Soft cartridges for pigeons

[ehb102]

I shoot 21g 7.5 12G cartridges for clays. Due to the ongoing process that is my gun fit, I feel a fair bit of vibration from a heavier cartridge, mostly through my face. Following advice I'm regarding the gun fit as a work in progress and at this time I am choosing to live with this issue. What I would like please is some recommendations for cartridges that I can use on pigeons but that are known to be particularly "soft" feeling for the shooter. That is, if they exist. I know I can get a great variety of feeling from different clay cartridges across the price spectrum, but I don't know if that applies to pigeon cartridges. I don't mind paying a little bit more for something that suits me as this is for a single day not for long term shooting, but I'd like to make the most of the day and not give up because I've got a headache from the vibration. I have a month to get myself sorted.

 

Thank you for your recommendations.

[Guest cookoff013]

try to find a classic game shell 1oz #6 1200fps, thats soft shooting,

 

any softer and its subsonics, but thats a whole different ballgame, subs are made in small shotsizes, and not great for pigeons, 5s or 4s are better.

 

if you are shooting pigeons at 20yards sitting ontop of the decoys, then i cant see 21g #7.5s not working. but i would hesitate detting up just for that.

 

if you are feeling the vibrations through your face, you can get a thin pad to reduce the hard stock whacking your face.

 

also try not to force your face into the stock, the recoil will belt anybody. thats not good gunfit, light cartridges are not going to help if this is the case.

 

do not forget, that the shot needs to travel x distance then still have pattern and energy to go in and / or through the birds feathers and skin and muscle tissue.

[pigeon controller]

We use to use 1oz loads all the time in the past and as you were only propelling 1oz they seemed to hit well but they are a bit slower but you just compensate .

[Berettacocker]

Get an auto ,and put 28gm loads through, minimal recoil there

[Dangerzone]

Clever Mirage 30.5g 6's. Very smooth and will not bump you about!!!

 

http://www.continentalshooting.co.uk/shop/supplies/product_details.aspx?id=1393

[lakeside1000]

I think a lot of the 'Kick' you experience is down to the individual gun, cartridges will make a small difference but a good quality sporting gun will absorb a lot, I have an old Spanish side by side , I don't use it much, but when I put my 28 grm kent velocity cartridges through it it kicks like a mule and after only a couple of dozen my shoulder is getting sore, but the same cartridge through my Beretta 686 hardly moves my shoulder, and after 100+ shots im still going strong, If you shoot at a clay club, ask one or two members if you can try their guns, most of us are only too willing to help sort problems, as far as gun mount goes you are either doing it right or not, get some advice from a shooting coach, there are also several butt pads you can buy which should help , not only with the recoil but also with the mount, I added 1/2 inch to my Berreta with a thicker pad and my hit rate went from 30/50 to 40/50 in a week.it pays to get it right .

[Prawn]

A nice small load cartridge like, eley impax 28 gram (made specifically for side by sides and is very good with recoil considering the weight) or gamebore super game 24gram

would be a good starting point. Buy a box or 2 and see if that helps with recoil.

James

Edited June 24, 2014 by Prawn

[motty]

I shoot 21g 7.5 12G cartridges for clays. Due to the ongoing process that is my gun fit, I feel a fair bit of vibration from a heavier cartridge, mostly through my face. Following advice I'm regarding the gun fit as a work in progress and at this time I am choosing to live with this issue. What I would like please is some recommendations for cartridges that I can use on pigeons but that are known to be particularly "soft" feeling for the shooter. That is, if they exist. I know I can get a great variety of feeling from different clay cartridges across the price spectrum, but I don't know if that applies to pigeon cartridges. I don't mind paying a little bit more for something that suits me as this is for a single day not for long term shooting, but I'd like to make the most of the day and not give up because I've got a headache from the vibration. I have a month to get myself sorted.

 

Thank you for your recommendations.

Use the same cartridges you do for clays.

[Penelope]

Surely that's to do with the weight difference between the two guns. How much heavier is the O/U compared to the SxS?

I think a lot of the 'Kick' you experience is down to the individual gun, cartridges will make a small difference but a good quality sporting gun will absorb a lot, I have an old Spanish side by side , I don't use it much, but when I put my 28 grm kent velocity cartridges through it it kicks like a mule and after only a couple of dozen my shoulder is getting sore, but the same cartridge through my Beretta 686 hardly moves my shoulder, and after 100+ shots im still going strong, If you shoot at a clay club, ask one or two members if you can try their guns, most of us are only too willing to help sort problems, as far as gun mount goes you are either doing it right or not, get some advice from a shooting coach, there are also several butt pads you can buy which should help , not only with the recoil but also with the mount, I added 1/2 inch to my Berreta with a thicker pad and my hit rate went from 30/50 to 40/50 in a week.it pays to get it right .

[The Essex Hunter]

Go down the Gym.....

 

 

TEH

[Guest stevo]

Its the weight difference between the two guns . The O/U will be 2 1/2 LBS heavier than than the side by side . In that instance of course the lighter gun will kick more

[strangford wildfowler]

Go down the Gym.....

 

 

TEH

+1 it not bad, man up a bit go for a 28 or 27 gram cart

Or go for a 20 bore

[JDog]

Until I discovered Hull superfast (29 grams) I used nothing other than Hull 26 gram Imperial game. I never felt any recoil.

[The Essex Hunter]

+1 it not bad, man up a bit go for a 28 or 27 gram cart

Or go for a 20 bore

I saw Peter T's shoulder when he came back from dove shooting....6,000 shells in 4/5 days....not pretty!! God knows what shooting will be like in 20/30 years!!

They will want to sit with a hand set and just tip the shells in a hopper!!

 

TEH

[ehb102]

Some of you seem to have missed the fact that I am female. As for going down the gym, I've got the largest deadlift of any woman in my gym as is, and for a long time my gun was heavier than almost anything else on the clay ground thanks to the lead in the stock. Man up? The only man who gets to say that to me is a man who can break a fast crosser at 60 yards with a 21g cartridge. Or my personal trainer, who can do that anyway.

 

I'm not shooting a 20 bore. If my husband's is anything to go by they kick like heck.

 

Thank you to those who have sent helpful messages and posts. My gun stock isn't perfect, and could do with properly casting right, but it's been so massacred plus I change physical shape so we (me and my shooting coach and shooting mentor) decided I should stick with it as is for now. The recoil that bothers me is from the stock to my face, and that won't change without some serious work, hence my quest for.cartridges that will make things a little easier. When things are settled for me I shall probably visit that nice Mr Jenkins and get a proper stock fitted. That won't happen for a while yet.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Some of you seem to have missed the fact that I am female. As for going down the gym, I've got the largest deadlift of any woman in my gym as is, and for a long time my gun was heavier than almost anything else on the clay ground thanks to the lead in the stock. Man up? The only man who gets to say that to me is a man who can break a fast crosser at 60 yards with a 21g cartridge. Or my personal trainer, who can do that anyway.

 

I'm not shooting a 20 bore. If my husband's is anything to go by they kick like heck.

 

Thank you to those who have sent helpful messages and posts. My gun stock isn't perfect, and could do with properly casting right, but it's been so massacred plus I change physical shape so we (me and my shooting coach and shooting mentor) decided I should stick with it as is for now. The recoil that bothers me is from the stock to my face, and that won't change without some serious work, hence my quest for.cartridges that will make things a little easier. When things are settled for me I shall probably visit that nice Mr Jenkins and get a proper stock fitted. That won't happen for a while yet.

 

Well said Madam!

 

I think improving your gun fit will help and I look forward to your further posts on the subject.

 

Good luck

[silver pigeon 3]

My lad shoots the gamebore supergame 24g and they are a very light recoiling cartridge, also kill well at sensible range. Best of luck.

[strangford wildfowler]

Some of you seem to have missed the fact that I am female. As for going down the gym, I've got the largest deadlift of any woman in my gym as is, and for a long time my gun was heavier than almost anything else on the clay ground thanks to the lead in the stock. Man up? The only man who gets to say that to me is a man who can break a fast crosser at 60 yards with a 21g cartridge. Or my personal trainer, who can do that anyway.

 

I'm not shooting a 20 bore. If my husband's is anything to go by they kick like heck.

 

Thank you to those who have sent helpful messages and posts. My gun stock isn't perfect, and could do with properly casting right, but it's been so massacred plus I change physical shape so we (me and my shooting coach and shooting mentor) decided I should stick with it as is for now. The recoil that bothers me is from the stock to my face, and that won't change without some serious work, hence my quest for.cartridges that will make things a little easier. When things are settled for me I shall probably visit that nice Mr Jenkins and get a proper stock fitted. That won't happen for a while yet.

 

Beg my pardon iam sorry I did not realise you where a female, just go for a lighter shell but wity a bigger shot like 5s or in otuers cases mybe a 4

[silver pigeon 3]

Beg my pardon iam sorry I did not realise you where a female, just go for a lighter shell but wity a bigger shot like 5s or in otuers cases mybe a 4

 

Really!! By going for a lighter shell you are dropping the pellet count and then to up the pellet size you are reducing the pellet count even further. With a small (ish) bird like a pigeon you require a good pattern to ensure that the bird is killed rather than missed or worse injured.

If you look around at the really light game cartridges they are all made in 6's or 7's, putting your theory into practice we would be using bb's in our 14g .410 cartidges.

[Whitebridges]

 

Really!! By going for a lighter shell you are dropping the pellet count and then to up the pellet size you are reducing the pellet count even further. With a small (ish) bird like a pigeon you require a good pattern to ensure that the bird is killed rather than missed or worse injured.

If you look around at the really light game cartridges they are all made in 6's or 7's, putting your theory into practice we would be using bb's in our 14g .410 cartidges.

 

Well said that man. 21g of no 7 through a 28 bore does a pretty good job on pigeons.

[harpoonlouis]

If you are getting a sore face after all this faffing about Iam going to suggest that your eye dominance may be an issue. If you are shoving your head over or across the stock to get the site picture you need to hit targets then it isn't the cartridge that is resposible for the pain.

 

I love 21g shells and make sure they are available on my clay shhot. I shoot 21g steel unless a clay demands something with more energy ( most don't)

 

I teach hundreds of shooters each year and an XTR lightweight Winchester an 21g shells is my first choice every time. I shot 700 21g shells through it on a simo game day without a mark.

 

Sore cheek is almost always caused by stuffing your head across or over the stock because your eye dominance isn't sorted out.

 

Without seeing you shoot it is an honest guess that may of course be wrong, if so good luck.

[Westley]

Some of you seem to have missed the fact that I am female. As for going down the gym, I've got the largest deadlift of any woman in my gym as is, and for a long time my gun was heavier than almost anything else on the clay ground thanks to the lead in the stock. Man up? The only man who gets to say that to me is a man who can break a fast crosser at 60 yards with a 21g cartridge. Or my personal trainer, who can do that anyway.

 

I'm not shooting a 20 bore. If my husband's is anything to go by they kick like heck.

 

Thank you to those who have sent helpful messages and posts. My gun stock isn't perfect, and could do with properly casting right, but it's been so massacred plus I change physical shape so we (me and my shooting coach and shooting mentor) decided I should stick with it as is for now. The recoil that bothers me is from the stock to my face, and that won't change without some serious work, hence my quest for.cartridges that will make things a little easier. When things are settled for me I shall probably visit that nice Mr Jenkins and get a proper stock fitted. That won't happen for a while yet.

 

 

A lot depends upon how you intend to shoot your pigeons, if you are shooting over decoys (around 35/40 yards max) then 28 or even 24 gram clay cartridges of Italian origin will suffice. The reason being that Italian 7 1/2's shot is actually English 7's shot. I have shot 1000's of pigeons with 1ozs (28 gram) 7's both over decoys and roosting, just remember to reduce your range accordingly. Do not know which part of the country you are in but, if you can locate some Cheddite cartridges, they do a reasonably priced 24 gram, felt wad, in an Italian 7 1/2 shot. I can remember Eley making a 'Trainer' cartridge many years ago it was 7/8ths. ozs. or 24 gram., they probably accounted for more pigeons than the Grand Prix, during their reign. So go for it Liz, get a case of Cheddites (so to speak !). W.

[ehb102]

Thanks, guys. I can't find a local vendor stocking Cheddites but I've got a range of different shells now. Since I had the lead taken out of my stock all the 28g shells I tried are manageable, and it was only the 29g High Pheasant that made me start a little.

Funnily enough one of my types of cartridge marked "pigeon" is plaswad. Is that allowed on farmland?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Thanks, guys. I can't find a local vendor stocking Cheddites but I've got a range of different shells now. Since I had the lead taken out of my stock all the 28g shells I tried are manageable, and it was only the 29g High Pheasant that made me start a little.

Funnily enough one of my types of cartridge marked "pigeon" is plaswad. Is that allowed on farmland?

 

That all depends on your farmer!

 

Good luck.

[Alycidon]

I found Hull Imperials 26gr lacked the authority of my normal 30gr of 5s when used against driven partridge, hardly surprising as the payload is far less, they did kill just not as stylishly.

 

21gr is a very light payload for a 12 bore, pattern must be thin at the best of times. I would suggest you try a gas operated semi auto such as a Beretta that will cycle your current load ok.

 

Cartridge wise I use Impax in my AYA SBS, 28gr 6 shot, when I do my bit it kills as far out as I want.

 

A