I went out at 4:00 this afternoon as the wind was still howling. I thought I could get down in a hollow but that didn't help at all. It was slow with no activity at all until about 4:45 I saw one grey and I took the shot and didn't get it. I thought now how did I not get that squirrel with a 12ga. So 15 minutes later I see another coming down a tree and took a good bead on the head area and it fell out at the shot but when I walked down it was trying to drag itself off and I finished it with a stick. So now I am thinking this gun is not shooting where I put the bead. The one headed down the tree was hit more toward the rear end. So I found a old dead tree that was a light grey color and put a mark on it and walked back about 30 yds. and shot at the mark. I walked up and 3/4 of the pattern was high but well centered with just the lower fringe hitting the top edge of my mark. So now that I know the pattern is going high I will have to place a shim under the recoil pad at the top and vary the thickness until it brings the pattern to POA. Then the fun part begins. I will have to cut that amount off starting with the shim thickness measurement at the toe and make my cut to end up with zero off at the top. I had never shot this 870 but just goes to show you should pattern your gun. So I got three squirrels and the last two I just held below with the bead. Here is a couple pictures from this evening out in the woods.
Nice open woods with some grape vines and oaks to the right and some thicker areas around the outer edges. I have taken a lot of bucks from this woods.
![Image](http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg551/marlin39a2/002_zps6xlmlljx.jpg)
Lots of squirrel sign after going through this clearing and getting to the more dense woods
![Image](http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg551/marlin39a2/001_zpsxuqcfsft.jpg)
This was the three from this evening. Gutted and skinned and in the zip top bag in 5 minutes flat. I don't know if I could have done 6 in 10 min. or not.
![Image](http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg551/marlin39a2/004_zps4pkltz5r.jpg)