[MoAmmoPlease]

The club won't let us pattern shotguns on the regular tagets cause they are too narrow and the frames get shot up. I don't mind buying ten bucks worth of strapping but what do you use as a backboard.

Blanks news paper, cardboard? If I'm patterning for 30 maybe 40 yard turkey should I just use standard white 8"x11" paper? TY

[skullcrusher]

Generally, I use plywood for backing. When I pattern, I actually use printed out turkey targets. They are very close to actual size of head and neck. I don't use the ones with the body of the turkey, just head and neck. Regular sized printer paper. The reason I use turkey targets is because I am looking at my point of aim and the result of aiming at the same spot for each load and choke combo. I pattern at about 25-30 yards and once I find the combo I like, I will move out to 40 yards so I can compare. That's what I do, I'm sure others have their input.

[amoroque]

+1 on what skullcrusher said.

I'm surprised your club doesnt have a patterning board. It might be a good reccomendation for the board.
Turkey season is upon us, I bet it would get some good use!

[Virginian]

I do all mine at 40 yards, or more. If you shoot closer you can adjust things to suit your shooting method. I pull two strings between two posts, any distance over 4 feet apart, one string about 4 feet higher than the other one. Then I take a piece of my patterning paper about 4' by 4' with an extra 3" or 4" at the top and bottom, which are folded, and I hang it over the top string and use either tape or clothespins to hold it, and then I hook the bottom fold under the lower string and secure it, and you have your shooting area with no frame to get shot up. You may have to adjust the string a couple of times until you get the feel of it, so tie one string with un-tieable knots.
I have shot the string in half maybe 5 times in 45 years of doing it like that, but even when that happens that shot is still useable.

[MrShotty]

I use a pile of firewood as a backstop. Never had problems with it. I pattern at approx 30-35 yards for turkey. In my neck of the woods, so much brush so longer shots for turkey is rare.

[UnderFire]

I'm from the country, what this redneck does is...I get a round bale of hay put a 97 cent poster board on it and start testing.
If you're having to use steel shot during your turkey hunt it will be better to use a IM choke over a turkey choke. Using steel shot: the tighter the choke will constrict the pellets too much causing a big holes (wide areas) in your pattern. I mention this because I've seen shotgun users baffled about the shot patterns when using steel shot w/ turkey chokes.

[MoAmmoPlease]

This sure ain't the country.. 20 miles from boston and all the old sand pits and power line are off limits for any target practice unless you own them. It's the club or nothing.

I am just gonna buy some strapping and throw a board together and leave it at the range. I'm also gonna just print out some standard size paper turkey targets. Just not sure why I thought I needed a four foot square to shoot at. TY for the info guys