Shotgun shell quality?

[Jfish]

Forgive my ignorance but what is the quality difference in boxes of 12ga shells costing ~$10/box and those costing ~$24/box (either both being lead or both being steel). Both boxes seem to advertise the same velocity, ounce's of shot, & pellet size... Is it the wad and patterning capability?

Thanks,
<><

 

[beretta boy]

Generally ... performance. Most often you gets what you pays for.

 

[Sharptail]

Jfish, you have asked a very good question. To begin with, there is the quality of the hull itself, although this is of more concern for those who reload than for those who don't. Secondly there is the wad or shot cup, and there are great variations among these items. Thirdly there is the shot itself. With lead shot a higher antimony content produces more resilient pellets and better patterns - and higher cost. Finally there is the powder. Inexpensive "promo" loads tend to use smaller amounts of faster burning powder. This saves the producer money, but also makes a "snappy" load which has greater shell to shell variation than a load which uses larger amounts of slower burning powder.

All the components together, along with quality control procedures, are what determines (or should determine) the quality and price of the shell. Patterns and consistency are the goals.

As with most things on the market these days, you usually get what you pay for, but not always. The best way to determine the quality of a shell is with a patterning board and a chronograph.

Sharptail

 

[Covey Ridge]

With lead shot a higher antimony content produces more resilient pellets and better patterns
Finally there is the powder. Inexpensive "promo" loads tend to use smaller amounts of faster burning powder. This saves the producer money, but also makes a "snappy" load .

If you are a clay shooter, you can use these cheap promos to your advantage. A snappy load pushing cheap soft shot produce a loose pattern that work wonders on those fluffy sporting clays that pass close to the muzzle. For more distant targets, use the good stuff. AA's or Kent's.

 

[Jfish]

Thanks for your comments guys appreciated! I couldnt figure out what the difference would be(as I havent spent the time I should have patterning with different shells), but that makes sense. Thanks again,

<><

 

[BEARMAN]

Buy A box of the cheapest you can find, try them in your gun and if they function fine , Pattern them and if they pattern satisfactorily buy more . If they don't , move to the next best price brand and do the same. Do this until you find a brand that does what you want at the best price. Just going out and buying the most expensive because they MUST be the best, is false economy, hey they may be expensive because they are poor quality cartridges but were imported which increased the cost or the markup is too much. If you are only going to shoot a box or two in your lifetime, buy what ever you want, you won't fire enough shots to know if they are good or not. And even the better quality cartridges have slips in quality control, I have found the odd bad round in a good name brand box of cartridges. Just my thoughts on it.

 

[ben hunchak]

I think the finest shotshells made are the premium target loads from the big three US manufacturers.....the W-W AAs, Remington premier Nitros, and the Federal Gold Medals. These are the most consistant ammo and also the best hulls for reloading....I don't care for the Rio's, Kent,Challenger,etc....they seem to use the same case and powder tends to migrate up along side the wad and you get some odd sounding shells. The only problem is that it is hard as hell to get the top end remingtons or federals in Canada, all we seem to get are the "gun clubs and top guns" which are no better then the Kents.

 

[Covey Ridge]

I think the finest shotshells made are the premium target loads from the big three US manufacturers.....the W-W AAs, Remington premier Nitros, and the Federal Gold Medals. These are the most consistant ammo and also the best hulls for reloading....I don't care for the Rio's, Kent,Challenger,etc....they seem to use the same case and powder tends to migrate up along side the wad and you get some odd sounding shells. The only problem is that it is hard as hell to get the top end remingtons or federals in Canada, all we seem to get are the "gun clubs and top guns" which are no better then the Kents.

I think that it is hard to argue with your big three! but I think you are being a little hard on kents. I have just tried a bunch of their international loads and they seem to work well, but I am not sure if the hull is loadable. I gave my hulls to a guy who like to load them just one time. I just got back from shooting and today I used some top guns. Shot well, but I arrived home as black as a coal miner

 

[ben hunchak]

I think that it is hard to argue with your big three! but I think you are being a little hard on kents. I have just tried a bunch of their international loads and they seem to work well, but I am not sure if the hull is loadable. I gave my hulls to a guy who like to load them just one time. I just got back from shooting and today I used some top guns. Shot well, but I arrived home as black as a coal miner

Well Covey...thats where we differ...I won't use Kents at all in my Trapgun...i don't like the many diff. sounds they put out, has to result in uneven vel./press., I have alot of money tied up in my Competition guns and won't risk it with iffy shells. I don't think they have the proper wad/case combo to prevent the powder from moving along side the wad.

 

[Claybuster]

I have just tried a bunch of their international loads and they seem to work well, but I am not sure if the hull is loadable. I gave my hulls to a guy who like to load them just one time. I just got back from shooting and today I used some top guns. Shot well, but I arrived home as black as a coal miner

Kent shells are made with Cheddite hulls. Any Cheddite data works with them. I've loaded Kents and Challenger (also Cheddites) and they work just fine at least in 12 gauge. The 28 gauge Cheddites are a little fussy. They are longer and don't crimp as well. Alliant and Hodgdon both have loads for Cheddite hulls.

 

[Covey Ridge]

Well Covey...thats where we differ...I won't use Kents at all in my Trapgun...i don't like the many diff. sounds they put out, has to result in uneven vel./press.,

Oh My GAWD!! I wish you hadn't said that! I got several flats! How the heck can I concentrate on my game when from now on I will be listening for the many diff. sounds?

Anyone want to buy a couple flats of kents?

 

[Covey Ridge]

Kent shells are made with Cheddite hulls. Any Cheddite data works with them. I've loaded Kents and Challenger (also Cheddites) and they work just fine at least in 12 gauge. The 28 gauge Cheddites are a little fussy. They are longer and don't crimp as well. Alliant and Hodgdon both have loads for Cheddite hulls.

I guess I will not worry about all the kents and top guns I give away. I have more than enough AAs. I have even got a large supply of the older type with the original hull. I only load for light 24 gram.

 

[Claybuster]

Oh My GAWD!! I wish you hadn't said that! I got several flats! How the heck can I concentrate on my game when from now on I will be listening for the many diff. sounds?

Anyone want to buy a couple flats of kents?

Sure. I'll take them.

I've never noticed a problem with the Velocity Target loads from Kent. They are very good shells. There is one factory shell that has given me more problems than all others combined.

Winchester AA.

I guess I will not worry about all the kents and top guns I give away. I have more than enough AAs. I have even got a large supply of the older type with the original hull. I only load for light 24 gram.

I'm doing the same. I have about 2,000 of the old style AA hulls still in reserve and load them for 7/8 ounce. The AAHS are okay but not as good as the older, single-piece hull.

I haven't tried loading the Top Gun and probably never will. The Federal Top Guns are my least favourite shell. I prefer the Winchester Super Target or the Remington Gun Club if I'm shooting promo loads but would rather shoot my own loads.

 

[bluelynx]

7/8 ounce loads in AA and Gold Medal hulls

Hello Claybuster:

I have a bunch of old AA and Gold Medal hulls that I have been saving for 7/8 oz.

Do you have any favorites that one might try? I know what works in in your guns might not work in mine

Cheers

 

[Covey Ridge]

Sure. I'll take them.

I've never noticed a problem with the Velocity Target loads from Kent.
QUOTE]

CB, the offer is off the table. I was just joking with Ben. Actually I use custom plugs that do not let much noise in and I am deaf from all the shooting I have done and I can not hear all the diff, noises that those shells make and besides that I might be a little brain dead from too much trap, which explains why I still like it Trap that is! Not the brain dead part

 

[Claybuster]

Hello Claybuster:

I have a bunch of old AA and Gold Medal hulls that I have been saving for 7/8 oz.

Do you have any favorites that one might try? I know what works in in your guns might not work in mine

Cheers

My Federal Gold Medal 7/8 load is Federal 209A primer, Federal 12SO wad or the Claybuster equivalent and 19.5 grains of American Select.

My Winchester AA load is Winchester 209 primers, Winchester gray wads or the Claybuster equivalent and 19.5 grains of American select.

Both loads are around 1,250 fps, soft on the shoulder and have enough oomph to work my Beretta 391 reliably.

The Winchester AA recipe is from the Alliant website, the Gold Medal recipe isn't. They have one with 21 grains of American Select at 1,300 fps but I went with the lighter powder charge largely because I was too lazy to swap out the powder bushings on my MEC.

 

[Claybuster]

CB, the offer is off the table. I was just joking with Ben. Actually I use custom plugs that do not let much noise in and I am deaf from all the shooting I have done and I can not hear all the diff, noises that those shells make and besides that I might be a little brain dead from too much trap, which explains why I still like it Trap that is! Not the brain dead part

Trap will do that to you.

Sporting clays makes you insane.

 

[beretta boy]

B & P, Fiocchi, Hull, Eley & Kent/Gamebore competition loads are among some of the best in the world... domestically, Federal Gold Medal paper's are certainly big favourites, as are the Remington STS/Nitros. The "AA-s" just ain't what they used to be.

 

[ben hunchak]

B & P, Fiocchi, Hull, Eley & Kent/Gamebore competition loads are among some of the best in the world... domestically, Federal Gold Medal paper's are certainly big favourites, as are the Remington STS/Nitros. The "AA-s" just ain't what they used to be.

Are you sure that B & p Fiocchi, Eley and Kent are among the best in the world? Or are they the only kind you can get in the rest of the world??

 

[beretta boy]

Those competing at the International/Olympic level can basically shoot anything they want. Many don't shoot Winchester/Remington by choice,
and there is a lot more "US" product available outside North America than you might first suspect. Sporting Clay great A.J."Smoker" Smith was for a number of years (mostly prior to 1990 ) sponsored by Winchester ... both guns & ammunition ... to attempt to gain a greater share of the U.K. /International market. Of late, current World Champion Sporting Clays shooter George Digweed uses Gamebore Black Diamond & White Gold loads - even when shooting over 'ere !!!.