Cartridges

[Simster]

Nothing is worth over £200 a thou, I stopped shooting Express Super when they hit £100 and have just dropped Eley Superbs for hitting double that. You can get any combination of speed, recoil, shot size or case colour you want for sub £185, probably closer to £160. 

When Express ballsed up their pricing / marketing with the Super / World Cup about ten years ago I said they'd lose massive market share to Eley Superbs and they did, the Superbs are now heading for the same ride.

Hi Hammy

Couldn't agree more, I switched from Victory Chalenger II's some years back to Eley Superbs, when they were still £105 - £140 but haven't shot them since they started getting towards the £200 mark. Now shoot Fiocchi FBlu & FBlack @ £155 & £165 respectively.  I don't suffer from recoil so never notice if it's a "thumpy" shell, I don't pattern them, I just pop them in and shoot them but refuse to pay top whack, tried all sorts over the years usually based on price.

I can remember when Gamebore Black Golds came out @ £150 and thinking no way, far too expensive, they were the days of never having to spend over £100 for a 1000. Used Winchester Trap 100's for years until they stopped making them, then tried them again when they re-introduced them (but they weren't as good). Shot Maionchi Trap Gold for a while (as they were about £80 -90). Also remember shooting Clever T2's for £74 and Grand Italia T3's for less then £90. If only we'd known back then to buy millions of them (not that I could have afforded to or had anywhere to put them).

As has already been said, personal choice is the way to go, (and make sure they go Bang!!)

 

[claycruncher]

I used to use hull pro ones before the recent price rise, then tried some rc2's. I can honestly say the rc2's pattern just as well as the pro ones and are £178 a thou where I'm based.

 

[Les53]

I decided to try some different shells yesterday, I have been using Express Excel since about 2000. Anyway I decided to try some RC Red Shot Superniks, my god they cost a bomb! Anyway, I have to say that they seem very good indeed, long range second barrel OT targets just got vapourised! The last shells I used that broke targets like that were Trap 200's which I used to use for ABT many years ago. Those Red Shots are not as fast as my usual shells, but the kills were the best I've seen in a long time!

 

[40UP]

Red Shot are £60 more for a year's selection shoots Les. No brainer really, except they're illegal next year [january] because of the nickel coating. Enjoy them while you can. The only other cartridge I use now are Hull DTL as mentioned above when I can use 28gm.

 

[Les53]

Red Shot are £60 more for a year's selection shoots Les. No brainer really, except they're illegal next year [january] because of the nickel coating. Enjoy them while you can. The only other cartridge I use now are Hull DTL as mentioned above when I can use 28gm.

So Fred, which other RC shell comes closest to the Red Shot? How about thr RC4 Champion Excellence. Seems to have the same speed as Reds but without the nik plated shot, any thoughts Fred?

 

[FloodDefence]

I am awfully sorry to have to point out to my learned cartridge tester from Berkshire that his beloved Rio's use the same components as his unloved sticky back plastic Eley Olympics??????? All components manufactured by and distributed by Maxum the Spanish parent company.

Which begs the question when we are looking at price of cartridges, how can one manufacturer offer us CCI Claybusters , Rio's, Caledonians, Eley Hawk,

& Eley, all using practically the same components, but with a vast difference in price. But when challenged about price increases, roll out the same lame reasoning?????

Just found this out myself. Have used Rio target load in the past and they seemed a good cart but the local ground changed suppliers and I now buy Eley blues elsewhere. Surely they're the same shell apart from Eleys costing £198 a thousand and Rios costing £175 a thousand, now trying to find someone who stocks Rios so I can try a couple of boxes alongside the Eleys.

 

[Hotshot100]

I see that Express have brought out a new cartridge called the Power Blue probably in response to the Gamebore EVO.

Oddly enough although they are advertised in this months Pull there is no information about them on their website.

 

[maddmatt]

And they are advertising them as a fast cartridge! Why oh why are manufacturers producing ultra fast shells? I won't start a debate but who exactly is asking for this sh*te?

 

[ips]

I have never considered a few fps or even 100 fps to be that relevant or indeed noticeable. You soon adapt to any cartridge after a few hundred rounds.

 

[Hotshot100]

And they are advertising them as a fast cartridge! Why oh why are manufacturers producing ultra fast shells? I won't start a debate but who exactly is asking for this sh*te?

Silky smooth, super fast and hard hitting.  I absolutely agree about speed 1400FPS is more than fast enough.

 

[maddmatt]

I have never considered a few fps or even 100 fps to be that relevant or indeed noticeable. You soon adapt to any cartridge after a few hundred rounds.

You asked for it, don't say I didn't warn you Ian .

A good friend of mine in the States is a ballistics expert, mainly military stuff. When I was last there in 2003 we had a very long conversation about shotgun cartridge velocity. It to me was very interesting. The basics are, there is a perfect theorectical muzzle velocity where there is low felt recoil, minimal deformation of the shot and pattern density, if I remember correctly it is around 1250FPS. So when you up the shells velocity to 1600FPS + you start to introduce recoil due to the higher chamber pressure in order to accelerate the shot to 1600FPS, deformation of the shot is highly likely, leading to balling and therefore affects patterns.

A certain World Champion for a long time used what would be considered a slow cartridge and for the reasons I stated above, I have gone from a 1500FPS shell to a 1400FPS, may not sound a great deal and in fact there is no noticable leed difference BUT the felt recoil and pattern consistency difference is huge, I for one won't shoot anything over 1400FPS anymore, so you can all sleep at night now

 

[Hotshot100]

Going back many years the main the main game cartridges available were Eley Grand Prix which I believe had a speed of around 1100 FPS. They then brought out a plastic cased High Velocity version with a speed of around 1250 FPS. My Father always told me not to go for the H.V. version as they blew the pattern. I tried a few boxes but found them to be useless whereas I used the standard version with great effect through a 26" barreled skeet gun on everything from walked up woodcock to flighted duck.

I have tried several of these expensive 'Premium' shells over the years and have usually found them to be thumpy and with no benefit to my performance.

 

[VicW]

I spoke with the a couple of cartridge dealers recently about prices and profit.

Dealer (X) sells a particular cartridge at £160/1000 and says he makes virtually no profit on cartridges but sells them because as a shooting ground customers expect to be able to buy cartridges there.

Dealer (Y) is a gunshop and sells the same cartridge at £149/1000. He says his profit is about 10%.

Go figure !

I use Eley Olympic from dealer (Y) and they have just gone up from £159 to £165/1000.

Vic.

 

[Salopian]

Kent Champions brilliant cartridge.

 

[jasper]

olympics from my dealer @£152 thou cheaper than firsts ???? go figure

jasper

 

[teepee1234]

I like the blue ones with pretty white writing....

 

[teepee1234]

Dunno what they're called....

 

[teepee1234]

They go "BANG" when I pull the trigger...

 

[Hotshot100]

Kent Champions brilliant cartridge.

The cartridge company who originally sponsored G.D. before they were taken over by Gamebore.

 

[RobertBeard]

I like the ones where the clay turns to dust -

trouble is its only ever in my visualisations before I pull the trigger! :lol: