12ga Sporting Clay Loads

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TrevorJ

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Hey All,

I am not sure if this is the correct forum or if the shotgunning sport forum would be more appropriate. I have some time to kill and a bunch of 12ga reloading supplies around, and was thinking about loading up some 12ga shells specifically for sporting clays. I have a load that I currently use for skeet (Win AA grey hulls, W209, 14.5g IMR 700-X, WAA12SL, 24gm #7 1/2, ~1150fps) that I quite like, but wasn't sure if it would be appropriate for the longer shots that sporting clays sometimes offers up! I was thinking of maybe loading up 1 1/8 oz #7 1/2, CB1118-12, 16.5g 700-x, with Win AA, W209, should be around 1150 fps. I shoot an SKB model 605 over/under field (a little light, but fits me well).

Anyone have a favorite load for sporting clays they would like to share? I can say my load I had with 800-x I did not like to load, that stuff metered terribly in my MEC loader. Luckily I only had a pound to use.

I did do a quick search and did not see a post similar in nature, if there is, I apologize for the duplication!

Trevor
 
Many Sporting Clays shooters like one ounce of either # 8 or one ounce of # 71/2 shot at 1200 fps. Your loading manual will have that recipe for your 700x powder. Weigh your powder drops as many bushings drop less powder than their charts show.
I just finished loading up 6000 rounds with that 700X recipe for Sporting Clays shooting this summer.
 
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Thanks, Pete G. I have a universal reloading bar, so I tune it to drop the charge I want. My manual has lots of loads (not many for 700-x, but there are a few for 1oz, I will check to see if I have components to roll a few boxes to try), I was curious what others on here use for sporting clays. What powder do you use? I am planning on stopping by Hummasons for a bunch more shot anyhow, and thought I might try some different powders, if there was a consensus on what people liked.
 
trevorj said:
thanks, pete g. I have a universal reloading bar, so i tune it to drop the charge i want. My manual has lots of loads (not many for 700-x, but there are a few for 1oz, i will check to see if i have components to roll a few boxes to try), i was curious what others on here use for sporting clays. What powder do you use? I am planning on stopping by hummasons for a bunch more shot anyhow, and thought i might try some different powders, if there was a consensus on what people liked.
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700x for me when I can find it.
 
17.3gr's 700-X, CB1100-12, W209, #8 shot into a WAA, Rem. Gun Club or STS hull, 1220 ft/sec. Love this load for trap, skeet, 5 stand or sporting clays. I found this load on Hodgdons reloading data site. My MEC #29 bushing drops 17.3gr's of 700-X. Data calls for 17gr's to produce 1200 ft/sec. 18gr's produces 1250 ft/sec so 17.3gr's I figure will produce ~ 1220 ft/sec.


http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/shotgun
 
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OverUnder725 and I are on the same page I use that load in AAs and same charge(17.5grs) with a TGT12 in STS/Nitro27 hulls. #8 for anything #9 for Skeet. An ounce of #8 through a Full choke is good to 45 yrds behind the trap when were shooting Skrap.
 
I like a faster 1oz load of #8 for sporting personally. If I shoot a 9/8 oz load I lighten the choke one step based on my pattern board density experiments. A 1oz load is enough for all but the really distant targets so I normally will bring half a box of "boomers" just in case. Your skeet load will still break targets but you may miss some because of the pattern at distance.

For powder I like the 700x as it seems more available. Tightwad is also good if you can find it. Up the charge a bit in the cold until you don't get unburned flecks in the barrel. I'll post my loads later when I am home but the hodgdon site is really good. I aim for the higher loads in winter and the lower ones in the summer to keep it all clean.
 
Thanks, Maritime Storm and Cartwheel.

Cartwheel- I have run into flecks of 800x in the barrel. Not 700x...

Sounds like I will be sticking with 700x for the time being. Thanks all!
 
Cartwheel; I am on the same page, when shooting a sporting clays course I also carry 10 1 1/8oz loads of #8, these are in Federal Gold Medal Plastics, in case I need something where extra insurance may be needed, ie. Rabbit targets at a distance.

Trevor; In my climate, it isn't unsual this time of year to get somewhat dirty burns out of 700-X, it is a good powder.
 
Maritime Storm said:
Cartwheel; I am on the same page, when shooting a sporting clays course I also carry 10 1 1/8oz loads of #8, these are in Federal Gold Medal Plastics, in case I need something where extra insurance may be needed, ie. Rabbit targets at a distance.

Trevor; In my climate, it isn't unsual this time of year to get somewhat dirty burns out of 700-X, it is a good powder.
Click to expand...

And here I am shooting sporting clays with my 20 gauge, because the 28 gauge patterns are a little sparse at longer distances.:)
 
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