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Grandpa used to tell me that buckshot spreads 1″ for every yard from gun. I took him for his word, but suspected he was wrong after patterning my 870 and 930 shotguns. I chalked my results up to long barrels and modern technology, never putting the assertion to a comprehensive test.
RifleShooter, however, was not content with the same assumptions. Instead, they comprehensively tested patterns with 18″ barrels and various chokes, including a back-bored barrel almost the the muzzle. Most stock barrels were less than .5″ per yard. Only the back-bored barrel was close to the 1″ claim, coming in at .96″ per yard.
The patterns at 20 yards. Click on the picture to be taken to the Rifleshooter article.
The results chart is telling:
| Barrel | 7 yards | 15 yards | 20 yards | Avg spread per yard |
| Back Bored | 2 | 5 ¼ | 7 | .35” |
| Vang Comp | 1 ¾ | 7 | 7 ¼ | .36” |
| Remington IC | 5 | 10 7/8 | 11 ½ | .58” |
| Remington Cyl | 3 ¼ | 9 1/8 | 12 | .60” |
| Back bored 2” from muzzle | 4 ¼ | 15 ¾ | 19 ¼ | .96” |
Hit the link for the full article, pictures, and analysis, including the tutorial on back-boring.
Two morals to this story:
- Aim
- Pattern your shotgun
