Jump to content

M4 Accuracy expectations


timelinex

Recommended Posts

I just bought and shot my Benelli M4 LE 11715 for the first time. I used Federal LE Flight control 00 with expectations that this will be my primary defense load, and tried out Lambro & Sterling buckshot as well for my plinking ammo.

The good new is that it ate everything without a hiccup.

The bad news is that the accuracy was alot worse than expected. 

At 25 yards, 3 shot groups of the Lambro/Sterling were 20-30" shot patterns. That is expected from the cheap stuff. However what really shocked me was that the expensive "gold standard" Federal LE stuff patterned at around 13". Even my CHEAP Remmy 870 did 6" groups with the good stuff!

Is this to be expected? I guess it's good enough for most home defense scenario's... But I guess I also just expected more from the $2k+ shotgun. 

I did read somewhere that I could replace the choke and that should improve accuracy. Is that true? Any specifics on what to try? Is the choke on the LE models removable and replaceable?

Any comments or advice?

NOTE: Yes I know that if I want the most accuracy I should pattern all available defense loads and pick the best. Good luck finding stuff in this environment. part of the reason I try and buy high quality guns is they usually lower the bar for ammo requirements. I have alot of high quality rifles/guns, and part of what makes them so valuable is none of them shoot poorly with good ammo. Better or worse with some loads, sure. But not poorly like this.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are using anything but a CYL choke, then yes, I expect trash performance past about 15 yards with Flite Control. My M4 Entry shoots 8" patterns or so at 25 yards using LE13300. At 35 yards, it's still keeping patterns on 2/3 IPSC steel typically, maybe dropping 1-2 pellets from time to time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow. I didn’t experience that at all. But I was shooting at a much closer distance. I used the Federal FC LE132 00 at 10 yards (the distance from my bedroom to my front door), and my shot patterns held at a tight 6 inches through 50 rounds. My daughters bedroom is right off the main entrance, so a tight pattern was must. And this was the first time shooting my new m1014 after a proper clean and lube. 
 

Maybe others with a little more shotgun experience will chime in. But I liked that ammo so much I just bought a whole case of LE132 00. 
 

Thanks, Garza

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, jlgarza said:

Wow. I didn’t experience that at all. But I was shooting at a much closer distance. I used the Federal FC LE132 00 at 10 yards (the distance from my bedroom to my front door), and my shot patterns held at a tight 6 inches through 50 rounds. My daughters bedroom is right off the main entrance, so a tight pattern was must. And this was the first time shooting my new m1014 after a proper clean and lube. 
 

Maybe others with a little more shotgun experience will chime in. But I liked that ammo so much I just bought a whole case of LE132 00. 
 

Thanks, Garza

At 10 yards a cyl bore would sling le132 into a golf ball size clump. If you push this to 25-35 yards, you're going to see this fall apart vs what a cyl would acheive. Your 10 yard groups are already similar to mine at 2x that distance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Unobtanium said:

At 10 yards a cyl bore would sling le132 into a golf ball size clump. If you push this to 25-35 yards, you're going to see this fall apart vs what a cyl would acheive. Your 10 yard groups are already similar to mine at 2x that distance.

Man, I definitely wasn’t getting a golf ball size pattern at 10 yards consistently. A few rounds would pattern that small, but for the most part I was counting the one pellet that would sneak away from the group every five rounds or so. Are you running a choke? 
 

Thanks, Garza

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, jlgarza said:

Man, I definitely wasn’t getting a golf ball size pattern at 10 yards consistently. A few rounds would pattern that small, but for the most part I was counting the one pellet that would sneak away from the group every five rounds or so. Are you running a choke? 
 

Thanks, Garza

No, the m4 entry is cyl bore, fixed. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I just got back in from patterning 10 rounds of LE133 00 at 25 meters (maybe a hair longer, I paced it off, and my pace measures out a hair longer than a meter).

 

The largest single-shell pattern was 9" across. The combined group size of 5 round's pattern was 11" and 13", for each group, respectively.

This is a 14" Entry gun.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK guys, I put on a cylinder choke and it did do a little better.

 

25 yds with the LE is about 8.5" at it's widest and 50yds is about 17" or so. (all 3 round groups). I am using stock ghost sites and it's me shooting seated at a table with the shotgun in my arms. It's not in a vice.

At 25 yards Federal Powershock did about 18" and cheap Lambro did about 25".

At 50yds Walmart Winchester Rifled Slugs did were within 2.3" wide, 1.5" tall. I was super impressed with these, considering the accuracy of everything else. But the recoil on these bad boys were INTENSE. Not sure if my 50bmg is lighter.

My questions:

  1. Is that the accuracy one can expect from this range with LE Buckshot, all things considered?
  2. I'm guessing that's about right for cheap stuff?
  3. After changing to Cylinder choke my POI changed 3 inches or so. I know every little thing changes rifle POI, but I didn't expect that on shotgun. Does that sound right?
  4. When I checked the choke afterwards at home, it was definitely a little loose and I could unscrew by hand. I am pretty positive I snugged it tight using the stock tool beforehand. Is it normal to have to check and retighten the choke occasionally? Should I try and tighten much harder next time? Blue locktite?
  5. Why is it impossible to find drop charts for even generic buckshot. I know it's not meant for long range, but I just wanted to know things like expected drop/rise between 5yds-100yds for example. 
  6. These aren't considered battle sights right? (So the POI should match up with the top of the post and not the circle). I know I can do it any way I want, but just wondering how it came.
  7. I couldn't find in the manual any info on how much each revolution in the sight adjustment changes the POI at X yards. I need to adjust it atleast 3 inches or so down for a 25yd zero. I know I will need to recheck at the range, but I want to waste as little rounds as possible at these ammo prices....

Alot of questions, I know. But I'm new to shotguns. Appreciate it!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, timelinex said:

OK guys, I put on a cylinder choke and it did do a little better.

 

25 yds with the LE is about 8.5" at it's widest and 50yds is about 17" or so. (all 3 round groups). I am using stock ghost sites and it's me shooting seated at a table with the shotgun in my arms. It's not in a vice.

This is what I would expect.

At 25 yards Federal Powershock did about 18" and cheap Lambro did about 25".

At 50yds Walmart Winchester Rifled Slugs did were within 2.3" wide, 1.5" tall. I was super impressed with these, considering the accuracy of everything else. But the recoil on these bad boys were INTENSE. Not sure if my 50bmg is lighter.  

Correct. It's similar in recoil.

5 minutes ago, timelinex said:

My questions:

  1. Is that the accuracy one can expect from this range with LE Buckshot, all things considered?
    Yes
  2. I'm guessing that's about right for cheap stuff?
    Yes
  3. After changing to Cylinder choke my POI changed 3 inches or so. I know every little thing changes rifle POI, but I didn't expect that on shotgun. Does that sound right?
    Yes. Chokes are rarely 100% concentric.
  4. When I checked the choke afterwards at home, it was definitely a little loose and I could unscrew by hand. I am pretty positive I snugged it tight using the stock tool beforehand. Is it normal to have to check and retighten the choke occasionally? Should I try and tighten much harder next time? Blue locktite?
    No. You should buy Trulock choke tube grease and a Briley Speed Wrench.
  5. Why is it impossible to find drop charts for even generic buckshot. I know it's not meant for long range, but I just wanted to know things like expected drop/rise between 5yds-100yds for example. 
    Because it's pointless when pellet spread sends some pellets ABOVE the line of site, and some below.
  6. These aren't considered battle sights right? (So the POI should match up with the top of the post and not the circle). I know I can do it any way I want, but just wondering how it came.
    The OEM ghost rings on the Benelli M4 are aimed with the top of the FSP DEAD CENTER of the ghost ring, and the target bisected horizontally by the top edge of the FSP. This results in the "dots" looking like Mickey Mouse. I hate it and it's odd, so I replace all my rear ghost rings with LPA ghost rings sans dots. Just ring.
  7. I couldn't find in the manual any info on how much each revolution in the sight adjustment changes the POI at X yards. I need to adjust it atleast 3 inches or so down for a 25yd zero. I know I will need to recheck at the range, but I want to waste as little rounds as possible at these ammo prices....
    That I don't know. It's in the manual. I think. The USMC one. Honestly? I crank on it until I get what I want. That goes for a lot of things in my life , though, I guess.

Alot of questions, I know. But I'm new to shotguns. Appreciate it!

 

 

Replies in tasteful light red/dark orange.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...