Best starter cartridges

[tiptop]

How do you define quality of breaks as surely that will depend on where the clay is relative to the shot pattern frontedge, back edge, dead centre(smoking)

that will be down to the shooter.

As long as i can break targets to the best of my ability without the shell knocking my shoulder out that will do for me.

 

[ExSCA]

That's a little bit my point Tiptop - I think there is a lot of guff talked about quality of this and felt recoil from that - truth is, I suspect a lot of the differences are imperceptible to most normal people. Just my personal opinion of course.

 

[Hamster]

See what I mean when I say it's gonna be a B to pull off?

 

[Hamster]

Matt, I wish recoil was imperceptible between shells.

 

[ExSCA]

Hamster - to me, it is... I mean I can tell the difference between a 21g/24g/28g and beyond - but I find it very difficult to tell the difference between two 28g shells. And yes, I realise it would be a pain to test out, but my point is more philosophical, I'd imagine MOST normal humans will struggle to tell the difference.

 

[jake.keeling]

The clay I was shooting at was about a 50m crosser, testing enough to consistently break, but I couldn't break it once with comp x. So a blind test for me would be somebody loading etc and if I started breaking target with comp x, it would prove it was in my head!

 

[tiptop]

Hamster - to me, it is... I mean I can tell the difference between a 21g/24g/28g and beyond - but I find it very difficult to tell the difference between two 28g shells. And yes, I realise it would be a pain to test out, but my point is more philosophical, I'd imagine MOST normal humans will struggle to tell the difference.

It's still find a shell that you like which in your head doesn't kick and will break the clay at a cost that suits your pocket.

There may be some scientific/ballistic twaddle to gain from the tests but at the end of the day it is what each person sees as acceptable on all fronts.

100 chips or 99 smokes and all that.

The one cartridge i found to kick hard was gamebore white gold originals.

 

[Hamster]

100 chips or 99 smokes and all that.

The one cartridge i found to kick hard was gamebore white gold originals.

I agree on the White Golds recoil. Just a little thought regarding the 100 chips though, it's a nice thought but in reality a chip means you're a heart beat away from a miss so they don't really happen in real life. I'll take 99 smokes myself.

 

[tiptop]

World championships final shoot off.(in my dreams)

Ref gives me 100 chips and you 99 smokes?

That won't happen in real fife either.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Take any cartridge you normally use and leave it in the sun (hot country - 35 to 40 degrees C) and then tell me you cannot tell the difference in recoil of your normal cartridge.

Also if you cannot tell the difference between 28 grms with fast burning powder and those with slow burning powder......then you have not shot enough......and need to get out more (laughs)......... Just saying......True story.

But like all things .....you cannot put old heads on young shoulders, or compare experiences of the new shooters with those who have been doing it for years and have tested 'all' the sweeties in the sweet shop!!!

Whatever.......be happy and believe what you want......confidence always helps the mental approach (wink)

 

[tiptop]

Most people will never shoot for their county, let alone their country or be world champ.

Find a cartridge that doesn't hurt the shoulder or pocket take some lessons, shoot to the best of your ability..... be happy and enjoy your shooting.

If you can do this then who knows where you may end up.

 

[Darkside]

I wen't to North Ayrshire a couple of months ago to do a side by side comparison with the Mirage range. I bought a box of each of, Supertarget 7.5, Grand Italia 7.5, Pro Extra 7.5 and Bol D'Or 7.5, got Tom to fix one of his DTL traps to straight away, then shot 10 of each shell in a row from peg 3, 1/2 choke. Break wise, not much difference between them, recoil wise, slightly different feeling between the four. Then I shot 5 of each, letting the clay go out far as I could still hit it, like a second barrel shot, then I felt there was a noticable difference in breaks between the Suppertargets and the other three......it may just have been in my head, the other three may just pattern tighter, I dont know!!! After that I went up the sporting layout and shot the long, hanging crow out in the field, three of each on the hang and two of each on the drop (Tom, how far out is the crow next to the battue?) all killed it, but when middled, the Grand Italia/Pro/Bol D'or just seemed to powder it more than break it. Then down to the compak where ther is a long edge on l-r high off the rocks, when I hit it the Supertargets broke/chipped it, but for whatever reason, the other three broke it with more athority, I also shot this clay with half a box of Pro Extra Evolution (the ones with the harder heavier treated shot) now you can tell me I'm talking pish if you want, but when I hit this long edge on clay with these......it SMASHES them, might be in my head, but my head likes them!!!Supertargets are £158/k, Grand Italia are £209/k, Pro Extra £222/k £55.5/250 (I only buy 250 of them at a time, should last me most of the season)I shoot about 3:1 Supertarget:Grand Italia round a normal sporting shoot, after my version of cartridge testing I have given myself compleate confidence in the shells I shoot In summery, thats how I settled on MY cartridge choise of Supertarget 8's for everything out to 40yds, Grand Italia 7.5's for everything beyond 40yds and I keep a box of Pro Extra Evolution in my bag for anything I need some extra confidence with. Now before anyone says it, I know the Supertarget's will break anything I hit with them, but I use the two different shells/shot sizes as part of my pre shot rutine (I say two as I don't shoot many pro extra's)

 

[Will Hewland]

I patterned many mirage. The diameter of the Supertarget, T2 and T3 is all similar in 8 shot (uk 7.5) at 20-25 yards. Long range patterns are likely better in the more expensive ones though.

 

[tiptop]

Availability Darkside.

Other than driving 1 hour to Salisbury they are not available.If i drove down there i would probably buy olympics at £159

 

[Darkside]

I shoot at North Ayrshire regulary, so from that alone Clever suits me, if I wasn't, I'd probably buy 5k+ at a time now that I am settled with them. The choise of cartridge is limited round here, ther's a Fiocchi stockest closer, but I don't like Fiochhi, to me Clever are a better cartridge, if nothing else, Clever never give me a sore head. If I wasn,t shooting Clever, I'd probably give Victory a try, Edith Barns sells them and she is at all the sporting/FITASC qualification shoots. Nobody within an hours drive from me sells Hull/Gamebore/Eley at sensible money or even has a good stock and to be honest I haven't shot any of them that I prefer to anything Clever make. :blink:

 

[Will Hewland]

Yes, I bought a huge delivery, delivered to home in Berkshire.

 

[Mike]

I shoot at North Ayrshire regulary, so from that alone Clever suits me, if I wasn't, I'd probably buy 5k+ at a time now that I am settled with them. The choise of cartridge is limited round here, ther's a Fiocchi stockest closer, but I don't like Fiochhi, to me Clever are a better cartridge, if nothing else, Clever never give me a sore head. If I wasn,t shooting Clever, I'd probably give Victory a try, Edith Barns sells them and she is at all the sporting/FITASC qualification shoots. Nobody within an hours drive from me sells Hull/Gamebore/Eley at sensible money or even has a good stock and to be honest I haven't shot any of them that I prefer to anything Clever make. :blink:

Have you tried Braidwood for cartridges?

 

[Darkside]

Far, far away.........

 

[Darkside]

.........and they don't sell Clever Mirage!!!

 

[Skeet UK]

I wen't to North Ayrshire a couple of months ago to do a side by side comparison with the Mirage range. I bought a box of each of, Supertarget 7.5, Grand Italia 7.5, Pro Extra 7.5 and Bol D'Or 7.5, got Tom to fix one of his DTL traps to straight away, then shot 10 of each shell in a row from peg 3, 1/2 choke. Break wise, not much difference between them, recoil wise, slightly different feeling between the four. Then I shot 5 of each, letting the clay go out far as I could still hit it, like a second barrel shot, then I felt there was a noticable difference in breaks between the Suppertargets and the other three......it may just have been in my head, the other three may just pattern tighter, I dont know!!! After that I went up the sporting layout and shot the long, hanging crow out in the field, three of each on the hang and two of each on the drop (Tom, how far out is the crow next to the battue?) all killed it, but when middled, the Grand Italia/Pro/Bol D'or just seemed to powder it more than break it. Then down to the compak where ther is a long edge on l-r high off the rocks, when I hit it the Supertargets broke/chipped it, but for whatever reason, the other three broke it with more athority, I also shot this clay with half a box of Pro Extra Evolution (the ones with the harder heavier treated shot) now you can tell me I'm talking pish if you want, but when I hit this long edge on clay with these......it SMASHES them, might be in my head, but my head likes them!!!Supertargets are £158/k, Grand Italia are £209/k, Pro Extra £222/k £55.5/250 (I only buy 250 of them at a time, should last me most of the season)I shoot about 3:1 Supertarget:Grand Italia round a normal sporting shoot, after my version of cartridge testing I have given myself compleate confidence in the shells I shoot In summery, thats how I settled on MY cartridge choise of Supertarget 8's for everything out to 40yds, Grand Italia 7.5's for everything beyond 40yds and I keep a box of Pro Extra Evolution in my bag for anything I need some extra confidence with. Now before anyone says it, I know the Supertarget's will break anything I hit with them, but I use the two different shells/shot sizes as part of my pre shot rutine (I say two as I don't shoot many pro extra's)

A great post As you have stated, a lesser cartridge will do the job, but a better cartridge will do the job better and further. The small difference in recoil between the S-Targets and the Grand Italia, is probably to do with the quality of the powder. Faster, but with little increase in recoil, and also the shot is much harder. Great cartridges, really good.