Anyone else notice Federal Gold Medal 1-1/8oz #8s patterning tighter than Remington STS through the same choke?
Been shooting a Browning Citori CXS with a Modified choke (0.020") for sporting clays. I've always used Remington STS 2-3/4" 1-1/8oz #8s at 1200 fps and got consistent 70% patterns at 40 yards. Switched to Federal Gold Medal 1-1/8oz #8s (also 1200 fps) and my pattern board shows a denser 75-80% center with the same choke. Same hull length, same shot weight, same velocity on the box. Just the wad and powder are different. Is this a known thing with Federal's wad design, or am I missing something?
1 Answer
Yeah, that's a real thing with Federal's FliteControl wad in their target loads. It's not the full-blown FliteControl Flex you get in their tactical buckshot, but it's a similar concept - the petals stay closed longer, keeping the shot column tighter as it leaves the muzzle. That extra 5-10% pattern density is common, especially through tighter chokes like Modified or Improved Modified. I've seen the same with my Beretta A400 using Federal vs. Winchester AA. What's your barrel length on that Citori? Sometimes that extra velocity from a 30" vs 28" barrel can exaggerate the wad's effect.
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