how do you choose a shotgun cartridge?

[kiffy]

hi folks, im wondering how you guys came to discover your favoured shotgun cartridge.

 

im not asking which cart is best for this or for that as even as a newbie to shotguns and to this forum i can see theres a load of these questions already and i know everyone will have a different answer, im asking how you came to find your favoured cart and why its your favourite. by that i mean what made you pick one 28g-6 over another... im guessing price has an impact but im also guessing that sometthing must have happened to make you choose

[TrapFiller]

Price. :good:

[fo5ter]

Pride in my home city: Gamebore or Hull

[silver pigeon 3]

in order of importance is confidence/performance/price. I now pretty much only use Gamebore cartridges as personally i feel more confident with them, and confidence is a massive part of our sport.

[super sharp shooter]

They come in pink

[-Mongrel-]

Size first, price second.

[billytheghillie]

price not a impact for me, infact the one,s i use are pricey but i find them hard hitting and shoot pheasant, partridge, ducks and vermin with them. i tried them on a recommendation from gun shop owner and now i stick with them. the carts are by the way R.C. Sipe. i use clear pigeons for the pigeons good carts. i like to stick to the same ones and never had any trouble with them.

[bedwards1966]

It's a very simple process. I look at what shot size I need - e.g 9's for close clays/skeet, 7 1/2 for normal clays, 6 for pigeons/game whatever, 5's for crows, pigeons etc at further distances.

Then I choose the weight I feel is needed for the job (e.g 28 grams on clays, 30 ish on live quarry), choose the required wad if applicable, then I buy the cheapest carts that match what the requirements are.

 

I don't pay any attention to the make or how the case looks etc, I go purely by matching the size and weight of the shot for what I need, and then avoid spending any more than I need to.

To me, all that matters in a cartridge is that is goes bang and has the right amount and type of shot in it. I don't worry about recoil, it's insignificant in any normal load, I don't worry about how mucky a cartridge is as it doesn't matter that much as I clean the gun after every shoot, and I see no gain from spending more money on a cart that does the same job.

[dan-250]

It's a very simple process. I look at what shot size I need - e.g 9's for close clays/skeet, 7 1/2 for normal clays, 6 for pigeons/game whatever, 5's for crows, pigeons etc at further distances.

Then I choose the weight I feel is needed for the job (e.g 28 grams on clays, 30 ish on live quarry), choose the required wad if applicable, then I buy the cheapest carts that match what the requirements are.

 

I don't pay any attention to the make or how the case looks etc, I go purely by matching the size and weight of the shot for what I need, and then avoid spending any more than I need to.

To me, all that matters in a cartridge is that is goes bang and has the right amount and type of shot in it. I don't worry about recoil, it's insignificant in any normal load, I don't worry about how mucky a cartridge is as it doesn't matter that much as I clean the gun after every shoot, and I see no gain from spending more money on a cart that does the same job.

 

Same here although I have took a fancy to hull comp x for clays tho. Really smooth cart but a bit mucky, can love with that for the price tho

[hutchie the white hunter]

Good clean kills thats what i go for performance ,ive fired many cartriges but i also think it is down to confidence in your kill ratio that plays a big part in your own particular choice ! Gamebore for me just now because im on pigeon but when the game season starts then my choce will change, this is only because im trying out a few new carts this year

Edited August 13, 2012 by hutchie the white hunter

[Floating Chamber]

They have to be red!

[Fatcatsplat]

They have to be red!

 

With very high brass!!

 

For clays (which is what i started on) i just went for what was reasonable in the gun shop that week (by reasonable i mean cheap!!)

 

When i switched to game, i walked in to Essex Gun and asked for a selection box - They charged me the per thousand price but i came away with 2 boxes each of 5 different brands of cartridges.

 

My conclusion after all these years is that some carts are softer on recoil than others, some smell nicer than others and some are prettier than others, but they all break clays/kill birds if you point them in the right place.

 

Consequently, i still walk into the gunshop and ask for 1,000 of what's good and cheap

[Will Poon]

I'm pretty new to this sport as well about 3 months into it , i've only used 1 type of cartridge , Cheddite from malmo guns in Lancaster , I was going to go for eley Olympics but I went for them, very clean good price

[dougall]

I have over the years accumulated a wooden case full of mixed game shells(from 28-32g 7,6,5s).....I use any/ all when rough/pigeon shooting.

Driven days take a new slab of whatever is lying around/suitable,30-32g but for some reason always stick to one brand on a driven day.For clays will use any/mix,although usually just cartridges own CSPs are what I keep buying.No real loyalty as am pretty much of the view that modern cartridges are all good enough so long as have suitable load/wad for the job in hand.I dont care what colour they are(except will only ever buy yellow 20gs)don't care or notice if they are 'clean' and always chose fibre.

[Salop Matt]

Price and performance for me !

Currently use Eley first but going to try Eley Olympic at 100fps quicker.

Loved gamebore white gold but to expensive so looking for similar performance, white golds are 1450fps, Olympics are 1400fps and firsts are 1290fps.

For game I use clear pigeon for everything except fox that I use 52gram size 0 shot on !

[scolopax]

If it comes from Hull its got to be good

 

so its either Gamebore or Hull CC

[Rupert]

^{When i first started price was my only parameter and is still a major concern.Now i like a smooth recoiling load and when i occasionally get it bang on to see a ball of dust.}

^{Like a few others here im currently on the Cheddites from Nicky T and my missus is a convert to the 24g}

^{Others i like are eley first,and comp x 28g}

[BerettaSV10]

Tried several makes to start with, some kicked like a mule :( , some threw confetti like one was at a wedding :( , some left the bores full of crud and took a age to clean :( then used Hull cartridges, which are clean, low recoil and reasonable on price.

 

As running low on cartridges and some big bills coming up, price is a major factor now. Will have to way up the cost of current cartridges against other factors, don't want any theat kick like a mule though.

[Salop Matt]

The Olympics ar £160 a 1000 ! 28g 7.5 plastic wad.

Firsts are: £158 a 1000 ! 28g 7.5 fibre wad at Wynnstay.

 

As long as they cycle in my semi am not fussed !

[Thunderbird]

Confidence in the cartridge, performance and price are the main issues for me. I really like Gamebore Supergems for clays and close range pigeons. The plastic wad supergems are a great cartridge.

 

For the forthcoming wildfowling season I've got Gamebore super steel and also some Gamebore mammoth 3" steel ones.

 

I used to use Hull Comp X in a very light gun that kicked and they are brilliant for gaining confidence and working on technique.

[CypriotHunter]

depends , i am shooting francolin partridge hare etc , i check the weather hence barometer then choose my cart ( the one that i shot before ) if its clay , just go for cheap low recoil one with good speed .

[clayslayer]

Price and performance for me !

Currently use Eley first but going to try Eley Olympic at 100fps quicker.

Loved gamebore white gold but to expensive so looking for similar performance, white golds are 1450fps, Olympics are 1400fps and firsts are 1290fps.

For game I use clear pigeon for everything except fox that I use 52gram size 0 shot on !

Dont go by whats on the box olympics are 10 fps faster on average than first (at 66 feet) i test fire many hundreds of thousands on a test range and find most box info not to be very accurate speed at muzzle does not mean a lot as the shot leaves the barrel as a lump of lead and tends to slow down range faster or slower as per the shot size as it begins to spead out which is why the down range speed gives a better indication as to a carts proformance. Most clay carts are about 1100 to 1140 fps at 66 feet and most never give a 100 fps increase Edited August 17, 2012 by clayslayer

[Paul T]

Material (lead/steel), wad, shot size, length, price, weight, make in that order...

 

e.g. I want some LEAD carts, FIBRE wad, 5 or 6 SHOT SIZE, chamber LENGTH of 65-67mm, reasonable PRICE, about 30-32gms WEIGHT, preferably a good MAKE.

 

I'll shoot anything bar D&J

[Vince Green]

Just buy a box of this and a box of that and form your own opinions as you go along. Even if you don't like them you are learning. Cartridges are like wine, you can only learn by experience.

 

Just make sure that in your travels you buy some Hull three crowns.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Vince Green

[b16jus]

I use Eley or Hull whichever is on special at the time.

 

Not noticed any different between the two

 

J