Dear Patternmaster: As usual, I hunted ducks with my buddy this season. I really was impressed with the results that he got with
his new Patternmaster Supreme choke tube. We both used identical Benelli SBE's, but I used the factory tubes. We both used
Federal 3" shells with 1 3/8 oz. of #2 steel shot. In previous seasons I have usually killed 2 ducks to every one of his, but this year
he beat me out cold. He made shots at unbelievably long distances (some beyond 60 yards), close shots over decoys, and at all
ranges in between. Also, his birds dropped faster when hit, and were usually dead when they hit the water, and were rarely
crippled. I am sure that I am still a better shot, so I am really interested in your tubes, but confused. We just shot our SBEs at paper
patterning targets to see how much tighter his pattern was than mine, and are surprised at the results. Your Patternmaster tube
shot about 85% and my factory tubes averaged about 82%! That isn't a great enough difference to account for what happened in
the field this season. Am I losing it or what gives?
Answer: Yours is an excellent example of our most frequently-asked question. Since it goes to the heart of the unique performance
advantages offered by our patented system, which unfortunately are so novel that they are poorly understood, we are posting your letter
prominently on our web site.
To answer your question, you first must understand that one of the truly unique features of the patented Patternmaster system is
that it produces significantly shorter shot strings than do the conventional radial constriction "funnel choke" tubes, which are the
type made by everyone else.
Think about this. Paper targets can measure only the 2-dimensional spread of a shot pattern; a pattern board cannot measure the
actual effective pattern performance in the way you and your friend measured it this season in the duck blind. Those ducks that
you and your hunting buddy were shooting at are living and flying in a 3-dimensional world, not a flat 2-dimensional one. So, if you
shoot 2 choke tubes at a duck flying 40 yards out, each tube shooting an 85% pattern on paper (2-dimensional), but the "funnel
choke" produces a 12 foot long shot string at 40 yards and the Patternmaster system tube produces a 6 foot long shot string at 40
yards, then the Patternmaster pattern is in reality, that is 3-dimensionally, twice is dense.
Your Benelli tube being a conventional "funnel choke" can intrinsically only attain high 2-dimensional pattern percentages at the
cost constricting and narrowing the shot charge. It thereby lengthens the on-target shot string which actually decreases the
all-important 3-dimensional pattern density. In comparison, Patternmaster tubes do not radially constrict and "funnel" the shot
charge, but rather retard the wad, and keep the shot string short. This is the only way we know to get tighter 2-dimensional paper
target pattern without also lengthening the shot string.
Therefore, to now directly answer your question, your hunting partner bested you with his Patternmaster-equipped SBE because
he was putting more pellets and killing energy on the duck, it was easier for him to hit the duck in the first place at almost any given
range, and his effective killing range was increased. His shorter shot string length accounts for the seeming paradox you
encountered. It's that simple. Thanks again for your most excellent question.