I am new to trap shooting. The first flat I bought was 7 1/2 shot. I did reasonably well for a newb, shooting around 15/25. Then I bought a couple flats of 8 shot, and havent been doing well. Today another guy on the line shot terribly and his old man said "well you insist on using 8's thats what's going to happen". I'm not blaming bad scores on the tools, it's the carpenter for sure in my case, but is there really a noticeable difference in those two size shells that it would have and effect?
7 1/2 vs 8 shot is there really a difference?
- Thread starter BigV
- Start date
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
No noticeable difference at 16 yard trap for me.
NZClaybuster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
I have shot Handicap trap with Skeet loads, 7/8's of an ounce of 8.5 shot. Not the right tool for the job, but you can make it work if you work. Light mod choke, 1oz load of 7 or 8 and belief you can break targets, and you will break targets.
7.5's really only offer an advantage at longer distances, IE further back on the trap field or doubles, where your second shot is further out.
The larger pellets carry more energy out further, but you have fewer of them.
At the 16 yard line, shooting singles, there should not be any appreciable difference between 7.5's and 8's but as a new shooter you are likely slow to get to the targets, thus they are further out and 8's have lost more energy than 7.5's would have at that distance.
That said, shot sizes and volumes really only make differences to the averages of the best shooters. Where that one extra pellet does break a target that really counts.
I've always found trap to be somewhat fickle, often you get new shooters out to the club, they try a round of skeet and a round of trap, and find they do way better at trap and they in turn tell you trap was much easier, I have two ideas on this experience.
One being that trap is most likely what you are familiar with at home, shooting hand thrown clays behind friends barn etc.
Secondly, it's a more natural shot....for that lack of better words.
But when those new shooters return, they find their trap scores dive, and it takes a long time to bring them up. They start measuring the targets and looking at the barrel and aiming it like a rifle, rather than in their first round or two when it was more instinctive and natural.
I've always been a skeet shooter, but I started out shooting trap, my experience mirrored the above. I've never been competitive in trap, but I can usually manage 22-24 without too much difficulty that said it took me years and years to get my first 25 in trap, where as I shot my first 25 in skeet within the first year.
The hardest thing about trap is the consistency it takes to win, running 100's after 100's without a miss. That IS hard.
Sorry for the ramble, hopefully you can glean a little something out of there,
The larger pellets carry more energy out further, but you have fewer of them.
At the 16 yard line, shooting singles, there should not be any appreciable difference between 7.5's and 8's but as a new shooter you are likely slow to get to the targets, thus they are further out and 8's have lost more energy than 7.5's would have at that distance.
That said, shot sizes and volumes really only make differences to the averages of the best shooters. Where that one extra pellet does break a target that really counts.
I've always found trap to be somewhat fickle, often you get new shooters out to the club, they try a round of skeet and a round of trap, and find they do way better at trap and they in turn tell you trap was much easier, I have two ideas on this experience.
One being that trap is most likely what you are familiar with at home, shooting hand thrown clays behind friends barn etc.
Secondly, it's a more natural shot....for that lack of better words.
But when those new shooters return, they find their trap scores dive, and it takes a long time to bring them up. They start measuring the targets and looking at the barrel and aiming it like a rifle, rather than in their first round or two when it was more instinctive and natural.
I've always been a skeet shooter, but I started out shooting trap, my experience mirrored the above. I've never been competitive in trap, but I can usually manage 22-24 without too much difficulty that said it took me years and years to get my first 25 in trap, where as I shot my first 25 in skeet within the first year.
The hardest thing about trap is the consistency it takes to win, running 100's after 100's without a miss. That IS hard.
Sorry for the ramble, hopefully you can glean a little something out of there,
I personally use #8 shot for trap skeet and sporting. All 7/8oz loads at 1350fps or so. I believe firmly that every miss I make I'd would have missed just as clean with 1 1/8oz #7.5. I use tighter chokes and the smaller shot gives me the same amount of pellets roughly as the next volume up. 8s break targets. 9s will push some.
Trap is a 6" game. Meaning 90% of it is between your ears (in your head). I shoot a mossberg 535 or a baikal sxs and can run 25s. I do have my bad days like everyone else but its not my gear that failed
Trap is a 6" game. Meaning 90% of it is between your ears (in your head). I shoot a mossberg 535 or a baikal sxs and can run 25s. I do have my bad days like everyone else but its not my gear that failed
A standard 1145 fps 1 1/8 oz load will have either 461 pellets (8) or 394 (7 1/2)
So you have about 17% more pellets in the air shooting 8 shot.
I shoot both interchangeably and there is no noticeable difference at 16 yards.
On a windy day the 7 1/2 will probably work better.
So you have about 17% more pellets in the air shooting 8 shot.
I shoot both interchangeably and there is no noticeable difference at 16 yards.
On a windy day the 7 1/2 will probably work better.
Last edited:
R&R Rancher
CGN Regular
- Location
- Manitoba's Interlake
The biggest difference between 7-1/2's and 8's is 6 inches. That's the distance between your ears. If you've got either one in the pipe it will break the bird just fine if you do your job. Spend your mental effort on focusing on the bird not the trivia that everyone discusses in the clubhouse.
Folks, we have a winner.
Focus on what you are doing before focusing on what others are doing.using.
Tight Chokes,
Rob
I load #7.5 for my sporting clay loads. I would think the typical trap shooter would like more pellets since they are shooting shorter distances and if that's the case then #8 will give you a decent number more pellets.
I've gone as far as loading #6 for sporting clays but at that size you either miss the clay or obliterate it into dust.
I've gone as far as loading #6 for sporting clays but at that size you either miss the clay or obliterate it into dust.
When I rolled my own I made up 4 different loads 7.5 and 8, 7/8 oz @ 1350+FPS and 7.5 and 8, 1 oz @ 1200 fps. split between sporting clays and trap. 7.5 for the cold windy days and rabbits( I hate them cold wet ones). and 8's for the warm breezy summer nights.. 7/8 oz when i was feeling good, 1oz if hung over, the lighter loads are a whole lots easier on the shoulder as well If nothing else it gave me a mental advantage knowing that they broke clay
