Patterning Your Shotgun

1. Get several 40" square sheets of paper.
2. Fire at these targets from 40 yards away using different sizes of shot on each sheet.
3. Draw a 30" diameter circle around the densest part of the pattern on each sheet.
4. Count the number of pellets in each shot size used.
5. Divide the number of holes in the circle by the number of pellets used in that shotload. This is the percentage.
6. The desired percentage depends on your choke: 60-70% for full; 55-60% for modified; 45% for cylinder; or 50% for skeet at 25 yards.