Shot size

[THE AD]

Whats the best shot size for flighting pigeons, are clay carts any good??

[Little_Dom]

i would recommend 6 or 5 shot but i dare say if they were close enough clay carts would do

 

*tin hat on, runs for cover*

[walt1980]

Only been pigeon shooting a year or so n usually use a 28g 6 or a 32g 6. Seems to work for me! Keen to here if im doin it wrong tho, mite ecolain why i miss so many (any excuse for missing is gd, sun in eyes, he had a gun as well, usual thing)

[Brad93]

32gm of 6.5 does the trick for me, but I wouldn't be worried using 7's, 5 is overkill in my mind and less lead actually getting up there.

[TJ91]

30g 6 seems common amongst most pigeon shooters I knw. I use whatever is available between 28 and 32g sizes 7.5 7 6 or 6.5

All do the job if you point the gun in the right direction and shoot within realistic ranges not beyond your capabilities

[bi9johnny]

Depends if they are going into the food chain you want bigger shot so less of it to get out later but solely pest control go cheapest me I go 30/32 of no.6

[chrispti]

Clay loads will work at close / decoying ranges.

 

Much after 30 odd yrds I found clay loads dont kill, some will say they do, Iv tried it, and they dont. I personally think pigeon shooters only use them because they are cheaper. If a 30 - 32g #6 load were the same price as the clay loads, then I bet they would use them!

 

There is a reason why cartridge manufacturers typically make pigeon cartridges 30 - 32g #6

 

 

I prefer #5 because I like to take longer shots and also find them better for flight line and roost shooting.

 

As I buy a 1000 pigeon cartridges at a time I want a load that will cover all the types of shooting I do rather than purchasing loads of different types cartridges.

Edited May 13, 2012 by chrispti

[Alex1Nat2]

Just bought 1000 Hull 'Superfast' 29G 6's.

£40/250. Pigeons don't like em!!!

[proTOM1]

Just bought 1000 Hull 'Superfast' 29G 6's.

£40/250. Pigeons don't like em!!!

 

 

Where you get them from please ? Tom

 

 

To the op i tend to use 6s but have used 7.5s but have been shooting 32g 6s clear pigeon and really like there hitting power tend to change and use 7.5s in the summer .

Edited May 14, 2012 by proTOM1

[yickdaz]

Where you get them from please ? Tom

 

 

To the op i tend to use 6s but have used 7.5s but have been shooting 32g 6s clear pigeon and really like there hitting power tend to change and use 7.5s in the summer .

used clear pigeon 30g and 32g 6s on and off for donkeys but thats all i use now for pigeons,crows, and sometimes on game

[Alex1Nat2]

MGR Guns at Woodhall Spa

[stu nesling]

To the op i tend to use 6s but have used 7.5s but have been shooting 32g 6s clear pigeon and really like there hitting power tend to change and use 7.5s in the summer . :yes:

 

have to agree with tom on the 32/6 clear pigeons....a lot of knockdown power.

have also used 7.5 with reasonable success too, going through a tight choked gun they are fine

and absolutely spot on for feral bashing at close range. roll on the rape being cut, eh tom

Edited May 15, 2012 by stu nesling

[Actionpigeons]

Whats the best shot size for flighting pigeons, are clay carts any good??

I use steel to shoot pigeons as I get a better price for them steel shot.

I use 5s.

Dont use more than half choke when shooting steel, I find 1/4 choke does the job

Edited May 15, 2012 by Actionpigeons

[motty]

If i was only to shoot high flighting pigeons i would use a 30+ gram 5/6. For decoying, i've found that after extensive use and several thousand dead pigeons, that a 28gm 7 or 7.5 are ideal.

[Hamster]

If i was only to shoot high flighting pigeons i would use a 30+ gram 5/6. For decoying, i've found that after extensive use and several thousand dead pigeons, that a 28gm 7 or 7.5 are ideal.

 

Same here .

[Sharpshooter.123]

I use 28g 7.5 quite often over decoys

[compo90]

there is an off set between penetration and pattern.........the smaller shot gives better patterns and assists in hitting the bird.....larger shot may have a sparser pattern but will penetrate slightly better and assist in ensuring a kill.......so basically pick which suits the type of shooting you do.....if they are up close then 7.5's will work and give you a better pattern, but the pellets wont hit as hard as 6's and so wont kill consistently at distance...........that said what is the difference between a 6 shot and a 7.5 shot in size?

[Guest cookoff013]

there is an off set between penetration and pattern.........the smaller shot gives better patterns and assists in hitting the bird.....larger shot may have a sparser pattern but will penetrate slightly better and assist in ensuring a kill.......so basically pick which suits the type of shooting you do.....if they are up close then 7.5's will work and give you a better pattern, but the pellets wont hit as hard as 6's and so wont kill consistently at distance...........that said what is the difference between a 6 shot and a 7.5 shot in size?

 

enough to be concerned about. some economy shells can have all manor of shotsize in them. i had some poor quality shells and they had 8s and 9s in and a few 7.5s. said 7.5s on the side. i cut open some shells now and again and what they say on the side isnt whats in them. the expensive shells such as Olympic trap type / proper competition shells are properly graded. so picking a poor shell for pigeons is like shooting 9s and 8 at them.

 

i`ve seen this more than a few times. continental and domestic shells.

[compo90]

enough to be concerned about. some economy shells can have all manor of shotsize in them. i had some poor quality shells and they had 8s and 9s in and a few 7.5s. said 7.5s on the side. i cut open some shells now and again and what they say on the side isnt whats in them. the expensive shells such as Olympic trap type / proper competition shells are properly graded. so picking a poor shell for pigeons is like shooting 9s and 8 at them.

 

i`ve seen this more than a few times. continental and domestic shells.

 

 

thats worrying.....

[Guest cookoff013]

thats worrying.....

 

no, thats what you pay for. club clay loads have blended shot so 7.5s on the shell could have 8s and 7s in the shell. some premium loads that has super hard shot or special shot has better qc but thats what you pay the extra £ for.

 

usually the shotsize will be close to what is advertised. but i`ve had some poor shells in the past. some times the shot just looks awful.

 

some shells just have poor batch runs. usually the cheap econo runs where the end user isnt as fussy.

[Danoi99]

My mate had some boxes of carts for us to use the other day !! Hull Cartridge/ 32gm/ fibre wad/ 70mm case/ no.6 , they were called HIGH PHEASANT EXTREME !!

 

They look very fancy with their brass extending nearly half way up the case, so I was expecting great things. To my horror, upon inspection of some shot retrieved from body of a recently deceased Cereal Killer, we found that the shot was no difference in size to that from a cartridge from my Clay shooting stash ( 28gm no.8. XLR WHITE GOLD ).

 

Was the shot size too small in the High Pheasant Extreme? or too big in the White Gold XLR ??

 

I trusted that manufacturers would put no.6 size shot in a case labelled as such................are we being royally shafted ?? if so, some lubrication would be appreciated in the form of lower prices !!

[Guest cookoff013]

errr......

 

you get what you pay for. mystery components in a mystery shell, with mystery shotsize, coupled with a mystery speed (that has been massarged then a few 100fps added).

 

there are shotsize charts, english sizes are 1 size smaller than american. i just like my shells to have bigger shot, just because i like 1100fps-1200fps loads. even with a english 5 in them they are going to do something right.

 

9-8 s are far from ideal for pigeons. but then again i often liked 4s and 2s for ground game.

[ditchman]

If i was only to shoot high flighting pigeons i would use a 30+ gram 5/6. For decoying, i've found that after extensive use and several thousand dead pigeons, that a 28gm 7 or 7.5 are ideal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

spot on quite agree

 

 

 

ditchman

[caeser]

This explanation of the different sizes and weights of shot that can be found in various shells, labelled up as 6's or whatever, has answered so many questions.

Mainly " How did I miss that !!!"

Now I know it wasn't my fault.