28 gram versus 24 gram, what do you use?

[Bob_P]

My main discipline is skeet, and from having a good run earlier in the year, have decided to follow some advice in an earlier thread about putting some fun back into my shooting. So with this in mind have decided to do a bit of sporting over the winter. At four counties today, there were a few targets that must have been 50 yards or more away, at least in my estimation. I had a slab or two of White Gold XLR in 24 gram 7.5 and also some Kent Velocity in 28 gram. I tried both, and the  24 gram cartridges were much more comfortable to shoot. I've got a heavy gun, and despite that really felt I was getting knocked about by the Kent Velocity in 28gram. So the question is, how much difference is there when shooting rangy targets. Is it worth the pain of the extra 4 grams? I appreciate the more lead in the air the better, but does anyone use 24 gram for FITASC for example? Bob

 

[EdSolomons]

Until you get to silly ranges very little between them particularly thru some choke. FITASC is now almost exclusively closer faster birds which take less breaking than the oldschool layouts used to. You will benefit more from the lack of recoil than the few pellets your missing. Hope that helps!

 

[Fuzrat]

If I remember correctly Glens old man uses 24 grammers for fitasc and he dont miss a lot! sure Glen will be along to confirm later.I shot a fitasc at Weston with 24g through my 20 bore, half and half choke and didnt feel I was hampered for range, stuff I missed was pure pilot error. Been shooting 21g in the 20 lately and scores are if not better certainly no worse than 28g in the 12 and dont feel like ive been beat up afterwards either! Fuzrat

 

[Mike]

I've been using 24gm for a few years now, Express High Velocity in plastic and fibre if I have too,if I put the gun in the right place they do the job, recoil is not too bad.

 

[optima]

When you consider they use 24grm for olimpic trap and double trap ,that says it all ! Alot of it would be down to confidence though,always be in the back of the mind more pellets in a 28 grm/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-confused.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-confused.gif

 

[Hamster]

The Kent Velocity is a punchy cartridge and to compare it's recoil characteristics to a 24 g load is unfair. There are plenty of fast, yet friendly shells out there that won't beat you unless there are other underlying reasons. Personally I simply do not believe you can take lead away and have the same statistical probability of hits at all ranges. It's all very well to say putting the gun in the right place etc etc, but what if you happen not to? Do you honestly think 80 odd EXTRA pellets never grab an extra kill?

 

[hnachaj]

Use the maximum pellet permited at the slowest speed. You will get much less recoil, denser patterns. Pattern, Pattern and keep patterning. All patterns are bell curves. The less pellets, the flatter the curve, somewhat. But, yuou may have holes! The small loads do need more choke to make up for less pellets. From my experience in paterning and experimenting with target kills at distance, the best patterning shell is the 32 Gr (1 1/8 Oz) Federal Gold Medal Extra Light, PAPER cased in American 8.5. It will reliably kill targets at 60 measured yards. It only has a speed of 1145 FPS at 3 feet from the muzzle! But at that distance, there is no real difference between a loading leaving the barrel at 1300 or greater FPS and this sub-sonic loading. It is a physical fact that the supersonic loose velocity at twice the rate of a sub-sonic. Once they reach sub-sonic speeds, whell math takes over! #2 is the Winchester AA Extra-Light 32 Gr #8 American at a lowly 1260 fps! It is nice and soft with great even dense pellet distribution. Of the Euro loads (28Gr), in order, from memory/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-embarassed.gif:RC Red SuperNikRC RedRC 4Clever Mirage T3 (?) I have to find the patterns!Gamebore White Gold 8sB&P nickel shot from a few years ago At one point soon, I will have to find all the data from the three computers!/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-frown.gif/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-embarassed.gif "Just the facts, and nothing but the facts"! Everything else is hearsay! = "Two feet under and three feet in front", "This 1400 fps load smokes target at 50 yards and I don't need to give it as much lead!" B.S!/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-yell.gif BTW, Eley had a neat little shooter's book that has some great FACTS about target leads on crossers with different speed loads at various distances. It all prooves that there is NO real difference at 40 plus yards! I will have to scan the little book, one day! The Lone Canadian,Henry/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-wink.gif

 

[40UP]

The practical test for this is trying 28gm on Olympic Trap targets after a long period on 24gm - the kill type changes greatly. Henry is right that a slow 28 beats a fast 24. To swap between the two I use Hull DTL to match the recoil [we use 28gm for ABT, UT] As I've said elsewhere until you reach 30yds everything works [40yds for face on]

 

[Mike]

I wouldn't class the Express cartridges as fast, the observed velocity is about 1140fps. A friend recently bought some Gamebore XLR in 28gms, I'll have to try some and see what the recoil is like.

 

[ROBERT6500]

I use only the HULL COMP X 21gram for everything because it can do everything and we prove it all the time. /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-cool.gif

 

[ExSCA]

Always 28's for me - no other reason than I've always bought them, and I'm fairly relaxed about recoil.

 

[Fuzrat]

Mrs Fuz was smoking probably the longest bird at Hornet yesterday with those little poppers and 1/4 choke/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-laugh.gif

 

[optima]

ROBERT6500 said:

I use only the HULL COMP X 21gram for everything because it can do everything and we prove it all the time. /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-cool.gif

I must admit i bought some of these for my 14 year old,tried a few out myself, broke everything i tried them on,no recoil what so ever.

 

[ELVIS]

Don't star me off about 24grm????/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-confused.gif

 

[optima]

More pellets the better i recon, especially at longer ranges.

 

[Mr Potter]

This 21g v 24g v 28g which is the best type thread has been done to death on every shotgun shooting forum I've ever been on or lurked on.  A word of caution, this subject has the potential to cause serious insults to fly, tempers to fray and multiple bannings to be made. I am going to buy a tub of popcorn & let the fun begin!! Mr Potter PS21g for kids & invalids24g cos it's the rules28g everyone else. Simples

 

[Fuzrat]

ELVIS said:

Don't star me off about 24grm????/wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-confused.gif

Still on the victory compaks ?

 

[Robo]

28g for me /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-smile.gif I have tried 21g , 24g but just dont have the confidence in them /wp-content/forum-smileys/sf-confused.gif im sure they are more than capabile of breaking clay though

 

[Hawkeye]

27yrs ago when I started everyone used 32g shells . Looking back, I'm glad the 28 rule was introduced