shot size

[tikka tom]

what shot size should i be useing for decoying pigeons thanks

[adam scott]

all depends really! what choke u use. how far u set up your deek's. one example i set my deek's up at 30-45 yards away from my hide ( yards measured in big steps) i use a half choke in my bottom barrel (witch should be fired first) and a 3/4 in the top (second). with your set up somthin like this i use anythin from 6 1/2 to 7 1/2. if u point the gun in the right place and shoot, you'll be onto a winner anyway. you should not worry to much about your size of shot without bein silly a.

[motty]

I generally wouldn't go any bigger than a five, and not really any smaller than an eight.

[SSS]

The age old 'shot size debate' again. This normally gets messy.

Personally I use 30 gram 5's or 6's for pigeons. I don't think anything smaller has the residual energy to cleanly kill over a longer range

[Evil Elvis]

Nothing smaller than a 6

[Lez325]

A vote for 6's here too - I use 30 or 32's

 

Les

[Westcountryman]

No.6 do the job nicely. Don't get too concerned over 6 or 6.5. You just need to pick a cart and stick with it. Learn how to use it and you will be fine. Also, if you can, use a pattern board or a big bit of cardboard to check how the cartridge works with your gun and chokes.

[Beardo]

No.6 or maybe 6.5 for me.

[smig4373]

Number 6's here too...32g...

[chezza1986]

32gram 6's usually but tried a batch of eley 32gram 6.5's. Opened my choke to 1/4 and work brilliantly decoying. Enjoy.

[UKPoacher]

I use 6's too, but a mate of mine gets bin ends and throws them all in a bag and uses whatever is there for pigeons. He doesn't seem to have a problem killing them with 7.5's right up to 4's.

[dhumble5]

same here mate 6s do the job i use 32 grams. good on crows aswell.

[the hitman]

You can get away with 28g no 7.5 shells for decoying , and keep your heavier loads for pheasant shooting.

[Llanshooter]

32g 5s or 6s for me Clear pigeon or Hull

[Guest cookoff013]

7s on the decoys (close)

6s for most of pigeon shooting

 

32grams #5 for pass shooting pigeons. i hardly ever use.

 

all with a tight choke.

[Popgun]

I use no7s

[bullet1747]

I'm new to this and was advised 28gram 7s still missed the bloody things but ill keep shooting its gr8 :blink:

[chrispti]

28g 5s through 1/2 and 3/4 for everything :blink:

[Evil Elvis]

I'm new to this and was advised 28gram 7s still missed the bloody things but ill keep shooting its gr8

 

Theres a chance that they werent all misses though, because of the lower impact of the tiny pellets you may well have wounded a few an not known :thumbs:

[motty]

Theres a chance that they werent all misses though, because of the lower impact of the tiny pellets you may well have wounded a few an not known :look:

No.7 isn't really a tiny pellet, is it?

[jigga]

was out y.day using a dolly mixture of shells, 5, 6, 7.5 from 28g to 32g didnt see what i had used till cleaning up at the end of the day and there were emptys from all the size's and weights mentioned and they all had killed well using cylinder and improved cylinder, i found when starting out i was to hung up on trying different shells and changing chokes and trying out too technical styles of shooting and when i didnt work out i changed something else, now im not as cartridge fussy, rarely change chokes and try not to think about my technique as much when taking a shot, and im doing a lot better. hope thie helps, cheers

[the_commoner]

32g 6's for me although i have shot them cleanly enough with 7.5's, more likely you missed them than you hitting and not killing them in my humble opinion

[anser2]

You will not go far wrong with no 6 , but anything between 7s and 5s will do the job in lead over decoys. My first choice 28 gr of no 6. They will be a lot lighter on the sholder after that big day on the pigeons. I am not sure I would want to use anything smaller than 30 or 32 gr of no 6 for roost shooting .

[Muntjac]

If 7's have the energy to bust a clay @ 60 yards then surely they have the umph to kill a pigeon at 30?

 

I have shot thousands of decoyed pigeons with 7's, but do prefer 5 shot for flighting.

[Whitebridges]

Gamebore, Hull Cartridge, Express, Fiocchi all sell "pigeon" branded loads. They are all loaded with no 6. This tells me something. I've tried other sizes but 6's are nigh on perfect.

An ounce of 7's is a nice load to take to the hide if you are sure they will decoy fairly close as is 32g of fives when you are roost shooting in a tall wood or flight shooting.

Eleys range is in 6.5 and they are a mighty fine cartridge for the job as well.