Component Analysis
TBC
Performance Data
| Date | Range | Choke (Nominal) | 30" Circle Impacts (Total) | Performance (Nominal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17/04/2017 | 20 Yards | 0.015" (Modified) | 180 (184) | 98% (Modified) |
| 05/03/2017 | 30 Yards | 0.015" (Modified) | 130 (184) | 70% (Improved Cylinder) |
| 05/03/2017 | 30 Yards | 0.015" (Modified) | 137 (184) | 74% (Improved Cylinder) |
| 05/03/2017 | 40 Yards | 0.015" (Modified) | 79 (184) | 43% (Cylinder) |
| 05/03/2017 | 40 Yards | 0.015" (Modified) | 66 (184) | 36% (< Cylinder) |
| 05/03/2017 | 30 Yards | 0.020" (Improved Modified) | 120 (184) | 65% (Skeet) |
| 05/03/2017 | 30 Yards | 0.020" (Improved Modified) | 101 (184) | 55% (< Cylinder) |
| 05/03/2017 | 40 Yards | 0.020" (Improved Modified) | 88 (184) | 48% (Skeet) |
| 05/03/2017 | 40 Yards | 0.020" (Improved Modified) | 94 (184) | 51% (Improved Cylinder) |
Performance Analysis
Subsonic cartridges should, theoretically, throw better patterns than supersonic cartridges and, at the time of writing, the collected results of all of our .410 tests demonstrate that clearly to be true.
In terms of the percentage performance, the Eley subsonic cartridge outperforms every other cartridge thus far tested, placing a higher percentage of the original shot charge within the 30″ circle for every combination of choke constriction and range. It is disappointing then, that even these high percentage performances are not enough to guarantee a minimally sufficient pattern (120-140 pellets in the 30″ circle) beyond 30-32 yards. The number of pellets in the cartridge is simply too few.
The anomaly in the current data for this cartridge concerns the 30-yard results for the 0.020″ choke. In spite of throwing a significantly tighter pattern with the 0.020″ choke than the 0.015″ choke at 40 yards, the test showed poorer patterns at 30 yards for the tighter choke. This suggests a wide variability in performance, bad shooting or some other influencing factor for which I haven’t yet accounted.
My gut feeling is that the variability of the cartridge may be relatively wide, but that – having shot the patterns without a rest (i.e. as a rifle shooter might use) – admit that it is perfectly possible that I pulled both of the 30 yard shots and did not centre the pattern on the paper properly. Larger sheets of paper or the use of a rest might show this to be true, but the only sure way to determine this is to shoot more patterns.
Overall, although the usefulness of the results is limited by the fact that there are only two patterns for each combination of choke and range, it is broadly clear that the Eley cartridge is closer to being a true 40-yard cartridge than most, outperformed only by its sister loading, the “Trap” cartridge also manufactured by Eley.
Example Patterns
