# Mossberg 835 Patterning



## rutandstrut (May 27, 2008)

Here are the Targets that I got back with my Mossberg 835 after Rob Roberts Custom Gun Works Gobbler Guns http://www.gobblerguns.com Rob uses the "Lucky Weasel" Computer Shotgun Patterning System developed by Doug Ashby to optimize a Shotgun and Choke that get the best possible pattern of each Gun that he works on. Since this GUn already had the Cones lengthened and the barrel polished along with having the trigger polished and set to 3#, Rob made a Custom Made 17-4 Stainless Extended Turkey Choke for this Gun and shot and optimized it using Doug Ashby's "Lucky Weasel" Computer Shotgun Patterning System.  This system is also available for Pheasant Guns, Duck Guns and Target Shooters. 

I prefer to shoot Heavy-13 #4's in this Gun, but after seeing how this gun shoots with #6 Winchester Extended Range 2 Oz. Loads, I am a convert!


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## Gadget (May 27, 2008)

ah I think I'd be shooting the ERs..........


Nice pattern test he did for ya.


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## rutandstrut (May 28, 2008)

Rob does a great job and he is a very nice person to deal with! He will go out of his way to get your Gun shooting the way it is supposed to shoot! And he won't break the bank either!


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## MKW (May 28, 2008)

*...*

Those patterns will certainly get the job done! I looked over that sight and I actually talked in person with them at the 2007 NWTF Convention. That "test and tune" that they do is very expensive, in my opinion, so why not just buy some Nitros and a decent choke?? I'm not trying to be confrontational, I just don't see that gobblerguns does anything new or revolutionary. 
They are nice patterns.

Mike


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## rutandstrut (May 28, 2008)

Mike, I welcome your opinion and do not think you are being confrontational. However I do not agree with your assessment of the Service that Rob Roberts of Gobbler Guns is providing! 

If you do not have a place that you can shoot any time you like so that you can spend the time and money to pattern your Gun yourself, it is a viable option! 

To do this properly you would have to purchase 4 or 5 Different Brands of Ammo in 2 3/4", 3" and 3.5" with 2 or 3 different shot sizes and load weights. Then purchase 4 or 5 Chokes Tubes of varying constrictions prior to going to the Range. You have now spent at least $150 in Ammo,  $275 for 5 Various Choke Tubes (i.e. Rhino Choke $90, Jellyhead $40, Tightwad $25, Indian Creek $75, Gobbler Guns Choke $70 etc.), and you haven't even shot the gun yet! Hopefully you have made good choices and one of these Choke and Shell Combinations work in your Gun!  

     You still have not addressed the Recoil of the Gun. By lengthening the Forcing Cone the Recoil is reduced and the shot Column is more uniform when it goes through the Barrel and the pattern is more uniform when it hits the Target. Gobbler Guns Choke Tubes have a parallel section built into them, which lines up the Shot Column prior to it being constricted by the Choke Tube and exiting the Gun.  

You do the math $150 in Ammo + $274.95 in Choke Tubes = $424.95

Nitro Shells $155 + Rhino Choke to fit your Gun $90 = $245.00

Gobbler Guns Gun Work and Choke Tube = $70 (Choke alone) up to the whole works $350 (Forcing Cones Lengthened and Polished, Final Strut Custom Turkey Choke Tube, Barrel Porting, Polish all Internal Parts, True Turkey Factor)

I use to shoot Nitros in this Gun. I had trouble with them jamming and not being able to eject the Spent Case. I didn't get the even pattern from 10-50 Yards like I am getting now and didn't have the percentage of Pellets on target that is exhibited in the Top Target like I am now using Factory loaded Ammo that costs 1/5 the price of the Nitros. I am getting 402 Pellets out of 432 Pellets in Shell. That is 93.1% of the available Pellets in the shell on Target!


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## MKW (May 28, 2008)

*...*

Tim,
 Thanks for your thoughts. I guess I just see it differently cause I'm a pattern junky. I know full well the value of forcing cone work, trigger work, and polished barrels. I shoot about 80 turkey loads a year(mostly at paper), so I can't see paying for someone else to do it for me. Also, your cost comparison is exactly why I said one could just buy Nitros and be done with patterning and save some money. I am guilty of getting caught up in only 10" circles at 40yrds, but for me, that is the best standard by which to measure a choke/load combo. I was mostly looking at your 10" numbers. 
Bottom line, if you're happy, I'm happy for you.

Mike


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## rutandstrut (May 28, 2008)

Mike, If you are shooting 80 Nitros a year you are spending a ton of money on shells. I like to shoot also and if I had a place that I could go shoot on a regular basis, I probably pattern my Guns myself. I still shoot but have limited places to shoot where I live and it is a long way to the closest Range (except for inside ranges). Some of the work has to be done by a Gunsmith no matter what shells or Choke you use. There is a one time cost associated with this work which can't be avoided.  

I use to fixate on the 10" Numbers more than anything else as I got caught up in the craze among Turkey Hunters to get as tight a choke as possible and put as many Pellets into a 10" Circle as possible. That was until a couple of years ago when I missed my first Gobbler inside of 15 Yards. I feel strongly that this miss was caused as much by the Nitro Shells and tight choke as it was me. The Pattern was so tight that I missed that Gobbler when I could see his eyes. If the Pattern was a little more open, that Gobbler would be on my Wall today! 

Since that miss, I have changed my way of thinking. I have changed my way of thinking to get a Pattern that is more evenly spread out and will shoot consistently from 10-50+ with Killing Energy. That is what the "Total Turkey Factor" is all about. 171 is the perfect "Total Turkey Factor" number. The number on my 835 is  170 and on my Stoeger M2000 is 169 which means that both Guns, Shells and Choke are performing as good as they can possibly perform!


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## Gadget (May 29, 2008)

I'm shooting a .670 PureGold in my SBE II rather than the .660 Rhino because the PG threw a more even pattern with just slightly less pellets in a 10" circle. Inside the 10" circle they were close with the Rhino averaging about 10-20 more pellets, but just outside the 10" circle the PG had a more dense pattern than the Rhino. If I were to draw another ring outside the 10", say 12 or 14 inches and then count those pellets, then the PG would have more. It threw a more uniform pattern while the Rhino had a strong center circle with a fragmented outter ring......... the signs of being over constricted. Probably gonna try a .670 Rhino next, I like the more even pattern of the PG just little better.


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## Limb Hanger (May 29, 2008)

I like the fact they are Winchester ER'S compared to Nitro's.......I will not jump through the hoops that is required to get those shells.  Its not a money thing BUT when you call and can only get an answering machine, arguh!  And I have shot them in the past, so I now how good they are.  For the money they are getting for shells looks like they could hire a secretary to take orders.

I like the idea of getting a pattern like that with OTC shells!


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## blong (May 29, 2008)

How far were the test paper shot from? I did not see it anywhere on the sheets.


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## sman (May 29, 2008)

Nice patterns.  I use a the rem super full in my 870.  I tried alot of different choke and shot patterns.  This set up gives me a very good and steady pattern.  After all of the money I spent, I could see where this service could come in handy for those guys who do not have the time or place to pattern there guns.


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## Gadget (May 29, 2008)

SmokeyJoe said:


> I am shooting a shotgun with a barrel.




A shotgun with a barrel! ........wow, you don't see that very often.


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## rutandstrut (May 29, 2008)

blong said:


> How far were the test paper shot from? I did not see it anywhere on the sheets.



These Targets were shot at 40 Yards.


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## Brad C. (Sep 15, 2009)

I can't see paying someone else to make my gun shoot better when going by them numbers in a 10" my 835 will do that and then some at 40yds with Hevi-13 loads and a Star Dot choke.  Just think of the money I have saved.   

When I see a turkey coming in or if one sneaks in behind me, and if my gun is shooting a tennis ball pattern at 20yds I'm going to do either 2 things: 1) shoot him before he gets that close or 2) let him get out a ways before I blast him.

Having a dot scope will help you shoot in tight and put your pattern on a turkey head even when you are shooting a tennis ball size pattern.  But if in doubt let the bird get out a bit.


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## Gadget (Sep 15, 2009)

Brad C. said:


> I can't see paying someone else to make my gun shoot better when going by them numbers in a 10" my 835 will do that and then some at 40yds with Hevi-13 loads and a Star Dot choke.  Just think of the money I have saved.
> 
> When I see a turkey coming in or if one sneaks in behind me, and if my gun is shooting a tennis ball pattern at 20yds I'm going to do either 2 things: 1) shoot him before he gets that close or 2) let him get out a ways before I blast him.




I'm with you Brad, I would much rather do all the patterning myself, I enjoy it and help others pattern their guns every year, but I also think these guys offer a good service and to some people who just don't have the time or the motivation this is a great service.

I also agree and practice your second statement. Any turkey that gets into the "Red Zone"( Tom Kelly) , which is 20yds or less, I wait for him to move off before I shoot. I like to shoot my birds between 20-30 yards and have backed off my chokes to X or XX to achieve a more even pattern instead of the ultra tight center with the blown out outer ring you see a lot of guys post using a XXX or XXXX chokes.


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## rutandstrut (Jan 31, 2010)

Brad C. said:


> I can't see paying someone else to make my gun shoot better when going by them numbers in a 10" my 835 will do that and then some at 40yds with Hevi-13 loads and a Star Dot choke.  Just think of the money I have saved.
> 
> When I see a turkey coming in or if one sneaks in behind me, and if my gun is shooting a tennis ball pattern at 20yds I'm going to do either 2 things: 1) shoot him before he gets that close or 2) let him get out a ways before I blast him.
> 
> Having a dot scope will help you shoot in tight and put your pattern on a turkey head even when you are shooting a tennis ball size pattern.  But if in doubt let the bird get out a bit.



That is where you are wrong on the cost of the patterning. I also enjoy shooting my own Rifle and Shotguns and patterning them at the range. I had already gone through at least 10 Different Choke Tubes and approx. the same number of Different Turkey Loads with both my 835 and Stoeger M2000 prior to sending them to Gobbler Guns. I talked to Rob Roberts on the phone and then met him at Nationals. We both have a Love for Turkey Hunting and Great Shooting Shotguns! And we hit it off really good! I consider Rob a good Friend! After talking to him I found out he was already a fan of the calls I make through another TV Celebrity and the rest is history.  

These patterns were shot at 40 yards and only show the 20 and 30 Inches Circles. No 10 Inch Circle is shown! 

I also like to get a Gobbler in as close as possible. That is how I know I have truly beaten him at his own game! On the other hand, I have seen what this Gun and my Stoeger M2000 will do to a Turkey at 50+ yards and it is devastating!


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## Brad C. (Jan 31, 2010)

Tim, 

Just trying to help here.  Have you ever tried a Star Dot choke in you 835 shooting the Hevi-13 3.5" 2 and 1/4oz #6 loads?  I think you will be tickled with the results.  It will consistently put over 200 shot and then some in a 10" at 40yds.


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## Turkey Comander (Jan 31, 2010)

Brad C. said:


> I can't see paying someone else to make my gun shoot better when going by them numbers in a 10"


I'd have to agree those numbers aren't very impressive with #6 shot.


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