Sporting Clays Pattern Evaluation

Well it is this time of the year with not much to do, but talking about chokes, loads and other nonsence...

Please be so kind and evaluate and comment the following pattern int the given moment (regardles the range) with all scenarios in mind (edge on, mini, rabbit, chandelle...).

The photo looks like a 7 shot at 40 yards. 

The great irony is that at long distance, most people think they need great striking power, so they go for bigger pellets (and consequentially fewer pellets). Of course at longer distance you need lots of pellets to avoid holes in the pattern. On clays, everything on a normal clay shoot breaks with 8 shot, so go with that IMO.

8 shot I find is great for 90% of ESP Targets.  I have shot successfully out to 50yds+ with very good breaks using 3/4 choke and Fiocchi F3's (Piston Wads with open pattern).  Shooting FITASC however, I have heard 8 shot pinging of fast going away targets over that, and I use a trap shell which patterns tight and uses hard 7 shot.

Certainly, I shot my pb's at TRAP with 8 shot but my 2nd barrel was always 7 shot.  Pattern is key and finding a shell that gives good breaks for your discipline, and gun/choke combination inspires confidence.

Oh, and you don't need to spend top dollar to achieve that!  A friend of mine (AAA) and several other top shots use Fiocchi F-Black Sporting and get the best breaks with this shell and thats an 8!  :wink:

If it's in the air then on balance of probability you're better off trading kinetic energy against density, as mentioned a single 8 strike at least may, do the job, empirical evidence suggests they do. 

If it's rollin at distance, (especially at an angle) things are perhaps slightly in favour of bigger. 

PS. If you know for sure that the target is a chondelle/rocket and not a standard then bigger is wise, prolly even up close. 

Hamster said:

If it's in the air then on balance of probability you're better off trading kinetic energy against density, as mentioned a single 8 strike at least may, do the job, empirical evidence suggests they do. 

If it's rollin at distance, (especially at an angle) things are perhaps slightly in favour of bigger. 

PS. If you know for sure that the target is a chondelle/rocket and not a standard then bigger is wise, prolly even up close. 

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Funny you should say about rolling...the rabbits at Gunsite on Sunday if missed were rolling round towards the queue.

The amount of whole ones with holes in outnumbered the pristine ones and that was at fairly close range so their quantity over size was certainly true.

So if you can blatantly see a whole in the target you just shot though it didn't disintegrate should it be called a hit or miss?

schmokinn said:

Funny you should say about rolling...the rabbits at Gunsite on Sunday if missed were rolling round towards the queue.

The amount of whole ones with holes in outnumbered the pristine ones and that was at fairly close range so their quantity over size was certainly true.

So if you can blatantly see a whole in the target you just shot though it didn't disintegrate should it be called a hit or miss?

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I think the ref has the last say. The rule I believe says something to the effect that a piece must be visibly seen to have come off from the target, if I were reffing I would deem holes you can see daylight through to be adequate evidence.

Hamster said:

I think the ref has the last say. The rule I believe says something to the effect that a piece must be visibly seen to have come off from the target, if I were reffing I would deem holes you can see daylight through to be adequate evidence.

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Had one of those at practise on Saturday, it was a battue and took the middle out of the clay and you could see daylight really clearly, it was a big hole, just the rim left.

Hamster said:

I think the ref has the last say. The rule I believe says something to the effect that a piece must be visibly seen to have come off from the target, if I were reffing I would deem holes you can see daylight through to be adequate evidence.

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I had a bizarre one last year, simo pair of floaty overheads that were no more than 10yds above you, everyone was shooting both on the drop in front and missing an odd one because you had to rush. I decided to shoot the first one directly above me. Worked great on the first 3 pairs, then smoked the centre out of the next bird, just left a ring like 50% of the clay gone!!! Ref calls loss kill, I raised my hand and asked, "are you sure ref???" 

"Loss!!!"

"He blew the middle clean out that first one ref" says the three guys behind me,

"Loss, I did not see a visible piece come off"

"So did you see the hole in the middle? How did you think it got there?"

"I seen the hole, I read the rules last night, there has to be a visible piece come off or it doesn't count!!!"

I realised I had a new ref that didn't shoot clays, my score was already to far gone to matter about one clay so let it go

a peice did come off, out the ruddy centre. Ref was a pedantic git.

I reckon a few extra patterns on here with distance, shot size and choke, would be good for us all to get our technical heads into! 

My cheap old Rios do this.

Looks good Will at 35 that will have opened out just nicely. RIO are a steal at €160 a thou

jwpzx9r said:

Looks good Will at 35 that will have opened out just nicely. RIO are a steal at €160 a thou

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Yes, I used to pattern at various distances, but no point I found. What you get at 15 yards gives the characteristic. It just gets exaggerated at distance. (Only 1 cartridge type did a funny on me in this respect, out of about 25 types).

Aye. Thats a good pattern.  Fairly even spread.  Thats what I like.  Mind you the lads I shoot with who are AAA class still like tight patterning shells.  What RIO shell is that then Will?

anoraks 

Sian said:

anoraks 

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Anorak 8's for £154 would do me.

Geordieboy said:

Aye. Thats a good pattern.  Fairly even spread.  Thats what I like.  Mind you the lads I shoot with who are AAA class still like tight patterning shells.  What RIO shell is that then Will?

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Just the Rio Targets. They were under £160 until recently

How much are your Rio now?

Darkside said:

How much are your Rio now?

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Not sure, I bought 8000 not long ago to beat the rise. They are £170 at Just Cartridges I see, so usually a few quid cheaper elsewhere, so still decent.