Patterning a shotgun is a process where you choose a specific load and choke combination and test how the gun shoots at certain distances. Before patterning your shotgun, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the following terms:

Basic terms to know:

Shot

Small pellets contained in a shotgun shell, which can vary in diameter from .08" for #9 shot to as large as .36" for 000 Buckshot. (For comparison, the bullet from a .38 Special is .357" in diameter.) For dove, 7½, 8, or 9 shot is recommended.

In a shotgun, the choke is a constriction in the end of the barrel near the muzzle, similar to a funnel. This constriction compresses the shot charge to modify the impact pattern at a given distance. The more "open" the choke, the less constriction it has, giving a wider shot pattern. Typical chokes for use on dove are Modified Choke and Improved Cylinder, with Improved Cylinder being the more open choke.

This is where patterning the shotgun comes in. With an unproven shotgun, you should purchase a box of shotgun shells from different manufacturers and with different shot sizes in them, and take them to a firing range along with any interchangeable choke tubes you may want to try.

Select an area with a safe backstop, and secure a 40" sheet of paper to a target stand. Mark an aiming point in the center of the paper, and set the paper up at the distance you want to test. The distance should be the anticipated distance between you and the dove (or other game) when taking a shot. Next, shoot at the aiming point from a steady rest.

To analyze the pattern, draw a 30" circle around the densest portion of the pattern. Check the pattern for evenness and uniformity. There should be enough pellets in the circle to make a clean kill, but not so many that the game would be destroyed. Experiment with different loads, chokes, and distances to find the right combination for the chosen game.