Favourite shot size

[Salopian]

Have you ever noticed the choice of cartridges spread around a shooting stand ?

It is amazing how so many choices can be involved in breaking a clay.

Skeet shooters  use 9's  (2.0mm dia ) and often IC or 1/4 choke to break 100 ex 100 some of which can be edge on at 35 yards plus.

Trap shooters often use 7's and 7& 1/2's with anything from 1/2 choke to Full choke to break 100 ex 100 which can be edge on at 50 yards.

Sporting shooters often use 8's & 7 &1/2's  mixed in with 9's , 6's, 6 &1/2's and even FITASC variations of each size + High Brass versions to break targets.

So what is your preferred Make, brand, and shot size and why? 

.

 

[Will Hewland]

Got a bit of time on your hands today Pete? ?

8s. In a blue tube.

 

[Salopian]

Spot on Will ! 

Eights ought to be able to break most targets , Nines will break all the close targets , but Sevens will break ALL the targets.

But then we get into pattern density and accuracy.

Interestingly Dr. Andrew Jones who wrote an excellent book called 'Sporting Shotgun Performance' advocates 3/4 choke as the ideal choke. 

 

[jwpzx9r]

I use Clever T2,T3 and T4 in 28g and 24g size 7.5 or 2.4mm through 1/2 and full for UT and OT. I use 7.5 because everybody else does.

 

[Salopian]

jwpzx9r,

            You may be at a disadvantage amongst your competitors? 2.4mm is a French 7 ! 2.3mm is French 7.5

But of course Clever is an Italian manufactured cartridge. Your neighbours could be using a bigger hammer?

 

[Sian]

Go on then I'll play - 8 and 7.5 in 24g - Gamebore Evos and Hull HV Intercomp.  Use the same chokes for everything - the most open is all I know.

 

[Alan Rowley]

Express HV 28gm 7 1/2 for everything , occasionally 28gm super comp 6 1/2 for second barrel zz target , you need a bit heavier shot to break the plastic at 35 yards 

 

[Bebo]

Express Power Blue 28g 7 1/2 with quarter and half chokes.  I'm not a good enough shot yet that messing about changing things will make an appreciable difference to my scores.

 

[Baz]

Hull Superfast 27g 7 1/2 with Half chokes for all sporting, apparently there the best cartridges to miss with

 

[Berkshire Breaker]

I use 8's for pretty much everything and switch to 6.5's if the are any extreme range battues or rabbits.

 

[MJJ]

OH dear! Theres more combo's to this than doing the lottery!!!!  

8's for me 85% of the time. 7 1/2s for the 'longer bird' all through 1/2 3/4 or 3/4 full depending on gun used.

Now whats wednesdays numbers 

 

[westley]

It depends upon the amount of light on the day that I shoot,  and the degree of wind that is blowing and of course it's direction. If I want the POA to coincide with the POI, then 2 x I/C combined with 8's in the bottom barrel and 7.5's in the top, but only if the wind is from the East. If the wind however , is from the West, then I tend to shoot the top barrel with 9's and use 6.5's in the bottom, with 7's in the lower barrel too !  If it is a bright day I will on occasion change the colour of the front bead to match the colour of my Pilla lens, I find that this enables me to hit the longer targets with 8's in either barrel and 6.5's in the other. Of course, in order to seperate these cartridges to avoid confusion, I choose different makes and thus,  colours. I also find it convenient to wear one of those lovely Italian designed Castoroil vests with their multi pockets, the mesh type for Summer and the London model, for when I want something thicker ! I do hope that this causes some confusion, especially at the Grounds that I visit........................I need all the help that I can get !       :frown:

 

[Wonko the Sane]

I never know what is in the gun nor do I care.  I have total confidence in the selection my loader makes.

 

[CharlesP]

Sportsman Super Smoker 28g 7 1/2. The price is right and the nice gentleman even puts them in one's motor car. With reference to Westley's post I realise I'm just not thinking this through in a scientific manner. I have to admit I had never realised there was a genuine reason for multi-pocketed garments up to now.

I do find this technical information on the forum highly useful. Bizarrely it has failed to increase my scores...

 

[andypandy]

FBlacks in 7.5 (2.4mm) through 1/2 & 3/4 for trap and helice, 1/4 & 1/2 for sporting.  Tomorrow picking up a thousand F3's to give them a try!

 

[schmokinn]

probably about 50/50 between decent quality 7.5/8 depending on how much of the clay i see the odd 6.5 hull fitasc for really rangy edge on stuff,probably more fore confidence than necessity.

 

[Finners]

Hull Superfasts are my current preference (need to change my details) 7.5's through chokes varying between Cylinder and about 3/8ths. Having said that I used a 3/4 choke for a 50+ yd edge on target at the weekend.......... it worked. 

 

[westley]

Sportsman Super Smoker 28g 7 1/2. The price is right and the nice gentleman even puts them in one's motor car. With reference to Westley's post I realise I'm just not thinking this through in a scientific manner. I have to admit I had never realised there was a genuine reason for multi-pocketed garments up to now.

I do find this technical information on the forum highly useful. Bizarrely it has failed to increase my scores...

​Ah, you probably need more pockets then !       :ahappy:

 

[PhilS]

I use Velocities (7.5s) through 1/2 & 1/2, although recently have been thinking about using 3/4 but haven't got round to it yet.