Current favourite pigeon cartridges...

[tom_0787]

So I am down to the last couple of boxes of the original Gamebore Clear Pigeon 30g Fibre cartridges that I bought a couple of thousand of so its time to stock up before I have to resort to using the expensive pheasant loads that I save for special occasions!

 

I know that any cartridge is only as good as the person pulling the trigger but what is the general consensus on the current best pigeon load?

 

I've read plenty of posts about people not favouring the new clear pigeons but to be honest I shot the best I every have when roost shooting yesterday and that's all down to me sorting my mount out as I was using a selection of different carts from the bottom of my cartridge bag.

 

I would prefer to stay with fibre unless there is a compelling reason to choose a plastic wadded cartridge. That way I can never be in a situation where they are not suitable for the ground. A

 

Ideally I want a hard hitting and consistent cartridge. I don't want to say that price doesn't matter but I'm not ashamed to spend a bit more for a well respected cartridge.

 

Over to you chaps......

[Underdog]

Ones as fit n' go BANG. :-)

[Wiggum]

I've been using express power pigeon and been very happy with the results, I find them hard hitting and pattern quite consistently with my semi auto.

[rem708]

Try Gamebore Velocity Pigeon - they are now a 30g load. Gamebore don't show them as such on their website which is rather strange. What they do show is a Velocity + (grey plastic) but the Velocity Pigeon are clear pink

[Danger-Mouse]

I don`t really have a favourite, just tend to use whatever my supplier has in stock at the time. The last batch I had were Hull Superfast HV Pigeon. Seemed as good as anything else I`ve used.

[motty]

I use pretty much anything for pigeons. I use a 7 or 7.5 shot usually. Lots of pellets on target.

[ChrisPCarter]

Try Gamebore Velocity Pigeon - they are now a 30g load. Gamebore don't show them as such on their website which is rather strange. What they do show is a Velocity + (grey plastic) but the Velocity Pigeon are clear pink

 

I just got some of those from JustCartridges but haven't tried them yet.

It says for a limited time only on there site, under Bin Ends.

I am still using a few slabs of Eley Pigeon Select 30g 6's which to date are the best value I've found and seem to do the job as well as others.

I like the bright red case for when I'm chucking them all over the place with my semi auto!

 

I do like the Clear Pigeon's I'm using up in 32g 6 but I don't think they really make any difference to my shooting and cost a lot more so I'm not going to get them again.

I also have some of Swillington's own which appear to be the original clear cased Clear Pigeon in 32g 5 shot.

I'm going to keep these heavier ones for something else as it just seems a waste when lighter cartridges do the job.

[dougall]

were they the original green & white box clear pigeons??used to love them...I basically use anything thats lying around,if decoying happy to use anything from clayloads upward......O fthe budget stuff the Hull superfast 29g 6s are easily as good as the CP you've been using and you really dont need to buy expensive game shells.I only make sure its 5/6s when roost shooting......try the Hulls I think they are v v good for the money.

[ChrisPCarter]

I use pretty much anything for pigeons. I use a 7 or 7.5 shot usually. Lots of pellets on target.

 

I'm going to try more of these too and I'm trying to standardise my cartridges if I can.

I'm sure it will improve my shooting sticking to one or two decent cartridges and reduce the costs.

I've just read a couple of pigeon books and they say they have always used 7.5's with no problem as do a lot of you guys who have shot a hell of a lot more pigeons than I ever will.

If I can get the birds coming in close I'll use the clay loads and keep my 5's and 6's for longer shots until I've used them all.

When the manufacturers bring out 29g 6's for pigeons costing £20 more a slab than 28g 7.5's it makes you wonder why you're paying so much for one shot size difference when you don't pay that between clay cartridge sizes 7,8,9 which are all the same cost. I'm sure a 28g 6 would do the job fine but it's not a size they make.

I guess it's just to reduce their losses on game cartridge sales.

[ChrisPCarter]

were they the original green & white box clear pigeons??used to love them...I basically use anything thats lying around,if decoying happy to use anything from clayloads upward......O fthe budget stuff the Hull superfast 29g 6s are easily as good as the CP you've been using and you really dont need to buy expensive game shells.I only make sure its 5/6s when roost shooting......try the Hulls I think they are v v good for the money.

 

Yes green and white box and a clear case. I love clear cartridges, you can see what you're getting and check it's been put together properly.

I'd love to know why they changed to a black case??? Should have renamed them Black Pigeon lol

I use the 27g Superfast clay loads quite a bit and they are pretty good on pigeons when I've used them so the 6's should really do the job.

[TONY R]

I use RC 20s 28 gram 6s at the moment i have 3 slabs left. Happy with these cartridges. In 12s i only use steel shot now in the 12s and these are mostly 1800FPS reloads, loaded with 2.8mm industrial shot .

[figgy]

Whatever clay cartridges I have been using as that's what I shoot best.

 

Usually stick some 30 gram 6 in just in case they won't come in.

[figgy]

I use RC 20s 28 gram 6s at the moment i have 3 slabs left. Happy with these cartridges. In 12s i only use steel shot now in the 12s and these are mostly 1800FPS reloads, loaded with 2.8mm industrial shot .

When you say industrial shot,what is it exactly? What's the recipe for your 1800 fps loads they sound like they could make a good duck load.

[Tony G]

I was using Nobel sports but they weren't in stock last time Got some RC Romangola 30g 6 1/2 in fibre and think they are pretty good

[TIDES EDGE]

Proper cartridges are the dogs do dahs and cheap.

[fenboy]

I am using red ones at the minute , once they have been used up I going to try something different , I quite fancy having a go with some blue ones

[ChrisPCarter]

I am using red ones at the minute , once they have been used up I going to try something different , I quite fancy having a go with some blue ones

 

No the blue ones are **** at this time of year. They are good when the sky is blue in summer though

[Danger-Mouse]

I am using red ones at the minute , once they have been used up I going to try something different , I quite fancy having a go with some blue ones

 

Chris1961 made me some white ones. I`m looking forward to trying those.

[dougall]

 

I'm going to try more of these too and I'm trying to standardise my cartridges if I can.

I'm sure it will improve my shooting sticking to one or two decent cartridges and reduce the costs.

I've just read a couple of pigeon books and they say they have always used 7.5's with no problem as do a lot of you guys who have shot a hell of a lot more pigeons than I ever will.

If I can get the birds coming in close I'll use the clay loads and keep my 5's and 6's for longer shots until I've used them all.

When the manufacturers bring out 29g 6's for pigeons costing £20 more a slab than 28g 7.5's it makes you wonder why you're paying so much for one shot size difference when you don't pay that between clay cartridge sizes 7,8,9 which are all the same cost. I'm sure a 28g 6 would do the job fine but it's not a size they make.

I guess it's just to reduce their losses on game cartridge sales.

hi you can get 28g 6s no problem.I would think all main manufacturers do a 28g 6....hull superfast(fibre)29g 6s are @ £160-170 a thou so not much difference to clay loads.if you buy a mixed 1000 off just cartridges you get the 1000 rate(there is a delivery charge of £15 ish though).they have a few pigeon shells in their bin ends at the moment at fair price.When pigeons are decoying well a clay load is as good as anything else the CSP their own shell is a good shell for both clay/real pigeon they do it in 6.5/7.5/8....why not try a mixed 1000?

[TONY R]

When you say industrial shot,what is it exactly? What's the recipe for your 1800 fps loads they sound like they could make a good duck load.

The industrial steel shot is just normal blasting shot goes under the name generaly- SS780- the spec on this shot is between 2mm and 2.8mm , now it is available all over from various firms and it can vary a little place to place lot to lot, but i have have come accross very few pellets smaller than 2.5mm and the bulk of this shot is 2.8 to 3mm. This is born out by typical pellet counts of around 300 for 437.5 grains just scoopped out the bag and weighed. So realisticaly its sixes .

Price again it varies, 30 to 35 quid for 25 killo is typical ex works, Then there is perhaps the vat problem .

Now i have had several samples of this shot tested by a mate who works at tata (corus) it came out on hardness about 110 to 115 Diamond point hardness which is a little higher than 95 to 105 for true anhealed steel shot, but its not the 140 -150 the indie cast shot presision reloading sell. I did initaly reduce loads by 5% but now i just load it as is, never seen and pressure spikes i could not explain and nor relative to the shots hardness.

The load is sensitive and has to be loaded exactly as i say. Not to keep it safe but to acchieve the vellocity. Change nothing at all from below.

Case White gold 16mm / 70mm once fired and dont load it again if you want the speed.

primer cx2000

powder ** grains (pm) A Steel (lot 12 Lot 15 or Lot 17. ( dont listen to the yanks on DHC etc it matters)

wad B&P 24

shot 384 grains of the industrial SS780

FPS 1712 at 10 ft (1800 fps muzle) .

PSI 8960

 

Forgot answer what you said re a duck load. Never intended it to be a duck load its too fast to be practical I wanted this load for pigeons tight into decoys 20 to 30 yards through a mod choked semi auto and be cheap to load hard hitting and give pigeons suitable for raptor feed market long before it became mainstream, .

At the time it was prety cheap as it started life with ex works bulk buy A 381, but as things changed and it became less freely available it rose in price, and eventualythe similar A steel had to be the substitute powder.

So now its not as cheap as it once was.

Now at such high vellocity patterns are never going to be fantastic Just swapping the shot size for a bigger one through a tight choke might work up to a point, but a heavier slower load at say 28 to 32 gram at 1500fps to 1600fps is a far better duck load with steel than this load IMO.

Edited March 15, 2016 by TONY R

[figgy]

Cheers for the info ToneyR I'm probably better off sticking with my usual duck carts then.

[motty]

The industrial steel shot is just normal blasting shot goes under the name generaly- SS780- the spec on this shot is between 2mm and 2.8mm , now it is available all over from various firms and it can vary a little place to place lot to lot, but i have have come accross very few pellets smaller than 2.5mm and the bulk of this shot is 2.8 to 3mm. This is born out by typical pellet counts of around 300 for 437.5 grains just scoopped out the bag and weighed. So realisticaly its sixes .

Price again it varies, 30 to 35 quid for 25 killo is typical ex works, Then there is perhaps the vat problem .

Now i have had several samples of this shot tested by a mate who works at tata (corus) it came out on hardness about 110 to 115 Diamond point hardness which is a little higher than 95 to 105 for true anhealed steel shot, but its not the 140 -150 the indie cast shot presision reloading sell. I did initaly reduce loads by 5% but now i just load it as is, never seen and pressure spikes i could not explain and nor relative to the shots hardness.

The load is sensitive and has to be loaded exactly as i say. Not to keep it safe but to acchieve the vellocity. Change nothing at all from below.

Case White gold 16mm / 70mm once fired and dont load it again if you want the speed.

primer cx2000

powder ** grains (pm) A Steel (lot 12 Lot 15 or Lot 17. ( dont listen to the yanks on DHC etc it matters)

wad B&P 24

shot 384 grains of the industrial SS780

FPS 1712 at 10 ft (1800 fps muzle) .

PSI 8960

 

Forgot answer what you said re a duck load. Never intended it to be a duck load its too fast to be practical I wanted this load for pigeons tight into decoys 20 to 30 yards through a mod choked semi auto and be cheap to load hard hitting and give pigeons suitable for raptor feed market long before it became mainstream, .

At the time it was prety cheap as it started life with ex works bulk buy A 381, but as things changed and it became less freely available it rose in price, and eventualythe similar A steel had to be the substitute powder.

So now its not as cheap as it once was.

Now at such high vellocity patterns are never going to be fantastic Just swapping the shot size for a bigger one through a tight choke might work up to a point, but a heavier slower load at say 28 to 32 gram at 1500fps to 1600fps is a far better duck load with steel than this load IMO.

For 20-30 yard shots, you may as well use Gamebore Super steel 24gm 7.5.

[TONY R]

For 20-30 yard shots, you may as well use Gamebore Super steel 24gm 7.5.

The 24 grams are slower than the 28gram in the gamebore super steels if you are going down that route take the 28s, , and they cost nore to buy than that load costs to produce. With bigger shot and 300+fps more the super steels cant touch it its a good load for what its made for. .

Edited March 16, 2016 by TONY R

[TONY R]

Cheers for the info ToneyR I'm probably better off sticking with my usual duck carts then.

Well i think so its probably got a place on teal or into decoys birds dropping in to a splash, but anything thats passing or a bit wide of you you hit that metaphorical brick wall with small steel, and upping the size you get sparsness of pattern in such a light load.

Light fast loads in the 1700s and a bit more can have a place with BB or a little bigger shot in steel on geese rather than ducks but this is again with reservation as to where you are using it.

Edited March 15, 2016 by TONY R

[ChrisPCarter]

hi you can get 28g 6s no problem.I would think all main manufacturers do a 28g 6....hull superfast(fibre)29g 6s are @ £160-170 a thou so not much difference to clay loads.if you buy a mixed 1000 off just cartridges you get the 1000 rate(there is a delivery charge of £15 ish though).they have a few pigeon shells in their bin ends at the moment at fair price.When pigeons are decoying well a clay load is as good as anything else the CSP their own shell is a good shell for both clay/real pigeon they do it in 6.5/7.5/8....why not try a mixed 1000?

 

That's what I usually do and they have a great range to try out. I think 28g 6 is more of a limited run though isn't it? Seems to depend on the time of year.

I've just got some Velocity Pigeon 30g 6 from them with a few other more unusual cartridges. It's a shame delivery costs so much but they do weigh a lot so it can't be helped.

Worth it to try out some different cartridges though.