Pattern on my early standard grade 12 gauge Winchester 21 choked Modified and Full

[bushmaster1313]

Here is my wife's cat and my early standard grade 12 gauge Winchester Model 21 choked Modified and Full:

I finally took it (the shotgun) to where I could shoot a pattern
The cat stayed home
5 rounds, each barrel at 23 yards:

Modified Barrel:

Full Barrel:

As even I can see, both barrels are shooting quite high
Likely many pellets above the paper
I am pleased to see that the barrel marked "Full" is giving a tighter pattern

I will take the above into account my next trip to the trap line.

Shotguns sure are lots of fun

 

[Big Cholla]

Your M 21 shoots "high" because it was made that way. Winchester aimed this shotgun at the 'gentleman' shooter who was hunting going away and rising birds as Quail, Pheasant and Bob Whites.

 

[Jebus35745]

Nice model 21, the wood has great grain. That gun would be in the woods a lot in the fall, I hunt only with SxS's. Enjoy your classic, Larry

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

If your barrels were patterning level or centered, you would have to cover the "bird" with the barrels to hit it. This gun is perfect for the modern check on the stock method of shooting. The guns that would cover the birds are for the old heads up style of shooting. You see this in hunting art from the 30's and before. (I just thought the artists didn't know anything about shooting, until I shot with some older gentlemen that had formal training by their grandfather.)

Great gun! A friend of mine had a Model 21 Grand American Trap Gun, The previous owner (who I know and shoot with) is 5'2" and had the stock sawed off to fit him, the later owner had it glued back but with the fitting of the pad enough of stock was removed the grain didn't line up. A true pity!

Ivan

 

[tops]

I have 2 M21 Winchesters. One is 28 in. and the other is 30 in. and both have DTs, EJs, SFs, and PGs and are choked M&F.
As near as I can tell both shoot flat down the barrels. Larry

 

[2152hq]

Put a slightly larger dia front bead on the gun and it'll pattern lower for you. Nothing changes actually but you will put the bbl(s) lower on the target/bird when you sight along the rib.
I know many say not to look at the front bead and that's most likely true. But for most of us we need the bead to guide our eye(s) to the muzzle and the target.
I'd be willing to bet you used the front sight bead to draw a fine 'bead' on that orange dot on the patterning paper. A larger dia bead will drop the bbls a bit as you take the same sight picture over that bead. It doesn't take much.
Also might try shooting some paper patterns by just throwing the gun up to the shoulder and firing as you would at a clay target. No 'aiming', just a field shooting type shouldering and cheeking of the gun and shoot. You'll see where the gun shoots for you..it won't necessarily be where the patterns are in the pics.

Different shells/loads will pattern wildly different at times also as will just changing shot size. A low recoil load may pattern lower as well.
Nice even patterns!

 

[H Richard]

Have you patterned it at 40 yards? That's what I have always read was the correct distance for patterning barrels as that is the approximate distance the bird/target would most likely to be at when you get the shot off. Those look like very good patterns for 23 yards.