What lead shot # are you using?

catnthehatt said:
When you're on the bird the choke or shot size is actually not as big an issue as some would think.....
Cat
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Sounds like the truth. The more I learn, the more I am beginning to realize that missing has little to do with size of shot, kind of shell or anything like that. It is coming down to mental control and being on the bird for me.:)
 
#8 11/8 oz because I have about 20,000 11/8 wads. 23/4 dram for 16 yard and doubles 3 dram for handy cap. Imp Mod choke for singles and handy cap, Imp Mod and Mod choke for doubles.
 
It really depends on which event you are shooting, and how quickly you are on your birds.
At 16 yards, #8 will probably break most birds. If you are a little slow, or ride your birds out before shooting, 8s may be running out of retained energy by the time your shot string connects with the bird. If you are a little off target, and only connect with a few pellets, your probability of breakage is decreased even more.
For handicap shooting, even from the 20 yard line, I believe 7 1/2 is the way to go. It has greater retained energy on target, and even the very slight increase over the energy of #8 shot is a good thing when every bird counts. I will undoubtedly hear from the guys who use 8s all the way back to the fence, have done so for years, and have no intention of changing, because "#8 is all I need to break any bird!" More power to you, and carry on. I have my beliefs, and you have yours. Mine are based on my limited grasp of the laws of physics, and 25+ years of shooting trap.
For doubles, #8 is enough for the first bird, but I like 7 1/2 for the second. #8 will undoubtedly do for the second shot, but I just prefer 7 1/2.
Some people use 1 ounce loads, or even 7/8 ounce, for 16 yard and doubles targets, and do very well with these loads, but why handicap yourself voluntarily? You are allowed 1 1/8 ounce loads in trap and skeet, so take full advantage of whatever edge you can get by using full weight loads.
If you reload, you can tailor your loads to whatever game you shoot. I have been shooting the same 1 1/8 ounce load of 7 1/2 for 16 yards and doubles, a slightly faster load for handicap, and a couple of rocket loads for games and meat shoots. As for the mix of shot sizes, Remington tried that 20 some years ago and called it a Duplex load, intended for sporting clays. It worked well for shots out to about 35 - 40 yards, but after that the lower energy of the #8 shot caused the shot to start to separate, with the 7 1/2 ending up at the front of the string, and the 8 dragging along behind. It had some wicked big holes in the pattern after about 45 yards most shots. Remington discontinued the load about 15 -18 years ago, I believe.
 
shooting sailor said:
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For doubles, #8 is enough for the first bird, but I like 7 1/2 for the second. #8 will undoubtedly do for the second shot, but I just prefer 7 1/2.
Some people use 1 ounce loads, or even 7/8 ounce, for 16 yard and doubles targets, and do very well with these loads, but why handicap yourself voluntarily? You are allowed 1 1/8 ounce loads in trap and skeet, so take full advantage of whatever edge you can get by using full weight loads.
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Many shooters cannot handle the 1 1/8oz load for long, and that is why they do so much better with a lighter load.
I don't shoot a 12 gauge for the same reason, it's the combination of gun mass and recoil that wrecks my shoulder for days ( sometimes weeks ) after even 1 round of trap with a 3 dram 1 1/2 load!:eek:
Shot it for years , however, that and 2 3/4 drams .
I used to shoot 7 1/2 for handicap as well, like #8 for an all around size, but if I only had one choice it would be 7 1/2, for sure....
Cat
 
catnthehatt said:
Many shooters cannot handle the 1 1/8oz load for long, and that is why they do so much better with a lighter load.
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I agree. It's a trade off between the slim possibility of an extra target with more shot versus the absolute certainty heavier loads will kick harder. Recoil effect is cumulative and you don't want to start flinching or head lifting just before the shoot off. ;)

What matters in shotgunning is putting the pellets on the target. Shooting 1-1/8 #9 at skeet makes little sense when a 1 ounce or even 7/8s will provide a sufficient pattern at maximum skeet distances. Why take the pounding if you don't have to?
 
Claybuster said:
I agree. It's a trade off between the slim possibility of an extra target with more shot versus the absolute certainty heavier loads will kick harder. Recoil effect is cumulative and you don't want to start flinching or head lifting just before the shoot off. ;)

What matters in shotgunning is putting the pellets on the target. Shooting 1-1/8 #9 at skeet makes little sense when a 1 ounce or even 7/8s will provide a sufficient pattern at maximum skeet distances. Why take the pounding if you don't have to?
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That makes a lot of sense when you are shooting Skeet. But Trap is a much different game especially handicap. From 23 yds and back you are going to have to shoot heavier loads most likely 3 dram 1 1/8 in 7 1/2's and not in a 28ga. this is 12 ga. territory.
 
Shifty2 said:
1oz of #8 for skeet

I don't shoot trap other wise I would probably toss an extra 1/8 ounce in. Sporting clays get powdered with the same load as above.

I would load 7/8 but they don't cycle through my 1100.
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Just up your powder charge. I use 19.3gr promo. Workd great. I know one shooter that uses 22gr 700x with 7/8 load.
 
Win/64 said:
That makes a lot of sense when you are shooting Skeet. But Trap is a much different game especially handicap. From 23 yds and back you are going to have to shoot heavier loads most likely 3 dram 1 1/8 in 7 1/2's and not in a 28ga. this is 12 ga. territory.
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I don't disagree. A trap target peaks around 25 yards from the house. At the 23 yard line and beyond there is merit to using more shot when shooting an edge on target at distances approaching 50 yards. What the shooter needs to know is whether the load/choke combination has a pattern that is sufficiently dense and consistent to ensure there are no holes that a target can slip through at that distance. Pattern is what matters and better a premium one ounce load with a consistent pattern than a cheap 1-1/8 ounce Wally World load with soft lead and wide velocity variations.

What also matters is confidence. If a shooter believes that he will hit more targets with a heavier load then he usually will. If he is wondering whether he is putting up enough shot when he pulls the trigger that doubt becomes an obstacle to hitting the target.
 
Claybuster said:
Shooting 1-1/8 #9 at skeet makes little sense when a 1 ounce or even 7/8s will provide a sufficient pattern at maximum skeet distances. Why take the pounding if you don't have to?
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and if you are loading, why pay for the extra lead if you don't have to?
 
Seems to me that international shooters do just fine with less than 7/8 oz.on more difficult presentations? I wonder why shooters of the north american versions of the clay sports feel the need to waste so much lead? The auto industy seems to be going fuel efficinet. If the governing bodys would regulate the amount of lead, maybe ammo and shooting in general would be cheaper. Maybe there would be more young blood in the shooting sports and not limited to or mostly made of up older, well off dudes trying to protect their high averages? Maybe younger people or ladies might enjoy the sport more if they knew they could do well and not have to endure 3 dram 12.
 
Covey Ridge said:
Seems to me that international shooters do just fine with less than 7/8 oz.on more difficult presentations? I wonder why shooters of the north american versions of the clay sports feel the need to waste so much lead? The auto industy seems to be going fuel efficinet. If the governing bodys would regulate the amount of lead, maybe ammo and shooting in general would be cheaper. Maybe there would be more young blood in the shooting sports and not limited to or mostly made of up older, well off dudes trying to protect their high averages? Maybe younger people or ladies might enjoy the sport more if they knew they could do well and not have to endure 3 dram 12.
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The international and olympic successes with lighter shot loads have certainly influenced me with this issue, because it is where one looks for behaviour to copy. I have also read articles that speak in favour of 1 oz loads and tell of the horrors of deformed shot that happen with 1 1/8 oz (mild joke). Speaking for myself, however, I still have remnants of the idea in my head, probably naive, that more is better and that I might pick up the odd bird with some extra shot in the periphery. So, given it is a mental game, I feel somehow more secure with more pellets and I still reach for a bigger load in handicap or other forms of provocation. I also see successful shooters, much better than me at this stage, on the back line using heavier loads and the very best ammo money can buy to compete, which provides more fuel for what I feel. The reality is that people are always looking for an edge in competition and until there is regulation, as you suggest, I don't believe there will be much change.
 
My favorite load, maybe coming from my favorite partridge hunting souvenirs is Winchester Dove & Quail in 20 gauge, 7/8oz #7½, 2½ dr.
 
In spite of my preference for lighter loads I also think that more shot in the air may chip down another X out of a 100 targets. If I am using 1 1/8 that extra X will cost me 12.5 oz of lead over the 1 oz and 25 oz of lead over the 7/8 oz. I will not even attemt to calculate the ft. lbs. of recoil over the 100. Reduce cost. Reduce Recoil. Both lead to more shooting. IIRC those internation guys moaned and groaned about shot payload reductiion from 1 1/4 oz to the present 24 grams. They were all worried that their scores would go all to hell. That was just not the case. From 1 1/4 oz to 28 grams, the top shooters scores went up. I have not delved into their thoughts on the 24 gram load, but I have not heard about any whining and sniveling that scores were going down?
 
Clay shooting is both a mental and a physical activity. Larger shot payloads MIGHT give you an extra target or two. But they WILL also return heavier recoil which over the course of a competition has a cumulative affect on a shooter.

I can build confidence in my loads at the patterning board. What I can't do is change the laws of physics. On a 300 or 400 target day heavier recoil has a greater cumulative affect on a shooter. A fatigued shooter will not shoot as well.

Most of the pellets we shoot miss the target. If I know my pattern is right for the distance why would I expend more lead than is necessary only to get greater recoil in return?
 
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