Score and Challenger shotshells?

MD

MD

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How are you guys finding the Canadian made shells for hunting?

I started using Score #3 on ducks last year and was satisfied with them and this week got to try the BBs on snow geese with success.

I need some more BBs and as the only place selling Score is a ways away I'm going to try Challengers next.

Thoughts?

I'm really happy there is an affordable Canadian-made alternative to the big American brands.
 
They both use Cheddite hulls and I believe Cheddite wads too. Cheddite of France is the biggest manufacturer of shotshell components in the world. So as long as their shot is round and their factory procedures are careful and competent, they can hardly be anything but good. I would choose them over any of the American bargain lines made by Rem-Win-Fed.
 
Have used and watched a pile of Score being used, not a complaint. Haven't used Challenger since lead days but used to have some issues with one gun and the brass expanding in the chamber
 
Longwalker said:
They both use Cheddite hulls and I believe Cheddite wads too. Cheddite of France is the biggest manufacturer of shotshell components in the world. So as long as their shot is round and their factory procedures are careful and competent, they can hardly be anything but good. I would choose them over any of the American bargain lines made by Rem-Win-Fed.
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Yes and they also use cheddite primers which are very well known for puncturing or tearing and causing major firing pin issues due to heat flash blowback after repeated use. I do not knowingly use any ammo running cheddite primers, Canadian, US or otherwise made. .
 
The guys I hunt with have all been having problems with Score this year, mainly stove piping. Rumour has it here is that the brass is not true. No problems with Challenger though. We were all dedicated Score shooters.

DF
 
I almost bought some 3 1/2" waterfowl loads. (I want to say they were Challenger, but may have been Score) I had the box in my hand and it felt too small. Opened it and another brand and compared the length of the shells. They way easily 1/4" shorted. May as well get 3". ...but I find steel shot out of shorter shells dents my forcing cone. So no thanks. I didn't check any other lengths.
 
the spank said:
Yes and they also use cheddite primers which are very well known for puncturing or tearing and causing major firing pin issues due to heat flash blowback after repeated use. I do not knowingly use any ammo running cheddite primers, Canadian, US or otherwise made. .
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I have heard of this complaint with Cheddite primers, oddly the only primers I have had this issue with were USA made when shot in European combination guns. ( small rifle sized firing pins) What shotgun were you shooting Cheddites in when you had the problem?
 
Big fan of Challengers. Being too young to have hunted ducks in the lead days, I took a certain satisfaction last fall when I could finally say u dropped a duck with an Imperial shell...a little Canadian pride there ;) They've worked well for me and are priced right.

I had an issue with an early lot of 3" SCORE, and like they say, once bitten twice shy. The wads weren't opening up and I was essentially shooting 1 1/8oz steel slugs (found out when I hit a Ringneck...). They admitted to me that there was a problem but wouldn't resolve it to my satisfaction (offered a replacement box when I'd bought a case of the stuff).

Cory
 
Longwalker said:
I have heard of this complaint with Cheddite primers, oddly the only primers I have had this issue with were USA made when shot in European combination guns. ( small rifle sized firing pins) What shotgun were you shooting Cheddites in when you had the problem?
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As I said I do not knowingly shoot any ammo using them but I have shot a couple flats of Kent before finding out they use them as well so I went back to Federal. Fortunately the two flats I shot of which one was through my Perazzi and the other through a Rizzini I had never gave me any issues. I personally have seen a few guns that have had to have firing pins reground and or changed due to cheddite primers. Three fellows I shoot with locally all had to have their brand new Rizzini o/u's repaired within 1000-2500 rounds and I know two fellows who had to have their Citori's repaired. A gunsmith friend of mine says he has changed several firing pins on several different brands of pumps and autos that had seen double duty as hunting guns and off season clays guns from running challenger target loads. Since I have never had an issue with any ammo that used the Federal, Winchester or Remington 209 primers I will stick to them even if it means a few $ more per flat.
 
The issue with cheddite primers is often certain lots are brittle, not soft as some say. When the firing pin strikes the primer they develop a slight crack which is pretty much invisible to the naked eye. When the shell ignites there is a portion of the gases being developed behind the wad blow back through that tiny crack in the primer and being super heated it starts to score the firing pins with extended use of cheddite primers. Eventually the pins become scored enough they start to cut into and tear the primers open upon striking. If left unchecked and use continues with the same ammo the pins can erode or break or worse remain scored and the hot gases in some cases of lots of use, meaning many thousands of rounds have been known to elongate the firing pin holes and weaken the breech faces around the firing pin holes. My gunsmith friend said he has seen this as well in semi-auto's and pump bolts where the bolt had to be swapped out due to elongated pin holes and weak bolt faces from the hot gases eroding the metals integrity.
 
I one seen 1 Slide-action that would puncture Cheddite primers, however Browning, Kreighoff and Kolar O/U will almost always puncture them in the lower barrel. I use Cheddite primers in my reloads, none of my Slide-actions have an issue with them.
 
I haven't had the same experience with Cheddite primers and I've shot many tens of thousands through Berettas, Brownings, Perazzis, a Krieghoff and other assorted guns. I haven't noticed any more pierced primers than I would get from Winchester or Federal. Pins are fine as are the pin holes.
 
I've ran about 750 rounds score waterfowl loads without any hiccups at all. Burns alot cleaner than the federal ammunition I ran exclusively in recent seasons. It's now my go to for waterfowl season. Just wish 1 1/4oz loads were easier to acquire with them
 
Personally I have never experienced a torn, punctured or fractured primer ever to my knowledge but years ago when challenger first appeared I tried some and wasn't impressed. I found they had more recoil than the Gold Medals and my own reloads I was using at that time. For that reason I never bothered with them. Then by being around others who were using them and hanging out with my gunsmith buddy I started to see the problems some were experiencing with them so I avoided them. Last year I bought two flats of Kents. They shot superbly and the price point was excellent. I never experienced any issues but then I was told they run the cheddite primer as well so I haven't purchased any more. When I looked at SCORE for a target load, first for the price of them I'd rather throw another $15/flat on top and shoot a premium shell like Federal Gold Medals plus they are running cheddite primers as well or so I was informed so I'd sooner avoid a possible issue.
 
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