$6.99 challenger trap on sale @ Cabelas + free shipping of $99

Tjv787 said:
I don't take breaks from bein cheap, more money in my pocket the better lol
But I understand ur point

What's better for small game 4,5, or 6 shot?( does 5 shot exist)
I Need a case of this and I'm set.
It seems like 4-6 shot is harder to find for around $80 a case of 250. Is it around ?
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When you are spending the money to travel and hunt for a week it is false economy to try to save a couple bucks per box of shells... if quality game loads equated to one more bird per box of shells, that would equate to the least expensive game you will likely ever take.

The best all around load for upland game, IMO, is #7.5's... #6's will do if there is no option... the only time you hear of guys using #4/#5's are head shooters shooting sitting birds. An I/C choke and #7.5's will cover 90% of the upland game hunting you are likely to encounter.
 
I just bought three boxes of Federal Upland High-brass 20 gauge 1 oz #6 for $9.99 each at Cabela's. I figured that was a pretty good deal since the Federal Game-Shok with the same stats sitting on the shelf beside it was marked $21.99.

I find that I get too many pellets with the #7.5. My older guns have pretty tight chokes so I thought I'd try going to 1 oz #6 shot to see if that helped. I suppose I could open up the chokes. I'm looking into getting myself a 20 or 28 gauge for upland. I do have the 20 gauge SX3 but it doesn't feel as nice in the woods as the 12 or 16 gauge SxS.
 
hoytcanon said:
Although we use a fair amount of target loads on upland game, when we go for a serious trip with the dogs we generally bring a flat of high brass game loads in 12 gauge #6's and 20 gauge #7.5's... no point cheaping out on a larger expedition.
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I use Fiocchi Golden Pheasant with nickel plated shot. I use # 6 in both the 20 and 28 gauge because the #7-1/2 were on back order for both gauges. I purchased four flats of these loads a few years ago, when the price was around $125 per flat.

I find that I get too many pellets with the #7.5.
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The solution is simple, stop shooting them in the body.:)
 
Cintax said:
I just bought three boxes of Federal Upland High-brass 20 gauge 1 oz #6 for $9.99 each at Cabela's. I figured that was a pretty good deal since the Federal Game-Shok with the same stats sitting on the shelf beside it was marked $21.99.

I find that I get too many pellets with the #7.5. My older guns have pretty tight chokes so I thought I'd try going to 1 oz #6 shot to see if that helped. I suppose I could open up the chokes. I'm looking into getting myself a 20 or 28 gauge for upland. I do have the 20 gauge SX3 but it doesn't feel as nice in the woods as the 12 or 16 gauge SxS.
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Cabelas in Winnipeg has the Federal blue box 1 ounce 20 gauge loads on for 8.99/box which is a great deal. These are fine shotgun shells but I wish I was able to get them in 7 1/2 shot as well. As for the Challenger 1 ounce target loads I have purchased I found them a bit snappy at velocities of 1300 plus fps. Killed crows and pigeons with a vengeance but 100 plus rounds of these on a sporting clays field started to rattle my molars.
 
Tjv787 said:
What's better for small game 4,5, or 6 shot?( does 5 shot exist)
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#5 definitely exists, got 2 bags in the basement. I switch from #6 to #5 1Oz reloads late in the season for Snowshoe Hare out 35yrds, a little heavy for grouse though. #6 is the sweet spot in my opinion, #7 1/2 is my second choice, especially early in the season.
 
Hmmm - I think that the shot size is a trivial consideration considering the relative lack of experience the OP has in wingshooting and shooting small game with shotguns in general. Every year, the guys at our deer camp try their luck at duck hunting. These are relatively experienced rifle hunters, but not experienced in the realm of wingshooting. Its embarrassing to watch them blast away endlessly with no apparent hazard to ducks.
Every year, I offer to take the prime offenders to the local range for skeet/trap. The majority decline (excuses - no time, don't need it etc). The odd one that does, benfits tremendously after a round or two.

OP - Get out with your target loads and get some shooting in!
 
cosmic said:
Hmmm - I think that the shot size is a trivial consideration considering the relative lack of experience the OP has in wingshooting and shooting small game with shotguns in general. Every year, the guys at our deer camp try their luck at duck hunting. These are relatively experienced rifle hunters, but not experienced in the realm of wingshooting. Its embarrassing to watch them blast away endlessly with no apparent hazard to ducks.
Every year, I offer to take the prime offenders to the local range for skeet/trap. The majority decline (excuses - no time, don't need it etc). The odd one that does, benfits tremendously after a round or two.

OP - Get out with your target loads and get some shooting in!
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And that unfortunately is very true with many of the people that don't practice wing shooting. A good wing shooter will reliably kill any upland birds with target loads, and an unskilled shooter will have issues regardless of what he shoots. I have hunted with people that averaged more than five shots per pheasant, or sharptailed grouse, and the reason for this had nothing to do with their equipment. I have also hunted geese with people that tried every high dollar load that they could find, from Blindside to Black Cloud and others, always in 3-1/2" , and they would go through two boxes of ammunition per day, while I shot my limit with 3" Fasteel, and used less than half a box of ammunition doing it. Many people also seem to worry far too much about choke selection. These people would be far better off shooting a half dozen rounds of shorting clays or shooting skeet a half dozen times every summer, rather than over thinking their ammunition or choke selection.
 
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I need the right ammo before I can start shooting my shotgun. Is 4,5,6 shot more expensive when compared to 7,8,9 shot shells or are they the same generally ?
 
Tjv787 said:
I need the right ammo before I can start shooting my shotgun. Is 4,5,6 shot more expensive when compared to 7,8,9 shot shells or are they the same generally ?
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If you intend to shoot at any trap/skeet/ sporting clays field, then you will be probably required to use shot no larger than #7-1/2. As to the price of ammunition vs shot size, you don't need us to tell you that, just go to the Cabelas site or the Wholesale Sports site, and compare the cost of the various sizes for yourself. And while you are there, compare the velocities and shot payloads to see the differences between the various target loads and hunting loads for yourself. You can learn a lot more in fifteen minutes by looking for yourself, than you will by posting questions and waiting for someone to provide the answer to such basic questions.
 
Target loads typically come in #7-1/2, #8 and #9 lead shot. Target load is usually much cheaper than hunting loads.

Hunting loads come in any size from T to #8 shot. For migratory birds steel shot from BB to #4 is common. Since you need to use steel shot on Mourning Doves in Ontario and because some clubs require steel target loads you will find steel shot in #6 and #7 readily. The most common lead loads for hunting are #4 thru #7-1/2. People might use #8 for small birds like Woodcock.

You can shoot your shotgun right away, just keep in mind that the largest shot size for clay shooting at a CFO approved range is #7-1/2. Some clubs require you to use smaller shot, for example, I believe at Barrie you can only use #9 shot on one or more of its skeet fields.

The appropriate size of shot for hunting depends entirely on what you are hunting. My thinking is as follows but it's not meant to be a guideline. For example, I usually only use #3 shot when duck hunting, BB or #1 when Goose hunting, #6 when Turkey hunting and #6 for other upland.

Turkey - #4, 5, 6 (by law)
Rabbits - # 4, 5, 6
Grouse - #6 or #7-1/2
Woodcock #7-1/2, #8
Geese - BB or #1 (steel)
Small Ducks - #3, #4 (steel)
Large ducks - #2, #3 (steel)
Mourning Doves - #6, #7 (steel)
 
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Thx. All This info helps in my search . I've been looking for a good deal
On #4-6 shot and it seems like it's harder to find cases of 250
Of these, let alone deals on it. I think #5 will be what I need to find based on Internet inquiries and everyone's helpful information
Thx
 
Tjv787 said:
Thx. All This info helps in my search . I've been looking for a good deal
On #4-6 shot and it seems like it's harder to find cases of 250
Of these, let alone deals on it. I think #5 will be what I need to find based on Internet inquiries and everyone's helpful information
Thx
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You just go to the store and ask for a flat. A flat is usually ten boxes which is 250 rounds.
 
Tjv787 said:
I need the right ammo before I can start shooting my shotgun. Is 4,5,6 shot more expensive when compared to 7,8,9 shot shells or are they the same generally ?
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"No" you need to buy yourself a couple flat's of #8's and then get your a$$ to a sporting clay field for some practical shooting experience and mileage. Mileage and experience and a properly fitting shot gun will do your shooting and abilities to put birds in your bag a lot more good than fretting over a couple bucks and precise differences in shot size. You really seem to be caught up in this whole shot size issue. If and when you really get good with a shotgun and judging distance it will not matter what shot size your using.

Here is a general rule of thumb. TRAP: #7.5
SKEET:#9
CLAYS:#8
GROUSE and PHEASANT:#6-7.5
RABBITTS and DUCKS:#4-5-6's
GEESE: #2-4's

All the above is lead shot, although you can't use it for ducks and geese any longer that's what I used to use. I was an avid pheasant, duck and goose hunter. Ducks and geese; 12 ga. with 1 1/4oz. #4's at 1330fps. Pheasant #6 at 1330fps. or 20 ga. Remington Dove loads #6-7.5. I hand loaded all my 12 ga. These loads gave me the best results from "my" shotgun barrels.
Then you can bend your mind even further by adding velocity or dram equivalent and shot size weight. And then of course there is the fact that each shotgun barrel is slightly different in that they each can pattern differently with the same shot size, given that gauge, barrel length and choke are the same. So you should pattern your gun with various load weights and shot sizes to see what your barrel prefers. So if you really want to get into this and drive yourself nuts being anal retentive there is a lot more to shot gunning than shot size and how much per box Cabelas has them on sale for. And then there's the little matter of being able to judge distance to the bird and keeping your shots within acceptable ranges.

All food for thought young fella.
 
I pretty much shoot everything from pheasants to trap with my hammer doubles using 7 1/2's.
Ever now and the I change t , but t won't ruin a hunt for me, that's for sure!
Cat
 
mrgoat said:
"No" you need to buy yourself a couple flat's of #8's and then get your a$$ to a sporting clay field for some practical shooting experience and mileage. Mileage and experience and a properly fitting shot gun will do your shooting and abilities to put birds in your bag a lot more good than fretting over a couple bucks and precise differences in shot size. You really seem to be caught up in this whole shot size issue. If and when you really get good with a shotgun and judging distance it will not matter what shot size your using.

Here is a general rule of thumb. TRAP: #7.5
SKEET:#9
CLAYS:#8
GROUSE and PHEASANT:#6-7.5
RABBITTS and DUCKS:#4-5-6's
GEESE: #2-4's

All the above is lead shot, although you can't use it for ducks and geese any longer that's what I used to use. I was an avid pheasant, duck and goose hunter. Ducks and geese; 12 ga. with 1 1/4oz. #4's at 1330fps. Pheasant #6 at 1330fps. or 20 ga. Remington Dove loads #6-7.5. I hand loaded all my 12 ga. These loads gave me the best results from "my" shotgun barrels.
Then you can bend your mind even further by adding velocity or dram equivalent and shot size weight. And then of course there is the fact that each shotgun barrel is slightly different in that they each can pattern differently with the same shot size, given that gauge, barrel length and choke are the same. So you should pattern your gun with various load weights and shot sizes to see what your barrel prefers. So if you really want to get into this and drive yourself nuts being anal retentive there is a lot more to shot gunning than shot size and how much per box Cabelas has them on sale for. And then there's the little matter of being able to judge distance to the bird and keeping your shots within acceptable ranges.

All food for thought young fella.
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Exactly, the OP is greatly overthinking things, and trying to get way too technical. Get out and shoot some skeet or sporting clays, and learn how to shoot , instead of sitting behind a computer worrying about shot size. A few trips to a sporting clays or skeet range, especially if there are experienced shooters to give advice, will be far more valuable than spending hours doing research on a computer.
 
In my opinion spending a little more on high brass hunting loads pays off in the long run. They cycle and eject more reliably in pumps and auto loaders. The last thing you want when that second bird flushes after the first shot is a stoppage. Buy the cheap stuff for clays.
 
TyBobBilly said:
In my opinion spending a little more on high brass hunting loads pays off in the long run. They cycle and eject more reliably in pumps and auto loaders. The last thing you want when that second bird flushes after the first shot is a stoppage. Buy the cheap stuff for clays.
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I have seen multiple semi autos each fire several thousand rounds of target loads with zero malfunctions, it doesn't get more reliable than that.
 
Leberon has Winchester game load 4 and 6 lead shot for 83$ taxes in.

My question, and hopefully final question , is: for small game mammals would u rather use #4 or # 6 shot?

I was initially thinking 4 but after more internet googling I'm thinking 4 is to much for small game mammals and will destroy them to much lol
 
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