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Posted: 5/31/2009 9:06:40 AM EDT
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Today I took my 870 Police with ported VCS barrel to the range to see how it patterns with several loads. All groups were taken at 50 feet.
The results were as follows: Federal Power Shok 9 pellet 00Bk 2-3/4" = 8-3/4" Federal Vital Shok 9 pellet 00BK with Flite Control Wad = 7-1/4" Federal Vital Shok 12 pellet 00BK 2-3/4" = 5-5/16" Remington 8 pellet managed recoil 00BK 2-3/4" = 12-1/2" due to 3 flyers as the other 5 were in 3-1/4" Remington 9 pellet 00BK 2-3/4" = 7-3/4" Remington 16 pellet 1BK 2-3/4" = 10-1/4" Remington 8 pellet 000BK 2-3/4" = 9-1/2" group with 5 in a 1.5" group Winchester Ranger 8 pellet 00BK 2-3/4" = 5-1/4" Winchester Winlite 9 pellet 00Bk 2-3/4" = 5" with 6 of those in a 2" group Observations: Clearly this gun favors the Winchester loads and the Federal 12 pellet buck and those will be come my defense loads. The Federal Flite control load was disappointing in this gun. The Remington 1BK load had a nice pattern density due to the higher number of pellets. Having the VCS improved the groups on average between 25 and 50 percent. Perhaps the lower velocity loads expand less because of their lower velocity 
I also brought two other 870's to the range. The first one has a Mossberg 870 breacher barrel and a 870 factory top folder. I was quite pleased with this gun. The breacher barrel patterns no worse than a standard barrel in case anyone was wondering. Also the top folding stock was not nearly as uncomfortable as I had been lead to believe. It is no speedfeed for sure but it was not really bad either. This gun really liked the Federal Flite Control round and gave a 4-3/4" group. The second 870 was fairly standard with a Choate youth length pistol grip full stock and a standard 870P barrel. It had much larger groups than the VCS gun at 50 feet. Depending on the load, they were 12-15" typically. With the Flite Control load it grouped 8-3/4". In today's WTF moment, the Tac star mag extension failed in the middle of a 8 round rapid fire string of full power 00BK. The tube appeared to have been press fit into the ring that threads onto the mag tube and it just came right out. Now I know why everybody says get the Choate or the Scattergun. To be fair I did have a LMS1202 on it and that may have had something to do with it but the construction of the tube was mostly to blame. UPDATE- I manged to put the color back on the tube by pounding it with a mallet but from now on, I will only use Tacstar extensions when I have a mag clamp. |
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Thanks for the range report! Very thorough, good listing of the ammo variances. Do you have any pictures of the targets?
Glad the breacher didn't affect your patterns. Here's what happened when I patterned my breacher choke tube |
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Remington 8 pellet 000BK 2-3/4" = 9-1/2" group with 5 in a 1.5" group
My M4 does the same darn thing with this load. I have one 25-yard group where 4 pellets made a ragged hole. No, it normally isn't this tight, it is normally 5-pellets in 4-6" and the other 3 are outliers by 6-10" in different directions, group size around 12-14" at 25y. I think it's how remington stacks this load. The 3" OOO is a bit more evenly dispersed, but tends to form a mild string, or oblong pattern, in no particular direction. |
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Sorry, I don't have the target pics but with my 56k (really 31k) connection, it would have take forever to upload them anyway.
If any one else with a VCS barrel sees this thread please post your group sizes and corresponding ammo for comparison. I remain puzzled by the flite control load because the hype on the internet would suggest it would pattern very well in anything but with the 870P VCS and regular 870P barrels it was outdone by more conventional ammo. EDIT- I also want to mention that the porting did help with follow up shots but did not make the gun significantly louder. The Sig 556 in the lane next to me was louder. |
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I also have VCS barrel on my 870. The tighest patterns that I have ever had came from some cheap Estate brand "SWAT" 9 pellet reduced recoil ammo I bought from Natchez several years ago for like 2.99 for 10 rounds.
I haven't tried any of the Federal Tactical 000 in it but would like too. I guess I need to try some of the #1 buckshot since I keep hearing good things about it. I made post with some pictures of my patterns last year or early this year but can't find it now. |
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Quoted:
Thanks for the range report! Very thorough, good listing of the ammo variances. Do you have any pictures of the targets? Glad the breacher didn't affect your patterns. Here's what happened when I patterned my breacher choke tube I believe the reason that the Mossberg 870 Breacher barrel does not affect the patterns is that the standoff is soldered to the end of the barrel and never affects the inside diameter of the barrel. After reading your thread I am thinking of sending a spare barrel off to GunCat to have it cut down and threaded for chokes so I can do a comparison to the VCS barrel. |
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I believe the reason that the Mossberg 870 Breacher barrel does not affect the patterns is that the standoff is soldered to the end of the barrel and never affects the inside diameter of the barrel. After reading your thread I am thinking of sending a spare barrel off to GunCat to have it cut down and threaded for chokes so I can do a comparison to the VCS barrel. Actually the breacher is integral to the barrel, i.e. when they make the barrel the stand off is part of the machining process for the barrel  .
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Quoted:
I believe the reason that the Mossberg 870 Breacher barrel does not affect the patterns is that the standoff is soldered to the end of the barrel and never affects the inside diameter of the barrel. After reading your thread I am thinking of sending a spare barrel off to GunCat to have it cut down and threaded for chokes so I can do a comparison to the VCS barrel. Actually the breacher is integral to the barrel, i.e. when they make the barrel the stand off is part of the machining process for the barrel .Thanks for the correction. That just makes me more impressed with Mossberg and their machining abilities. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Thanks for the range report! Very thorough, good listing of the ammo variances. Do you have any pictures of the targets? Glad the breacher didn't affect your patterns. Here's what happened when I patterned my breacher choke tube I believe the reason that the Mossberg 870 Breacher barrel does not affect the patterns is that the standoff is soldered to the end of the barrel and never affects the inside diameter of the barrel. After reading your thread I am thinking of sending a spare barrel off to GunCat to have it cut down and threaded for chokes so I can do a comparison to the VCS barrel. I was impressed at how well the chokes did. It made a noticeable difference. That, and I just like having the option of interchanging chokes as needed (skeet, plinking, hunting, turkey... you get the idea). I'm sending some barrels off to him to have the forcing cone lengthened as well, I'll be sure to post pics of how that turns out once they get back. That'll probably be more at the end of the month. |
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