12g cartridges

[ilovemyheckler]

I am new to shooting and have just bought a 12 Beretta o/u sporter, mainly for clays but occasionally game.

 

Could someone please explain (or show me where to find out on the net) what the different cartridge sizes are for;

 

Load gram, shot size etc.

 

Fibre or plastic wad. I am guessing fibre is more environmentally friendly but are there differences in performance?

 

Steel or lead. Again I am guessing steel is more environmentally friendly but are there differences in performance?

 

67mm or 70mm - what is the difference?

 

What do people use for clays and what do people use for game. By this I mean the items above and not the different manufacturers?

 

Anything else relevant that I might have missed.

 

Thanks

Edited February 23, 2015 by ilovemyheckler

[islandgun]

Well mate the answers to all of the above are on this forum, you have asked half a dozen questions and each question has dozens of preferences and opinions, you could have started the longest thread on PW I'm sure you will spend months/years finding out some of the answers I'm also sure you will enjoy the finding out bit, good luck, 67-70mm ? not much

[Underdog]

Gun chamber lengths. That is what the 67 or 70 mm is.

The rule is, never load a cartridge longer than the guns chamber!

[Old farrier]

Hi

Just to start

For clays on most grounds there are rules and you fire a lot so cheap is good to start with

Plastic or fibre see ground rules you can shoot fibre on any ground some allow plastic

Shot size 7/8/9 again see club rules this is usually because of the distance the spent shot carries after firing mor than adequate for clay breaking

Load weight 28 gramm or less most grounds have a maximum load again see rules

Note some disciplines and competitions stipulate max load ie 24 gramm

Ask at the ground or buy cartridge on site

 

 

Game shooting ask your host what they recommend but usually a heavier load and larger shot size

Ie 30..32 gramm 5 or 6

 

There's more but that should start the ball rolling

Hope this helps

All the best

Of

 

Tin hat on 😃😀

[shaun4860]

Nice answer there OF

 

[clayman]

Most important thing to be aware of, that few beginners take into consideration, is propellant types.

 

For novice clays you are best off with 24g, no point in taking a 28g sledgehammer to break eggs - 24g will destroy most club targets, and you will get serious benefits by choosing a cartridge that has a progressive powder, rather than the ( slightly) cheaper types that detonate entirely in the chamber.

 

Powders like AA vectan give a "push" in recoil, rather than a "wack".

 

Not having to be concerned about recoil effects leaves the shooter to be able to concentrate on the real purpose, putting the shot load in the right place.

 

And detonating powders also tend to deform more pellets to become side flyers, so a better 24g with a good wad and good powder can actually have more working pellets in the pattern as the deformed one become in-effective side flyers out of the pattern.

 

Its a generalisation, but many cubs only sell the cheapest "club" cartridges, and these are usually the wack the shoulder type for the people who think 28g of fast lead is helpful.

 

No it isn't - good 24g are about the same price as cheap 28g, so go for the better ones and enjoy your shooting more.

Edited February 24, 2015 by clayman

[throttlemonkey]

Well mate the answers to all of the above are on this forum, you have asked half a dozen questions and each question has dozens of preferences and opinions, you could have started the longest thread on PW I'm sure you will spend months/years finding out some of the answers I'm also sure you will enjoy the finding out bit, good luck, 67-70mm ? not much

3mm😆

[Highlandladdie]

This would be a good buy for you

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-BASC-Handbook-of-Shooting-An-Introduction-to-the-Sporting-Shotgun-by/391059379049?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20141212152715%26meid%3Db55000b51b094225bfaae2268c2945fe%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D26%26sd%3D251753058216

 

lots of good solid advice, on safety, shot size and the quarry for which it is intended. It will keep you on the right track.

 

http://basc.org.uk/sporting-services/information-and-fact-sheets/shot-sizes/here is a link showing shot sizes for quarry.

 

Clays typically are shot with 28gm 7.5s. you will need to check the chamber length of you gun and match you cartridges accordingly. By this I mean you can shoot a shorter or the same length cartridge as your chamber but NOT longer.

 

Steel or lead? I would shoot lead for everything unless you are wildfowling, where steel is pretty much mandatory unless you are in Scotland.

 

Plastic or fibre wad. You pretty much hit the nail on the head. All though there is evidence to suggest that a plastic wad performs better pattern wise, but it is a ****** to clean the plastic streaking from you bores!

 

All of the above may be different to other peoples opinions. In this case I recommend the book as it will answer alot of questions without prejudice. Not that the pigeon watch fraternity have any prejudices!!

 

Tin hat firmly on!

[islandgun]

Just re-read my earlier post and it seems a bit flippant, that wasn't my intention, what i was trying to say was that there are no definitive answers to most questions for instance one person will say open choke and sixes for rabbits, others suggest tight chokes and threes ?. there is a long list, as has been suggested read some/lots of books access the internet there is a huge store of information out there, to me this is the great pleasure of the sport, I returned to shooting a few years back after a long break and when I need information about specific things I ask on here and have had a great response from knowledgeable people (my first post was about a roll turnover finish for home-loading) re-loading is now an obsession, anyway enjoy the sport and the learning ATB