Which shell patterned the best out of my Browning A5? Hevi Shot, Winchester, Federal, Kent or Rio? 

I am sort of a wornout birdhunter in my 70's, but my grand dad was a duck hunting demon. A lot of the pattern testers seem to have a high pattern with anything. Grand dad told me early that shotguns bead are supposed to sight below the bird so you can see all of the bird! It sure helped me with doves.

Thanks so much! Consistent test and honest answers. Can’t ask for more. Was glad to hear my budget can still get me good shells!

THANK YOU, great ammo comparison, live long and prosper!

Just discovered your channel but man thank you for this video. Exactly what I was looking for.

Very informative video pal, I’ve shot Rio’s for the last few years. Top pattern’s and fantastic prices for a slab. Keep shooting and keep safe 💥💥

Nice video.. I am a die hard duck & goose hunter who has tested alot of different chokes & ammo for my waterfowl hunting setups.. I'm a lefty too.. My duck gun is a Browning Gold 12 ga shooting Federal Black Cloud in #3's out of a .675 Terror choke tube & it's absolutely lights out for ducks.. My goose gun is a Remington SP 10 ga shooting Federal Black Cloud in BB out of the .720 Terror choke tube & it's an anti aircraft goose bomber.. Both of my waterfowl hunting setups are deadly short or long range within reason & until something changes I'll be sticking with what works for me & my guns..

I love the speed shok they are hammers. Next time you get out and pattern step it out to about 35 or 40 yards and you will really see the difference. Rios and speed shok will blow all the others away.

I can say this , 1st great job the way you prepped before your video on the different loads etc and shooting off handed which is imortant. With a vent rib most guns are made to shoot a little high , but besides all that most of those loads could easily work at 40 yards, really nice patterns over all. The 90 a case Federal does take the show overall for price , performance and probably availability. Thankyou the 1st video I watched of yours.

Most extensive shell shot pattern test vid yet. Keep up the good work. I too changed to Rio last year a.) For price b). They patterned best for price. I shoot #2's 3.5 in duck and BB's 3.5in goose. Good shells.

In my opinion. The drylock, and speed shock was the best. Most evenly dispersed at that range. With a full choke at 25-30 yards. Even patterns is what you want at typical hunting ranges. Black cloud was a close 3rd place.

Them Winchester dry locks have always been a dam good shell one of the best

So, my all time favorite is the winchester elite blindside. Reason being is it does in fact hold a great pattern BUT, at the 50-60yd range it's the only one that I definitely noticed made any difference. To me it's about focusing shot placement. And often times that shot at 40yd+ makes the difference. You should do a penatration video with all these different ammo! I'd love to see that! Great job!

I’ve had the best luck with blue box, the Winchesters (pretty much all of them) as well. I get bigger ducks and Canada geese here in the North and like to go 3.5 number 2s about all the time and Kicks Full through my SBE2 I’ve had for years now.

Nice to see another southpaw shooter. Good video👍🏼

After watching your video I went and bought the jobs joke just like yours. Took it out and pattern yet. And I use the reo 2-4 3”.Edit pattern awesome just like yours. I love the jebs choke. Oh I might mention I have the same shotgun A5. exactly like yours love it.

Federal is my favorite ammo to shoot in any caliber.

Judging based on one shot, then confusing point of impact with patterning, compromises your results.

Just bought a case of Rio online and it was $274 delivered and I was glad to get it. I can’t imagine what some of the other stuff would be by the case these days. I’m glad the Rio pattered so well. I had been shooting blindside but I can’t even find it now.

Great video, thank you! I’ll be grabbing a couple boxes of the Winchester Drylok for some patterning. Over & over I’m seeing Browning pattern like crap at a heavy price. I will have to try it in my shotgun before making the final call, but so far I’m not swayed that way.

Multiple shots of you 5 favorite next to see if the pattern hold. Subbed

Great video!

I’m glad I cheaped out

Curious as to what the FPS is on the ones that did well compared to the ones that shot high. The ones that shot high I think would do well at longer distances

speed shok has worked well for me over the years.

All I shoot is Rio's and love them, really good for the price

The Rio surprised me. I've been a Black Cloud guy for years now but I'm gonna buy a box of those Rio shells and pattern them. I shoot modified on tight holes over decoys but mostly full choke over rice fields out of Browning Maxus and a Maxus II 28" 12ga, will be interested to see how they do.

Each gun patterns differently and you were using factory chockes at a close yardage! I'd love to see this test done again at an extended range of 50 yards. Blind sides are absolutely terrible beyond 40 yards! Anything close I will give it credit but for an all around I'll stick to hyper sonics with Carlson Creemator Long Range choke. I'm a believer in shot size, choke, and range equals more game in fridge. Beretta Extrema 2 with Carlson FS steel LR combined with Rem Hypersonics 1 1/4 ounce 1shot! deadly on ducks and geese

Price for performance is rio and federal speed shock! Nice pattern testing.

Very very very good video.

When I did my pattern testing. I tested Kent 4, 3, and 2 shot. 4 shot was the only thing that was good. So would be interested to see the difference with different shot size with the same brands

Good video but please allow me to point 4 things out, 1- the shots will vary with different temperatures, so don't count only on this test which is in hot weather 2- sometimes you need to try different chokes, some shots may do better 3- It is not only the pattern which counts, the punch is important 4- not all shots have the same speed, speed counts.. Here you are shooting a sitting duck I agree with your review based on the gun, choke, distance to target and temperature... But if one factor changes, the whole review should 😉

Very important to note this is your gun and your specific choke. Different guns and chokes will provide different results. I personally look for the best overall pattern and shim or tweak the gun to center that pattern up. There were some loads in the bottom that had better patterns but your gun just shot them high.

Could the velocity and shot weight difference account for the height of the pattern? I'd ignore where it hits and focus on how it patterns, sight in gun for one that patterns best.

I was surprised at the RIO. I just bought some because of the ammunition shortage and hadn’t patterned them yet. Shooting an A5 wwing just purchased and added a Jeb’s .690 choke. Rio’s are #4 3.5. Hope they shoot as well.

I've been told many barrels shoot 70% above the bead , 30% below. By design,. I think his gun is likely that way.

I think the ones you shoot high on are going to be good for longer range. Something to think about.

Good video but all that was said and done will mostly change on a moving target because the shot collum has to come into consideration per Bob Brister as I recall. Thanks

Like your show

Good video presentation.. I thought the RIO was the best.

Me and my dad always hunt with super x there cheap and they shoot good

I’ll stick with my sbes and Kent been working since 05 used to use challenger 3 1/2s and it felt like throwing popcorn at honkers

Subscribed for content and Ryan Upchurch in the intro lol

Awesome video showing the difference between shells, really appreciate you taking the time to do this. I shoot the Winchester DryLok out of my Benelli Vinci I get a pretty good tight group pattern. Never went thru all those different brands before. I guess I know what I'm doing next weekend!

Great video! New waterfowler here, I’ve been told by many to not shoot steel out of a full choke. However, I see some full chokes in the stores listed as you can shoot steel and hevi-shot through them. Can you explain this if you know? Thank you

Blindside is what I shoot for killing power because of the weight of the shot...1 3/8 oz just works better than 1 1/4 oz.

Tom Roster has studied steel and alternate shot since the compulsory change from lead. The tables produced on lethality express very clearly the most common field ranges ducks and geese of all sizes are shot at. The distances vary from 20 to 70 yards, the most common averaging 30 to 45. Shouldn’t pattern testing thus be conducted at both ranges to capture what the passing shot may illustrate or the follow-up shot on flaring birds?

Seeing how different shells pattern out of your shotgun is important, but the kinetic energy caused by the impact of the pellets hitting the bird is what really drops ducks. Thats what you're paying for with more expensive shells. Higher quality metal creates more kinetic energy that really knock down a bird. With that being said, I shoot winchesters because they're cheap and are easy to find.

Just curious, why pattern a full choke at 25/30 yards? At that range, a more open choke would be better suited.

It's will be see much better on a 40 yd. Very great video. Can you do same thing just on a 40 yd

Any chance of doing the same test at 40 yards?? See how much they open up/pattern...

Thought you would have tried remington nitro.I have taking a Lot of birds with it and the cheaper peters brand

Hunting over decoys, the full choke will destroy the ducks. Most shells will work over decoys. The 40 yard mark is the best for all around hunting. A good range for pheasant hunting as a role. Some good hunting in non toxic areas

I Love shooting Rio! All i shoot is Rio & Federal blue box! Rio is my favorite

Now in 2022 the only shells under $300 a case at least around Mississippi if you can find them is the browning shells or monarch shells, just the heavy metal is $45 a box

Got the same gun as your and I was wondering do your A5 not cycle the cheap 2 3/4 shells such as challenger and such? Thanks

It took me a bit to learn this and tons of shells, try aiming a little lower on the duck A5’s tend to shoot high, have had three they all seem to do it, gun works great for sight picture.... unless you run lead (upland) it’s spot on

Nice video. But I'm depressed now because the cheapest case is $170 for RIO or $200 for federal. Sad 😔

Would be nice to be able to get any ammo right now

What choke are you using? Jebs lightning ?

What choke are you using? I just bought a a5 and don’t know what the best choke would be.

great video

We (3 guys) took out a bunch of various shells about 4 years ago. But we shot these all through our Benelli shotguns (SBE2, M2, Vinci) with crio mod 3 notch chokes. The top shell hands down (40 yards) was Hevi Metal and federal blue box/speed shock was second. So it’s important to see what your gun likes. Now another thing to consider is how hard the shot hits. Hevi Metal just plain hits waterfowl hard and kills more cleanly imo. Now the bad news about Hevi Metal is the recipe (no longer use tungsten-too expensive) has changed and the new extended range doesn’t preform me. So once I blow through my remaining shells I’ll be looking. I bought a couple 4 packs ($40) of bb and 2’s federal blue box at Walmart for back up. Rio’s I’m a bit leery of I was on a guided snow goose hunt the 3 guys hunting with me were telling me how great they were and how I shouldn’t buy those expensive shells. Throughout the hunt there guns kept jamming and they looked like they burn pretty dirty.

What full choke were ya using? Thanks

Care to try any Apex?

Please stop touching the muzzle when the gun is loaded. It’d be better that you blow your choke out than blow your hand out. Other than that, really liked this video, quick comparison of a lot of the most popular ammo.

I feel like you could do this test 5 times and get a different top 5 every time I wouldn’t go off of just one shot each I do at least 5 different targets on each shell and you will get a much more refined answer

What choke did you use for these tests ?

Federal shoots best in my A5

Dryloks

What choke tubes were you using?

What’s the chamber size in your A5?

These prices, yup

Rios shoot great but they are dirty dirty powder.. Speed shock!!

Shooting over decoys at that range is basically wanten waste with all of those shells. Nothing left to eat, not even the dogs can make out. I think at that range I would have to go with IC?

What shot size are these?

Bel video ! Complimenti dall' Italia ! Se posso permettermi un consiglio , oltre a spiegare a parole quello che fai , dovresti anche scriverlo in grande in modo leggibile , soprattutto per quanto riguarda la strozzatatura del fucile , la distanza è il prezzo delle cartucce . Grazie .

What choke were you using?

Looks like you pulled half of your shots high and left or high; would like to see from a bench rest great vid though

What choke are you shooing

I know a lot of people swear by those REO.

Where do you buy the Rio from

What exact choke are you using?

Switch your safety to lefty handed it’s easy and I did it and it was a night and day difference

what does he mean when he says "a case"

Since they change the kent from the old it’s crap. Doesn’t pattern and it doesn’t feed through my A5 .

You like the jebs high voltage? Is it the .685?

Ain’t the cartridges it’s you probably gun not fitted ??

I hate Hevi Shot / metal all hype and marketing ! I shoot anything Winchester , federal , and Remington now Remington is owned by Federal . I guess I’ll be shooting Federal . I shoot a Affinity and Rios shells don’t do good out of them or I’d shoot them ! Try Fiocchi shells Arkansas Timber they are good .

U from Cdale?

You said 210$ by a case u mean like 250?