What's up with #9 shot?

bunny said:
If you ever get the chance to get some #12 shot, don't bother, I can tell you from personal experience it won't break the targets complete waist of time.
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never seen a rat/starling/sparrow complain after getting hit with 5/16oz of #12 out of a .410 they tend to die its what I use in my indoor loads works well for that as it does not damage the barns/sheds
 
Remmy700 said:
I'm no professional skeet shooter. Never competed or shot skeet at a range, just busy clay in the bush with my friends and for the most part we use hand throwers. I have good days were 23-25/25 happen and have days when I can't get 20/25 and we use #4-6 to practice with because when duck season rolls around that's what we shoot.

Thanks for the info guys, appreciated.
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Cool. We are comparing apples to oranges but hey to each their own and if it works for you all is good
Take care :)
 
bunny said:
If you ever get the chance to get some #12 shot, don't bother, I can tell you from personal experience it won't break the targets complete waist of time.
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isn't #11 and larger usually called "dust" for a reason? it's so damn small that you won't hit or damage much of anything at any real distance.

not even sure what the real point of it is? can't be for hunting anything.... i guess maybe protection from snakes or something? where you absolutely must hit it at a very short distance, and you're not going to eat the meat you just need it dead? shooting clays with #12, I can imagine that unless you hit the clay as it comes off or out of the thrower, you aren't going to break it....
 
antiqueguy said:
never seen a rat/starling/sparrow complain after getting hit with 5/16oz of #12 out of a .410 they tend to die its what I use in my indoor loads works well for that as it does not damage the barns/sheds
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ahh ok that makes sense... i can see that. but that's again, pretty specific and specialized. doubt you shoot them at more than, what, 15 yards, maybe 20? I guess with a full choke, inside with no wind, it could go a little further?
 
Remmy700 said:
I've always shoot sessions of 25's, but we run #4-6, We bust out #8's for the new guys. What do cold months have to do with it? Never head of this. The only disadvantage I could see with #9's is long shots. If I'm missing something please educate me.
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You obviously aren't shooting at the Nanaimo Fish and Game Club because you wouldn't be allowed #4 - #6 on the ranges. Sounds to me like gravel pit, clays thrower and case of targets. Lets not confuse fun with buddies in a pit with organized trap and skeet. As stated above #9's are a hindrance in regulated trap. The distances to targets in flight do not allow for consistent breaks due to lack of energy especially in cold weather. Why cold weather you asked? Because most clay target manufacturers design targets made to have a best breaking performance at temperatures of 70 degrees F or above, I know from speaking with Rick Lawry at Lawry targets they use 70F as their design's best breaking point for average summer temps across Canada. As the temps drop the targets get harder and harder, their chemical/pitch compounds "freeze" so to speak, (they freeze for sure come winter) causing them to stiffen. Most trap shots run 32-60 yards depending on if you are shooting 16 yard singles and /or handicap to the 27 line.
Number 9 shot works ok on a skeet range as your shooting distances if done properly should not exceed 21 yards so you still have sufficient energy for a consistent break and you have filled in the pattern with more shot to put more on target, provided you centred it and not fringed it. Even on the skeet field you can see the breaks look softer with #9's as opposed to 8's and 7.5"s. After you have shot 10's of thousands you have a much better understanding and feel of it.
 
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antiqueguy said:
never seen a rat/starling/sparrow complain after getting hit with 5/16oz of #12 out of a .410 they tend to die its what I use in my indoor loads works well for that as it does not damage the barns/sheds
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Rats, starlings and sparrows are alot softer than a clay target........and not travelling 45 miles an hour inside the barn at 40 yards.
 
Challenger is currently loading 1 ounce sport loads in 9 shot. They are available locally at WS. Just find them way to snappy for high volume shooting. I've shot #9's on varmint birds such as crows and magpies. Instant kills out to 30 yards or so.
 
#12 is good for small pests without damaging everything around it, ie putting holes in a barn roof. Look up CCI Shotshells in .22LR, .22 mag, .38, 40,45 etc. Trust me living in the country they come in handy and don't even damage a copper wire beside it, sometimes you would need a second shot or the butt stock of the gun to finish em off.
 
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