance is substantial.
I liked what I saw. Though I won’t use 3” magnums for everything, the are a viable option when more performance is needed or desired.
