Author Topic: New Englander Pattern (Read 852 times)

Lucky Joe · « **on:** November 04, 2003, 04:40:41 PM »

I have a T/C New Englander 12 ga. shotgun that I can't get to pattern worth a darn. A cow could walk through the pattern this gun throws. Has any one figured out how to make this gun shoot. It is cyl. choked, even 1 1/8 AA plastic wads don't seem to help. I've been using 80 gr. of Triple 7. Any help would be appreciated.

mamaflinter · « **Reply #1 on:** November 05, 2003, 12:05:33 AM »

We have 2 of them. My husband had to do alot of tweaking with his to get it to pattern. He'd tweak with the shot charge first then with powder. He uses the AA or Power Piston wads with the base cut off so it's just the shot cup.

It could be your shotgun doesn't like that charge of triple 7 or it could be it doesn't like triple 7 at all.

Try adjusting your shot charge a little both ways and see if that helps. If not try adjusting your powder charge both ways and see what that does. What we did when patterning his was to take a newspaper unfolded so it's the full size, hang it up and shoot it. On the corner of the newspaper I would mark what the shot charge, powder charge was and after the days shooting was over we'd bring them all home and look at them to determine which was the best pattern.

WD45 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2003, 01:14:20 AM »

lucky joe,
Have you tried the standard of equal volume of shot and powder ? It has always produced patterns good enough for small game for me in other cyl bore guns. What type of wad are you using other than the plastic shot cup ?
I have not used 777 in a shotgun but it is hotter than black. You may be blowing your pattern due to the extra power 777 has. Try 2 things. equal volume shot /powder and if that does not work back the powder charge down to 70 grns and use a 1 1/8 shot charge.
I have seen people blow patterns by using heavier powder charges and light shot charges. Generally speaking lighter powder charges used with a heavier shot charge will produce tighter patterns. You may have to play more with the powder charge than with real black.
Hope that helps :-)

rollingb · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2003, 04:40:20 AM »

Both my, .62 cal. (20 gauge) North West Trade Gun, and the .75 cal. (11 gauge) Brown Bess,... grouped best with a larger "shot charge" then "powder charge" (Goex blackpowder).

rollingb · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2003, 05:24:18 AM »

SORRY!!.... Typed in "grouped",.... when I ment to say "patterned"!! :gulp:

River runner · « **Reply #5 on:** November 11, 2003, 01:42:05 PM »

I've got the T/C New England 12 ga., I've been using 1 1/8 oz 7 1/2 shot with an equal volume of 2F BP (real stuff) the Navy over powder wad, Navy cushion wad, and Blue & Grey over shot wad, at 35 yards this will pattern nearly as well as my 1 oz trap loads from my Beretta O/U. if I do my part it will do it's part and fill the pot with quail. RR

rollingb · « **Reply #6 on:** November 11, 2003, 02:06:51 PM »

RR,.... Is the TC New Englander offered with the 12 gauge barrel "only", or,... is the 12 ga. barrel offered as an "accessory barrel" for the TC New Englander "rifle"??

River runner · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2003, 01:01:57 PM »

Rollingb, when I got mine, the rifle barrel was an option, but I allready had my .54 Hawkins, and .45 Kentucky, so I didn't opt for the rifle barrel, kind of wish now I had. I got mine at the "Beaver Bag" in Las Vegas, they since went out of business, which is a shame, cause it was run by a couple of old timers, that really knew their stuff when it came to BP. Most of what I learn now is from this thread, or by experimentation, which is half the fun. I also have a Navy SXS in 12ga. which I shoot the same load, but after traipsing thru the brush chaising my yellow lab, it's a lot easier when I get home to clean just the one barrel, and the single barrel doesn't get as heavy at the end of a day. It's hell getting old and lazy! Somebody else mentioned, that you might be using to heavy a charge of powder and blowing holes in youir pattern, this happened to me, recently with smokeless loads I was developing for trap, trying to get a 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2 to reach 1290-1300 fps, I knew I was on, and even my shooting coach couldn't figure out what was up, until I went to the patterning board, dropped the load back down to 1200 fps, and did very well all the way back to the 27. RR

daddywpb · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2003, 05:03:03 AM »

You might try using Heavyshot wads. They work well for me. I got them from Midway.