best loads for pigeons..30g or 32g ?

[DEADLY PLUMBER]

I did a little test on Saturday when decoying.

I used a box of 32g x 6 s with most birds killed.

I then used a box of 27g x 7.5 s with a lot more birds

needing dispatch. Then back to the 6 s with most birds

Killed.

[motty]

I did a little test on Saturday when decoying.

I used a box of 32g x 6 s with most birds killed.

I then used a box of 27g x 7.5 s with a lot more birds

needing dispatch. Then back to the 6 s with most birds

Killed.

And your conclusion?

[hedge hunter 1984]

I did a little test on Saturday when decoying.

I used a box of 32g x 6 s with most birds killed.

I then used a box of 27g x 7.5 s with a lot more birds

needing dispatch. Then back to the 6 s with most birds

Killed

 

If your pointing the gun in the right place then it wont make a difference on pigeon what size load your using. I'm guessing with you shooting 6s all the time then changing to 7.5s you were what I call **** ending them due to change of cartridge. But its up to the individual what they like to shoot with at the end of the day.

[mossberg-operator]

I use Gamebore Clear Pigeons 30 or 32g 6's......i would save your money spending on Blackgolds unless ur minted !

Second that!

[mossberg-operator]

i would say gamebore or eley for the win mate, it might be worth looking at something no one has mentioned yet and try a box or two or kent HV pigeon i have really good results with them what ever i put them through they are 29g 6s and they do the job well with not being too heavy on the shoulder they are pretty quick too!

I use these at the moment. Good for the price.

[DEADLY PLUMBER]

If your pointing the gun in the right place then it wont make a difference on pigeon what size load your using. I'm guessing with you shooting 6s all the time then changing to 7.5s you were what I call **** ending them due to change of cartridge. But its up to the individual what they like to shoot with at the end of the day.

Yep I know what you mean. I just tried it to see if the

switch made much difference. Also to see if I could save

some money on carts. Nothing scientific I just found

I was dispatching more birds which dragged me out the

Hide a lot. If I used them more i guess my ratios could be

different. Also with decoying and the birds being closer

as the come in to the pattern a 7.5 cart might work more in

my favour than a 6.

[Wilts#Dave]

After using Eley HB pigeon 32g 6.5 for years we've started using the kent velocity 29g 6 shot (probably fired 2,500 now) and can't fault them, was sceptical at first being a 'cheap' load but they bring the birds down cleanly at 35-40 yards if you hit them square, which is the important thing if you ask me as in my opinion people get too hung up on what cartridge/choke they're using when it's their shooting that contributes to 90% of the misses anyway!!! Nice and smooth on the shoulder too

Use the heavier shells for roost shooting but that's it now.

[hoggysreels]

I prefer No5's personally....when using lead .... lm considering going over completely to steel .. 3's & 4's for most of my general shooting ..

Edited March 6, 2014 by hoggysreels

[tignme]

Was roost shooting last saturday, only shot at flighting birds killing 5 birds using 28 gram no 7s in steel. closest bird was 30 plus yds. All stone dead in the air. Missed a few but down to pilot error not the shells.

[ghilley]

Hey everyone if you point the. Gun in the right direction and you use no six shot you will kill over decoys shooting 32 g will just make your shoulder sore and put a whole in your wallet iv shot thousands of pigeons with 28 gram of every make out there just get one that you like and cheep on the pocket all this talk of what cart and black golds I know a bloke that shoots a sxs 410 19 g kills everything

[ghilley]

Hey everyone if you point the. Gun in the right direction and you use no six shot you will kill over decoys shooting 32 g will just make your shoulder sore and put a whole in your wallet iv shot thousands of pigeons with 28 gram of every make out there just get one that you like and cheep on the pocket all this talk of what cart and black golds I know a bloke that shoots a sxs 410 19 g kills everything

[yickdaz]

Hey everyone if you point the. Gun in the right direction and you use no six shot you will kill over decoys shooting 32 g will just make your shoulder sore and put a whole in your wallet iv shot thousands of pigeons with 28 gram of every make out there just get one that you like and cheep on the pocket all this talk of what cart and black golds I know a bloke that shoots a sxs 410 19 g kills everything

are you sure he kills every single bird he shoots at, you get winged birds with 5, 6, 7, in a 12g let alone a 410, also does he kill birds cleanly at 40 50 yards with his 410

[BigL]

i would say gamebore or eley for the win mate, it might be worth looking at something no one has mentioned yet and try a box or two or kent HV pigeon i have really good results with them what ever i put them through they are 29g 6s and they do the job well with not being too heavy on the shoulder they are pretty quick too!

Kent HV pigeons 29 6s all the way

[brent52]

30gr clear pigeon for me

[smokeyoakey]

+1

 

+2

[ditchman]

28 gramme 6 or 7 plenty good enuff.............for me anyway...............banging away with 32g at pigeons makes me wince after a while...gets uncomfortable

[benellim2]

32gram 5, sipe or rio royal. but then my grandfather shoots 24gram 7s and kills contently with ease out to 40 yards.

 

best thing to do is go into your local gun shop, find what they have cheep in either 5 or 6s of shot and buy then, don't think about the choke cartridge just concentrate on the task ahead, ( a good days sport)

 

no one can tell you the best cartridge, as there are 1000s out there and every one likes different ones.... so its really up too you, I have used carts what are utter ****e, so gave them to someone else and they now use them all the while.... a lot of it is in your head... a fue years ago when I put in a different cartridge if I missed id nearly always say I knew that was going to happen those carts are ****.... but lets face it there aint many who don't.... but as I found out when a mate of mine put a mix from 24 gram to 40 gram from 9 - 1 of shot, in my 10 shot benelli, and I didn't miss with any on decoying pigeons... I it then helped, as now I put put any ol **** in the bag when I go out after pigeons as they all kill if the bead is in the right place.....

 

charlie

[ghilley]

Hi the chap with the 410 kills pretty much everything out to 40!yard and iv seen him wipe the eye of many a heavy shot shooter and drop good pheasant at the foot of the chap on the next peg it's totally about pointing your gun in the wright place with confidence and not being stupid trying to shoot out of range birds

 

I see and hear folks going on about killing at stupid distances or trying to and saying that they are shoot able at stupid ranges wasting carts and more to the point not dispatching what we need to remember is our sport is under threat and not killing cleanly is only ammunition for the anties

 

Find a gun that you like and likes you and point it in the wright spot use whatever carts or gauge you feel confident with and just enjoy Don't get bogged down with all the bull that folks talk about long barrel short barrel choke load lead and so on just shoot and learn

[kent]

use anything but #6 minimum

Well I am no pigeon shooter but drop crows with 7 1/2 clay loads just about the same as heavy loads of 5s. They are also about my favourite load for the long tails. Much depends on how your gun prints with the shell of choice

[kent]

Hi the chap with the 410 kills pretty much everything out to 40!yard

 

Any who have ever patterned a .410 will tell you clean kills at such long range are lucky single strikes! Two or three pellets can kill and can certainly break a clay even further but clay targets don't set their wings or drop out of their roost later that evening. Hit with 18grm of shot from a full choke 3" .410 magnum is totally lethal at 25-30yds after that even placing every bird centre pattern wont produce acceptable wounding rates

[ghilley]

Well full choke 410'? 410s do not pattern well at all with full choke 1/2 is by far the best if you know about 410s you'd know this ?

[kent]

Well full choke 410'? 410s do not pattern well at all with full choke 1/2 is by far the best if you know about 410s you'd know this ?

 

As much depends on the shell, but 1/2 choke wont ever give you higher shot counts at 40yards (no choke will, it cant put shot in that wasn't there in the first place). The reason for less restriction in the .410 is due to the shorter effective range NOT increased pattern density at range .The .410 is not even patterned at 40 yards like other shotguns - because as much as I have re-kindled my affections of them they are range sensitive due to shot count NOT choke.

 

The .410 performs at its best 10-25yds as you might imagine with 14-18 grms of shot. like I say no choke will add shot that wasn't in the shell . I suggest any who doubt that take a .410 out and shoot some paper at 40 yards- LIKE I HAVE !

[Bobba]

As much depends on the shell, but 1/2 choke wont ever give you higher shot counts at 40yards (no choke will, it cant put shot in that wasn't there in the first place). The reason for less restriction in the .410 is due to the shorter effective range NOT increased pattern density at range .The .410 is not even patterned at 40 yards like other shotguns - because as much as I have re-kindled my affections of them they are range sensitive due to shot count NOT choke.

 

The .410 performs at its best 10-25yds as you might imagine with 14-18 grms of shot. like I say no choke will add shot that wasn't in the shell . I suggest any who doubt that take a .410 out and shoot some paper at 40 yards- LIKE I HAVE !

I've recently acquired a bolt action Webley .410 for my grandson. I found a copy of the original Webley advert on www.fourten.org.uk which claims it can pattern 77 pellets in a 30 inch circle at 40 yds using No 6 shot. I need to find time to pin wallpaper to a hedge and see what mine does.

[kent]

I've recently acquired a bolt action Webley .410 for my grandson. I found a copy of the original Webley advert on www.fourten.org.uk which claims it can pattern 77 pellets in a 30 inch circle at 40 yds using No 6 shot. I need to find time to pin wallpaper to a hedge and see what mine does.

 

its a well known advert and cannot be relied upon, I am sure if you fired enough shots it might be achieved though with gaps you could fit a goose through let alone a pigeon. My full choke .410 does 132 strikes in a 23" spread at 25 yards. Fired from little skeeters in the 12 ga I get 66 strikes at said range, this is with 18 grm no.5 Eley fibre. If I stretch that range much further my wounding rate sky rockets - even on sitting rabbits!

I have seen a real top end clay shot breaking clays at 8 bore range but they were not smashed or dusted just broken into two or three bits the shot gets there but has gaps- blooming great big ones!

 

The 30" circle is not what kills it is that which wounds, like I say three strikes of 5 or 6 shot cannot be relied upon with such a small shot count and shot counts themselves need viewing for evenness . In all honesty we should be looking for a nice dense 2ft centre and the rest of the shot evenly distributed through the 30" when using size 5 down

[kent]

Ok just to satisfy myself I read this on the site mentioned;

 

 

12 bores are usually patterened by shooting at a pattern plate 40yds from the muzzle and then drawing a 30" cicrce aroung the main part of the shot.

A pellet count is taken and the general pattern reviewed for holes through which a target may escape.

A .410 shot pattern is unlikely to survive much beyond 25yds to 30 yds and thus it is more usual to pattern at 25yds and draw a 20" circle around the pattern.

Usually a .410 pattern starts narrower than a 12 bore pattern (naturally, as a 12 bore is aprox 0.729 inches, minus a few thou choke) but opens out quickly due to the large proportion of pellets in contact with the bore. Many .410s are 'full choked' to try to hold the pattern together but the pattern fails, as mentioned, beyond about 25 yds. Though remember, the pellets still have plenty of energy and can wound (live targets) or chip (clay targets) well beyond this range.

 

Much as I suggested still to test the theory above. Went outside with the .410 and a few number 6 18 grm Eley 3" fibre.

 

40 yards

Used a bigger 30" circle for this one. Yep Webley might have been ok with their statement (to my surprise) 80 strikes in 30". BIG ISSUE THOUGH! I drew around my hand print 14 times in the resultant pattern!!!! I recon that's akin to a pheasant body let alone a pigeon. Wounding was possible through the 30" pattern. Giving error in aim and lead, fliers and single pellet stikes etc. I recon even in skilled hands a very high wounding rate should be expected

 

35 yards

This time and also at 30 I went onto the 20" smaller circle. 51 strikes in 20" only four hands were pellet free (though remember its a lot less area)

 

30yards

No hands could fit in the 20" pattern, at first I thought I got one but there were actually three strikes inside the line drawn! 76 strikes in 20"

 

 

The targets are here, if anyone want to upload the photos I will gladly e-mail them on. Suffice to say the .410 (however choked or loaded) is not a 40 yards gun on quarry with shot loads!