Best trap loads for a Win 101 fixed choke

R

Ricklin

New member
I bought myself a nice xmas gift, a late 70s-early 80s Win 101 12 ga. 30" full and mod. I have had it to the patterning boards and found the pattern a little large for my liking at 35 yds. The bores appear to be perfect. I'm in the process of installing a Graco adjustable butt pad to better fit the gun to me.
For patterning I was shooting cheep Estate #8 target loads. After patterning a took apart a round from the same box. I found the shot to be quite soft and all over the board size wise, very inconsistent, and not very round. I can pick up 5 dif. pieces of shot and they all vary by several thou. Just not very impressed, however can't say I have ever taken another shell apart as I have with this one. I don't think anything is wrong with my gun, it is in perfect condition other than some dings in the stock, appears to have been fired very little, and sat in the back of someones closet for years, plenty of dust in the barrels which of course I cleaned out prior to patterning.

For you Win 101 owners out there, what do these guns "like" best with regard to shells? Or is it a gun by gun thing?

Thanks in advance.
 
It's a gun by gun thing. Have you measured the bore and choke areas to actually determine the constriction? That, and the pattern board will give you the actual choke of the gun.

Estates are decent for all shooting sports. While they're now owned by Federal, they still will do the job if you do yours. As to shot size, when you get into 8, 8-1/2, and 9 the shot size will have normal variances. You can expect one size up or down as the norm.
 
Off to the smith

I'll see if my buddy Sky (the local smith) has the tools to measure the bores and chokes (I'm pretty sure he does) I'll have him do that. I've been thinkin of sending the barrels to Mike Orlen to have a thinwall system installed either in one or both barrels. I would like to make this my all around gun, as I can't currently afford an assortment. The OD at muzzle is .806 so it is doable.
 
Chokes will definitely allow you to utilize the gun for a wide variety of tasks. Chokes MAY add a few ounces at the muzzle - which may or may not affect your swing. They also come in handy if you're shooting sporting clays at a course that has a wide variety of target presentations.

Have fun with it!
 
Having fun now!

I just love to tweak things to make them mine. It's great to start with a good "canvas" this 101 is just that, beautifully made, feels great in my hands, and like new except for the aforementioned dings in the wood. Can't wait to get it dialed in for me, the swing feels really good but have yet to shoot at birds clay or otherwise. Gotta get that fit dialed so it don't hammer my cheek, besides my height @ 6' there is my long face and high ckeekbones to deal with, thus I figured the Graco would give me the best tool to dial er in. This is my first O/U my other shotguns are old cheap SXS's. I do like double guns and have wanted a nice O/U for a long time. The best part is the gun shop had this one marked down to a very reasonable price, so I have some room to spend the bucks to make it mine!
 
Congrats on your fine shotgun.

As for loads, any of the better target loads will tighten those patterns up. I prefer Remington's STS and Nitros, but the Gold Medals and AAs also do.

Orlen does great work. If I have any barrel work done in the future, it will be done there or with Briley.

Get the fit right.
 
I would shoot the gun at clays for at least 6 months before doing any work with Graco .... unless you have a lot of experience shooting clay targets and really know the stock dimensions that fit you ( length of pull, drop at comb, drop at heel, etc )...

I'm not surprised at your findings on the Estate shells ...when they get that cheap - you have to wonder how much veriation is acceptable on shot, powder, velocity, etc ... vs the more expensive Federal gold medal. If I want to shoot disposable shells - I go for Rio shells 1oz of 8's or 1 1/16 oz of 8's usually ( for Sporting Clays, Skeet or Trap ).

When I buy shells - and keep the hulls for reloading - in 12ga - I go exclusively to Remington STS or Nitro shells. Again for an all around shell, I like a 1oz shell at 1225 - 1250 fps .
 
Graco now

Big Jim P
Sorry but my cheek can't stand the punishment w/o correcting the stock. The butt is def. too short, if it hurts it ain't no fun. With my hand laid flat on the stock the trigger hits the 2nd joint of my trigger finger with the butt in the crook of my arm. I figure it's about an inch too short. I'll get the Graco installed this coming week and at least get the LOP close to correct. I will probably shoot for a few months prior to having any barrel work done tho. I do understand where you are coming from tho, but it's just too short, my other shotguns do not beat my cheek to death.
Dave:
Thanks that is what I figured RE the Estate shells, the shot size is really all over the board (literally) with those shells. I'll try some better shot shells for next weekends patterning board work. Just waiting for the big brown truck "o" happiness to show up with my Graco and snap caps.
 
Last edited:
before you cut up that stock

Ricklin,
Congrats on a great gun. I worked with a student that had an older 101 with fixed choke barrels recently, and it sure handled well. The best part was how nice and light those long fixed choke barrels were.....

Before you start cutting up that stock, understand that the 'old gunshop' trick of putting the butt in the crook of you r arm and seeing where your finger falls on the trigger does not tell you much about the length of pull you need. That just tells you the length of your arm from elbow to trigger finger;) It does not take into account the size and shape of your chest, and your stance when you mount the gun.

Think about it, if you are a big barrel chested guy, you probably will not need as long LOP as guy with a thinner chest, given the same length arms. Also, if you stand square to the target, you will not need as long LOP as if you stand more "bladed" to the target.

I'm not saying you don't need a longer stock, I'm just pointing out that the "crook of the arm" test is not a good test to base cutting up a perfectly good stock over.

If you want to try a longer stock, without spending $$$$$ and cutting up a stock, take off your factory recoil pad, and stack a few washers under the pad around the screw holes, so that when you put the pad back on, the screws with pass throught he washers. I like to use ones that are nearly a wide as the stock[OD] so that it is nice and stable. You can even play with the "pitch" of the stock by experimenting with more or less washers under each screw.

I do quite a bit of gunfitting, and I though I have a try-gun, I am a big believer in "guerrilla gunfitting" by adapting the customers gun to achieve the fit, then professionally altering the stock[ or making a new one when needed].
 
Why didn't I think of that

Well where is the little emoticon of slapping yourself up side the head:)
Don't know why I didn't think of a stack of washers. I'll go give it a try tomorrow if it's not blowing 50. I'm sure it's too short, but I can play with that and get an idea. The Graco will add 9/16 to LOP. Right now w/o pad it's 13 1/4 I have a Pachmayer pad that is 3/4" I don't plan on cutting the stock, Will have to bore the 1 1/8" hole in the end for the adjuster. I'm a long lanky 6' and my arm reach marks a perfect fathom:) my height is in my upper body. I'm going down to the shop to install some washers, thanks a bunch!
 
have fun...

Ricklin,
If you can come up with a close dimension for your LOP and pitch in this manner, you will be able to just have a thick pad and possibly a spacer or 2 fitted, and not add all that graco weight to the a$$ end of your finely balanced 101;)
 
so far so good

I've got it out to about 14 3/4 now, 1 9mm case and 1 penny:) No worries I won't fire it that wayfeels a lot better, still needs more but I/m not seeing so much rib. Good point about the weight, I'll have to decide when it gets here, but I also like the other adjustments it has. Hmmmm. I think I'll temp attach the Graco and see where it balances. I'm starting to think someone cut this stock b4 tho It does not look it but it's only 13 1/4" W/O the pad. But it seems like most all the used 101s I looked at on line had pretty short LOP as well. The former owner removed the original Winchester pad and put on the Pachmayer.

Thanks Will
 
I really didn't know so many of us owned 101s. I find that the sore cheek comes standard with this finally balanced shotgun. As far as shells, I liked to run Rex II behind 1 ounce of 7 1/2s or 8s. This powder is a little slower than some and helps with the felt recoil. If you do not reload then find an STS or AA in one ounce. As per BJP, put your Graco on, set it at one place and run a 1000 rounds through before making any adjustments. In this way you know by your score if an adjustment makes a difference. The above shell should be suitable on the concrete. Good luck.
 
Washers

Ricklin,
Stop by the hardware store and pick up the washers....if they are wide enough, it will be fine to shoot the gun with them in......

Don't worry to much about how much rib you are seeing, at least not yet. I would rather it be too high than too low. If need be, that is what wood rasps are for;)

A little hint, if I were to look down at my rib[ which I do my damnest NOT to], I would see a little rib also. That is a GOOD thing.
 
Many thanks

That's why I love this forum, lot's of great ideas and experience. I should have the gun set up by next weekend, whoo hoo. I'll hit the club for practice on Sunday and see how I do. Once this one is done I think I'll tweak with my old Stevens 311. I fixed the stiffness in the breakopen, I'm thinking of changing it to a straight stock with a splinter forearm, I love the feel of a straight stock on a SXS. Looks great too:)
 
Looks like you're on your way to figuring out your length of pull...

There are some stick on pads - they slip over the stock ... that will give you a little more length as well. We use some of the slip on pads when we're instructing youngsters and new shooters - where we need to adapt quickly for different kids.
 
Yup and now choke issues

Getting the LOP figured out. I took my old Stevens to the patterning board yesterday. It is IC and MOD 24" barrels. It shoots a tighter pattern with the same shells than my new 101. I measured the bore on the upper barrel and it looks like the former owner reamed it, at the muzzle it measures .725 the lower barrel is tighter than the upper, yet the upper is marked full. I did not check the bores when I bought it, looks like it's going to travel to Mike Orlin and have a thinwall system installed, it won't do for trap the way it is. I was going to do that anyway but wanted to wait awhile. Oh well, live and learn. Even with the barrel work I will still be in to it less than 1K and the gun is very nice except for the handling dings in the wood. It's going to take a little while longer to make this one mine.
 
try remington sts in size 8 1/2 i own 7 101s this size seams to do very well try a box you will not be sorry.good luck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top