Shotgun Patterning Ranges

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  • Mendicant

    Member
    Aug 11, 2015
    41
    Baltimore/Silver Spring
    Good day.

    I recently recruited a coworker to join the hunting community. He has passed his hunters safety course and purchased a 12 gauge SXP. We both live in Baltimore, and he would like me to help him pattern it before duck season.

    I did a search of the forums and was not able to turn up an answer more recent than 3 years old. I know of Myrtle Grove and MSAR. Does anyone know a closer range that allows shotgun patterning without becoming a member?

    Thank you.
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    Not sure about a patterning board, but Loch Raven Skeet & Trap is a great place to shoot shotguns close to Bmore. Skeet, Trap, & Five Stand. Open to the Public, no membership required, but check their website before you go as there are some safety training requirements to complete before you can shoot.

    https://lochravenskeettrap.com/

    LOCH RAVEN SKEET AND TRAP

    12301 Dulaney Valley Road
    Phoenix, MD 21131



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    Redcobra

    Senior Shooter
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 10, 2010
    6,422
    Near the Chesapeake Bay
    Not sure about a patterning board, but Loch Raven Skeet & Trap is a great place to shoot shotguns close to Bmore. Skeet, Trap, & Five Stand. Open to the Public, no membership required, but check their website before you go as there are some safety training requirements to complete before you can shoot.

    https://lochravenskeettrap.com/

    LOCH RAVEN SKEET AND TRAP

    12301 Dulaney Valley Road
    Phoenix, MD 21131



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    You have to be a member to use the patterning range. Members only for that.
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    Thanks Redcobra, been a while since I've been able to shoot there.

    Mendicant..if your buddy is a new shotgun shooter....the Adult Skeet Classes at Loch Raven might be a good idea!!

    Skeet and Five Stand will definitely sharpen up your hunting skills.

    Sent from my LG-G710 using Tapatalk
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    Can your buddy make 50+ yard shots? If not, probably no reason to go and pattern the gun. Modified would work just fine for anything 40 yards or less. Read an article from a thread on here just a while ago, and it seems as though Modified is the optimal choke for almost everything, especially when you do not know what the distance of the shots will be.

    With that said, 15+ years ago I bought a Patternmaster choke and patterned my gun with Hevi-Shot. It was the best pattern I have ever seen. 30 yards or less and feathers are falling for 60 seconds or more. I've also killed geese at 60 yards with it and Hevi-Shot T shot.

    Good luck with the patterning, but I wouldn't make it a requirement before going out hunting. I killed tons of doves with a full choke before I ever knew a thing about patterning. Then, I started dove hunting with IC and M and still kill them out to 60 yards.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,884
    Yes, I read the OP's parameters , but I am bringing up a reconsideration of them.

    Membership isn't a 4 letter word . Patterning facilities for large shot are few, and far from you . AGC is conveniently located to you . Particularly if you ever do any shooting , beyond once a year pattern testing , it works out for you .
     

    Mendicant

    Member
    Aug 11, 2015
    41
    Baltimore/Silver Spring
    Thank you all for your input. A lot of good information there.

    The patterning was requested specifically because it was discussed in the hunting safety class. None of us know how well he can actually shoot, because he had never fired a weapon of any sort before the shooting test. I will probably have to sift through the forum posts about the trap and skeet options open to us, because I could also stand some practice in that regard as well.
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,015
    Harford County
    Thank you all for your input. A lot of good information there.

    The patterning was requested specifically because it was discussed in the hunting safety class. None of us know how well he can actually shoot, because he had never fired a weapon of any sort before the shooting test. I will probably have to sift through the forum posts about the trap and skeet options open to us, because I could also stand some practice in that regard as well.

    Yes trap would be a better use of his time. Once he is comfortable then patterning to test loads/chokes might make more sense.
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    Thank you all for your input. A lot of good information there.

    The patterning was requested specifically because it was discussed in the hunting safety class. None of us know how well he can actually shoot, because he had never fired a weapon of any sort before the shooting test. I will probably have to sift through the forum posts about the trap and skeet options open to us, because I could also stand some practice in that regard as well.
    Loch Raven is close to you and offers beginner Skeet classes.

    To make a golf analogy....

    Skeet = Putting Range - will help you with angled shots and leads.
    Trap = Driving Range - helps with longer shots and going away birds.
    Five Stand = Par 3/Executive course - stimulates a lot of hunting shots.
    Sporting Clays (not available at Loch Raven) - was designed to simulate hunting, but would be challenging for a newbie.

    I believe PG Trap & Skeet also still offers beginners classes, but is closer to DC than Baltimore.

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    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    Thank you all for your input. A lot of good information there.

    The patterning was requested specifically because it was discussed in the hunting safety class. None of us know how well he can actually shoot, because he had never fired a weapon of any sort before the shooting test. I will probably have to sift through the forum posts about the trap and skeet options open to us, because I could also stand some practice in that regard as well.

    Rent some guns from PG Trap & Skeet and shoot some sporting clays.
     

    davsco

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 21, 2010
    8,607
    Loudoun, VA
    while patterning a shotgun is way less important that zeroing a rifle, of course because the shot covers a much greater area, it's still nice to know poa vs poi, so patterning does matter at least some.

    what i hate about shotgun shooting (skeet ,trap, etc) is that i never really know where i missed when a clay doesn't break. chances are it was low and/or behind surely, but it sure would be nice to know more precisely. any suggestions? i can't see the pellets and folks i've asked to watch haven't given me any confidence they can see it either.
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    while patterning a shotgun is way less important that zeroing a rifle, of course because the shot covers a much greater area, it's still nice to know poa vs poi, so patterning does matter at least some.

    what i hate about shotgun shooting (skeet ,trap, etc) is that i never really know where i missed when a clay doesn't break. chances are it was low and/or behind surely, but it sure would be nice to know more precisely. any suggestions? i can't see the pellets and folks i've asked to watch haven't given me any confidence they can see it either.

    There really isn't a sure fire way to know.

    .and your right, calling shots is a learned skill, that we spent a lot of time in instructor classes (NRA & NSCA) on. Hint: it has more to do with watching the relationship between barrel and target, than "seeing" the shot column.

    A Shotkam (gun mounted camera) can help, but that is expensive and still takes some skill to interpret.

    ...and I've had many students who thought they were behind, and added more lead (rinse and repeat) and were so far out in front.......

    Lifting your head to see the shot and not following through on the shot (stopping the gun) are much more likely suspects.

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    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    while patterning a shotgun is way less important that zeroing a rifle, of course because the shot covers a much greater area, it's still nice to know poa vs poi, so patterning does matter at least some.

    what i hate about shotgun shooting (skeet ,trap, etc) is that i never really know where i missed when a clay doesn't break. chances are it was low and/or behind surely, but it sure would be nice to know more precisely. any suggestions? i can't see the pellets and folks i've asked to watch haven't given me any confidence they can see it either.

    Did they stop making shells with hi-viz wads? Maybe if you loaded your own, you could paint some of the pellets orange and see them?
     

    smokey

    2A TEACHER
    Jan 31, 2008
    31,412
    Where will you be hunting? Any reason you couldn't bring a couple wire target frames and do a quick pattern in the field before hunting?
     

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