Flite control patterns- recent vs older lot

So I picked up an 18” low profile sighted barrel a few months ago. I patterned it on an old Wingmaster receiver and was had about a 7” composite group at 10-15-25 yards with 8 pellet FC. Happy with said barrel , I finally found a cheap older (1990s) Express at the LGC. Installed the barrel and new stock, etc. took it to the range and was unimpressed.

A few more trips, still not the patterns I got originally. Could an Express lower cause bigger patterns? I even posted a thread about cleaning the bore. Tried that, no effect.

Then in the #1 thread someone mentioned that Federal was holding up production due to fliers. Someone else mentioned a new red wad. I cut open a shell from a case I just received from SGA, white wad still.

So I dug around my zombie evac bag and found a sleeve from about 18 months ago. Took it to the range today, along with some from about 6 months ago. I did not try the ammo recently received.

It’s an n=1 experiment, but to me it seems the old boxes pattern tighter.

Three rounds at 15 yards, one at 10:

I think the “new” group is bigger than I noted, missed one in the wad hole...

The red wads I've seen have all been on ammunition purchased recently. I last ordered ammunition in March and it has the red wads as best I remember.

There's always the possibility that a different lot of ammunition will produce different results with other platforms and the shotgun is no different in that regard. Small changes to tooling, components, and techniques can produce very different results downrange.

Still, that is a little more than what I would expect with FFC.

When you cleaned your barrel, how did you clean it?

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Originally Posted by TCinVA

The red wads I've seen have all been on ammunition purchased recently. I last ordered ammunition in March and it has the red wads as best I remember.

There's always the possibility that a different lot of ammunition will produce different results with other platforms and the shotgun is no different in that regard. Small changes to tooling, components, and techniques can produce very different results downrange.

Still, that is a little more than what I would expect with FFC.

When you cleaned your barrel, how did you clean it?

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Agree it’s more than I have seen in the past. I have not tried the case I got in last month, other than to cut a shell and verify still white wads.

I used a 10 gauge bronze brush and good old No. 9. Followed by many patches on a poly 12 gauge brush.

I have seen similar behavior in my Tac14, but have not patterned the lots side by side. I guess I’ll have to bring a couple of guns to the range and reply.

My M2 used to keep 22 of 24 pellets on a uspsa target at 50 yards repeatably. I doubt this batch will do that, but I decided it wasn’t 100% reliable either so haven’t tried.