Hull Comp X 21 gram fibre

With all the latest and greatest cartridges and the market that goes with them why is everyone shooting 28g Plastic.

I've just shot the NGO Golden Grouse at Thimbleby, 100 targets over 12 stands. All participants had to use the same Comp X cartridges supplied along with a burger and chips for £45.

Targets were a mix of everything 10 yards out to 45 yards, edge on, full, fast and slow. Quartering, driven and crossing, a really well presented shoot.

It's really opened my eyes to cartridges as there was nothing that didn’t break because of the cartridges.

Only person to suffer was my mate with his auto. It failed to cycle maybe 5 times out of 100.

I only use 21g cartridges. They break everything I hit. The only time they don’t is because I haven’t got the barrels in the right place.. Which David sees quite often!. I do like the Eley Ambers but finding it hard to find a supplier near me who stocks them..

I certainly wouldn’t have a blink of an issue if we were made to use 24g max. But as long as a bigger hammer is allowed, nobody will use a small hammer, for confidence reasons mainly. 

The pellets in 21gm shells travel just as far as the pellets in a 28gm shell, all other things being equal, but there won't be as many of them and statistically you can reckon that once in while a target will fly on unbroken - even if the shot was on target -  simply because the pattern was too thin.

Westward said:

The pellets in 21gm shells travel just as far as the pellets in a 28gm shell, all other things being equal, but there won't be as many of them and statistically you can reckon that once in while a target will fly on unbroken - even if the shot was on target -  simply because the pattern was too thin.

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When I patterned some 21g, I found a different thing actually. The 21g pattern was lovely, like the best middle bit of a 28g, but without the scrappy outer layer of pellets. So it’s kinda like using full choke or more. 

A 21gm Gamebore Evo eng.8 contains the same number of pellets as a typical 28gm 7.5 when loaded with continental 2.4mm shot. Approx 330 in each load. Food for thought.

Confidence plays a massive part when using 21's.

PM.

Ps, The current price of 21gm loads is ridiculous. A whopping 7gms less lead per shell and you might save £5 a thousand! Cartel at it again!

I might give some 24g Evo's a go. I don't think I'll bother with the Velocity 26g HV's I've being using. Not the worst I've shot but there far from smooth. I don't see any advantage over the 28g Velocities

I'd only every shot 28g plastic wad until two weeks ago when I needed fibre wad for the comp and the shop only had 21g carts.  I agree that the only reason for my misses was the gun was pointing in the wrong direction but I have to say I was slightly put off by the different feel.  I'm sure I absolutely don't have to use 28g but it was what everyone else in the clubhouse had when I started so I went with the crowd.  And there also seems to be a macho thing using them (big boys bangs) why would you use anything less unless you aren't "man" enough to handle the 28's?

When I mentioned to one of the refs that I was using 21g cartridges for the first time he went to the bin and pulled out a 19g 410 cartridge case and said the guy shooting these had one of the highest scores of the weekend!

I recall there was a 21 g max load competition at Wylie valley (I think) a few years back.

Many of the top shots were there and their scores were remarkably high.

However those interviewed afterwards all said they would revert (as per Will H's comments above) to 28g as soon as the rules allowed.

I have shot a lot of clays with 21g shells (mostly Express)  and it is remarkable what they will break. But it helps if you are good enough to consistently put the pellets in the right place and that is the bit I struggle with......

I have also shot plenty of difficult clays with a 28 bore and 21g loads. For some reason that impresses people much more than 21g thru' a 12 gauge.....

I only shoot 24g shells having previously tracked week on week scores of both 24 and 28g shells I have found the difference to be negligible so just like the eternal choke debate it's another head-game thing.   I have shot my way through a few slabs of 21g CompX and they work really well too.

So it isn't the quantity of shot thrown at the target that guarantees a kill, be it 21/24/27 or 28g, it's actually about having the shot load in the RIGHT place that truly determines a kill or a loss.

I fully appreciate however the confidence that goes with dropping two shells of one's choice into the chamber and 'just knowing' that a pair of breaks is assured and its hard to give that up.

I like 21's and 24's. Realistically don't have any need for bigger on clays. 

Plus inbuilt excuse for missing.