8's for sporting

Help Support :

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jasper

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2011
Messages
1,286
well the 24 grm debate continues on elsewhere on this site. so what about 8's for esp ,advantages and limitations and do you/would you use them .?????????????

 
Good question been meaning to ask this myself,i nearly always shoot 7.5s and a few 9s but recently bought some 8s for a fibre only shoot,and boy don,t they kill, made me think should i use more 8s, denser pattern but less hitting power but whether there,s much difference????

 
These days I shoot ESP with nothing but 8's. I think it makes a very good all round solution. Cant see why you would need different if packed into a decent cartridge and choke combo. Distant edge on stuff breaks just fine (subject to pilot error)..

CSC3

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I always/only use 8's now - not sure why, just trips off the tongue in the shop - I shall be watching this debate to figure out if I need to have more than one cartridge in my bag.

Interestingly I was watching some pretty good shooters (Rouse etc) turn a close up springing bunny at Weston Wood last weekend into SMOKE - the general consensus was... 9's. Whilst most others had good kills, one shooter made them just disappear in a fizzing haze.

 
I've used them almost exclusively now for maybe 25 years so can't be too much wrong with them. I do carry a few 7.5's but often either forget to use those or if I do it's more or less impossible to tell the difference on rangey birds. I do think the 8's give more regular smokes though and just feel better using them through open chokes for rabbits and tower birds.

I once cleared a distant pair of rabbits at Southdown and this guy wouldn't believe I was using 8's.

ps. One of the reasons I never took to 21 gram loads at all is the fact you can't get them in 8's, seems a mental mistake to make for the manufacturers. :frown: :huh:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I only use Eley Olympic 8's for ESP will break any targets if you put the lead in the right place. Shot a 70 at Weston Wood sunday 19th, in C class so cant be to bad.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Same as tiptop Olympic 8's was toying with the 7.5 in 1 pocket and a few 9 in the other idea but why make it complicated. 8's are a good compromise slightly more nuggets and still enough energy for any range I can hit

 
Perfect for 95% o anything you will see at a shoot nowadays. I keep 7s foranything really long and edgy or edge on or longer bunnies. 9s work very well too, but the fact is any shell will totally vaporise a clay upto 25 odd yards if through a bit of choke and put in the right place. 9s will give you a benefit if you are fond of shootin very open chokes.

 
8's through 1/2 and 1/2 only open the choke up if there is something really close in.

 
Spot on Ed,Shot west london wesd very good layouts but rain and wind spoilt some good targets.24grm 7.5 killed every target,but 8s would do just as well,can't get em?

 
I don't use them. I just stick with 7½ for everything. It's where you point the gun at the end of the day.

 
Good man Tobiwancanobi......throw in some 7's as well and you have the perfect answer.

 
I'm using 7's but I am using Steel.

I usually shoot 7.5's just because usually I have more choice in brands with 7.5's.

Forget 8's - 9's are also under rated I think people would be surprised at how effect 9's are.

Glen.

 
Fiocchi do 7 and 7.5.

I never worry about conversion to 'English' size because I never shoot English cartridges.

The best trap cartridges in the world are Italian.

:)

 
7, 7.5, has the same result to me! Mind you maybe Hammy can tell the speed difference! :p :p

If the clay is in my pattern it is dusted and that is all I need to know!!! My Wichester Acier 7's are doing just lovely at the moment ;) ;)

 
I exclusively use 8's for sporting and they break anything if I put the pattern in the right place.

I use 9's in steel for skeet.

Jon.

 
Back
Top