sitsinhedges Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 For simplicity I'm going to be buying a bit of shot for my 21gram 20gauge clay loads and was thinking of going down to 8 shot to help compensate for the small payload. I seem to do fine with the hard 7.5 shot I produce in these cartridges but thought the extra pellet count may make them even better but I'm not sure how well the smaller shot will break longer clays. Any thoughts on using 8 shot for Sporting Clays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehb102 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 I have heard a World Champion say he uses 8s for everything in sporting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 For simplicity I'm going to be buying a bit of shot for my 21gram 20gauge clay loads and was thinking of going down to 8 shot to help compensate for the small payload. I seem to do fine with the hard 7.5 shot I produce in these cartridges but thought the extra pellet count may make them even better but I'm not sure how well the smaller shot will break longer clays. Any thoughts on using 8 shot for Sporting Clays I've used 8's almost exclusively for clays for three decades and ehb102 is right that world and domestic championships have been won with 8's. Your logic is spot on, the lower the weight of the load the more sense it makes to drop down to 8's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutron619 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 I've been very tempted to produce exactly the load you're talking about (i.e. 21g of #8) for my 16 gauge. It has never fired a shot at a clay whilst I've owned it, but I was thinking that now I reload for it, I could change that. What recipe would you use? I wonder if you could use Vectan AS for that load in a 20ga, or whether you'd still need A1 or something slower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 No reason why 8s won't do the job. Even 9s are up to the job on most targets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) I've been very tempted to produce exactly the load you're talking about (i.e. 21g of #8) for my 16 gauge. It has never fired a shot at a clay whilst I've owned it, but I was thinking that now I reload for it, I could change that. What recipe would you use? I wonder if you could use Vectan AS for that load in a 20ga, or whether you'd still need A1 or something slower. I've been using a proofed load of 15grains AS with 21grams of shot for my go to 20gauge clay load for a while now. I shoot more clays with that than my shooting partner and his 28gram 12 gauge Gamebore Velocity. The breaks may not be as dramatic but point the gun in the right direction and they do break. Very easy on the shoulder too. 1280fps and 650bar. Edited January 22, 2016 by sitsinhedges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neutron619 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 I've been using a proofed load of 15grains AS with 21grams of shot for my go to 20gauge clay load for a while now. I shoot more clays with that than my shooting partner and his 28gram 12 gauge Gamebore Velocity. The breaks may not be as dramatic but point the gun in the right direction and they do break. Very easy on the shoulder too. 1280fps and 650bar. Thanks for coming back to me on that. I think it might be time to look up what the 16 gauge powder charge is and get my next order in to Clay & Game... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 In the late 1980s I shot 1/4 and 1/4 with Eley Olympic 8s, for all targets. Never found anything they wouldn't break Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Get some 9s. They use them in double trap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Get some 9s. They use them in double trap! My favourite skeet loads. Have shot sporting with them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Always shoot no. 8s out of my gun choked 1/4 in both barrels no problems with anything on a sporting layout I have come across. Used 21g and 28. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B25Modelman Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) Been using 8's fibre only for years out of skeet and 1/4 /14 guns. A good compromise and once you are used to them or confident with them it saves all that shall use a 7.5 or 9. Edited January 23, 2016 by B25Modelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 I haven't shot clays for a long time but to end up with I shot all my sporting with no8's through half choke and left the other chokes in the club house. I felt that I was getting myself all wound up trying to decide which combo was going to work best for the next few birds, so I went middle of the road with both shot size and choke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clanchief Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 All I use these days is 8's from Mirage, especially the T2 Dtl shells. Your wad can have much to play in patterning with self loads as can shot size and count, load some up and do some pattern testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastair0903 Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 My preferred clay cartridge is a 24g no 8 , have never felt let down by the cartridges . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 I am lead to believe that Carl Bloxham used to turn up to all of the CLA Gamefair shoots with specially loaded Eley VIP fibre shells. They were exclusively 8s and because the organisers were too slow to limit the payload he was shooting 36 grammes from unmarked cases. He took plenty of cash home from the 3 day shoots! Simplicity is great, buy a fixed choke gun or never change the chokes of a multi-choked gun make sure it fits you and stick to a single cartridge. At least you will know that it is not the gun or cartridges causing you to miss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 Simplicity is great, buy a fixed choke gun or never change the chokes of a multi-choked gun make sure it fits you and stick to a single cartridge. Decent advice, which would assist most shooters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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