Favourite 'pigeon' shell?

[wildfowler.250]

So I bought 250 RC sipes earlier in the year with the view that if I went and shot one or two pheasants with them, they would be a better all round shell.

 

 

Needless to say, most were used pigeon shooting. And most of the time, crows made up the bag..

 

 

So it's the same old problem really. I find 28g 7.5s okay if they decoy well. But if you're out flight line shooting, I'd prefer sonething sort of 30g 6's. Biggest issue is cost,(especially if it's for crows). I need something 70mm for the gun to cycle reliably. What's your preference? Most work. Just interested considering quality vs value for money.

 

 

Cheers!

[walt1980]

For a good sensible price Cartridge try Proper Cartridges.

I've used quite a lot this season and they hit hard enough to drop birds at decent ranges.

[Stonepark]

Gamebore Fibre White Gold, 28g of No 7.5 (which is a English 6.5).

[dodeer]

Gamebore Fibre White Gold, 28g of No 7.5 (which is a English 6.5).

I am probably wrong but I thought the White Gold used English shot sizes; so a 7.5 is a 7.5?

 

Thought the Black Gold used only continental shot sizes, and only in their game loads.

[Stonepark]

I am probably wrong but I thought the White Gold used English shot sizes; so a 7.5 is a 7.5?

 

Thought the Black Gold used only continental shot sizes, and only in their game loads.

 

Last time I bought a slab, was still continental sized using their diamond shot.

[fortune]

So I bought 250 RC sipes earlier in the year with the view that if I went and shot one or two pheasants with them, they would be a better all round shell.

 

 

Needless to say, most were used pigeon shooting. And most of the time, crows made up the bag..

 

 

So it's the same old problem really. I find 28g 7.5s okay if they decoy well. But if you're out flight line shooting, I'd prefer sonething sort of 30g 6's. Biggest issue is cost,(especially if it's for crows). I need something 70mm for the gun to cycle reliably. What's your preference? Most work. Just interested considering quality vs value for money.

 

 

Cheers!

learn to shoot straight and put the ounce of lead that you are using on the target. The speed and the mass are all going at the same velocity so 2 grams of shot extra isn't going to turn you into Digweed. If you center the load onto the target you will take it. failing that use 32 gram but you will have to pay which ever way it goes. there is no magic cartridge that will take everything for not a lot. it's just as easy to mis with a 36 as it is a 28.

[Smokersmith]

Hull Superfast 29g 6's

[lakeside1000]

Gamebore clear pigeon 6's, for general pigeon shooting, good pattern, range and knock down power, safely take birds out to 55 or 60 yards with 1/2 or 3/4 choke, or in over the decoys 20 to 35 yards with 1/4 choke.

£210 per thousand, why compromise with cheaper cartridges which leave birds injured and still flying,

Over the last 50+ years I've tried many different cartridges , in the 60's and 70's I only used Eley grand prix and Eley Impax, but as more choice became available I experimented with many different makes and size's, most recently I had some success with Kent Velocity, a good all round cartridge , 1400 fps and good patterning but since Gamebore took them over I think they became less effective,

After a friend recommended Gamebore Clear Pigeon,again a fast cartridge at 1400 fps, I gave them a go and now I am a convert and for the time being they are my chosen cartridge.

As a pensioner I am concerned with price but I much prefer a quality cartridge than a cheap price.

Edited January 6, 2017 by lakeside1000

[wymberley]

Gamebore clear pigeon 6's, for general pigeon shooting, good pattern, range and knock down power, safely take birds out to 55 or 60 yards with 1/2 or 3/4 choke, or in over the decoys 20 to 35 yards with 1/4 choke.

£210 per thousand, why compromise with cheaper cartridges which leave birds injured and still flying,

Over the last 50+ years I've tried many different cartridges , in the 60's and 70's I only used Eley grand prix and Eley Impax, but as more choice became available I experimented with many different makes and size's, most recently I had some success with Kent Velocity, a good all round cartridge , 1400 fps and good patterning but since Gamebore took them over I think they became less effective,

After a friend recommended Gamebore Clear Pigeon,again a fast cartridge at 1400 fps, I gave them a go and now I am a convert and for the time being they are my chosen cartridge.

As a pensioner I am concerned with price but I much prefer a quality cartridge than a cheap price.

With a pattern density of some 30%, can you do that consistently/humanely?

[aga man]

I am probably wrong but I thought the White Gold used English shot sizes; so a 7.5 is a 7.5?

Thought the Black Gold used only continental shot sizes, and only in their game loads.

White gold use a 2.4mm (no7) same with there black gold and blue diamond trap shells. This info came from someone who works at Gamebore.

[motty]

This subject always fascinates me. As is always the case, putting the shot on target is the all important factor. Putting a pigeon in the centre of your ounce of 7s pattern is more likely to kill, than hitting with the edge of a pattern of 32gm 6.

[rbrowning2]

As somebody who loads my own I get offered missfires of various types mainly clay loads and cut them open to recover and reuse what I can.

 

In doing so the size of the shot printed on the cartridge is not always the size within the cartridge a 7.5 can be 7.5, 8 or 7 (2.3, 2.2 or 2.4mm) not yet seen 7.5 printed but 6.5 inside.

 

Gamebore make their own shot so their is no reason why it should not be true to English size unless stated as such on their website or on the box. look for the size in mm on the box which may be more accurate than English sizes.

 

Pigeon cartridges loaded with 6 (2.6mm) shot are mainly 2.7mm uk 5.5 except gamebore and eley which tend to be 6 or 6.5 for eley.

Ok the sample is small as the rate of failure is small.

 

What ever you choose to use for live quarry if a clay cartridge then I would suggest cutting one open and counting the pellets just to be certain what you are using and it limitations.

 

One reason I home load is so you know the true shot size.

[rbrowning2]

This subject always fascinates me. As is always the case, putting the shot on target is the all important factor. Putting a pigeon in the centre of your ounce of 7s pattern is more likely to kill, than hitting with the edge of a pattern of 32gm 6.

But likewise hitting with edge of the pattern with your ounce of 7s is more likely to wound or pr i ck a pigeon than hitting with the edge of the pattern with 32gm of 6.

 

7 or 6.5 for decoying is my preference.

Edited January 6, 2017 by rbrowning2

[wildfowler.250]

Cheers for all the replies! I'm more than happy with my shooting. All I'm interested in is what brands folk on here find good quality for the monies. Mainly because I end up shooting crows 50% of the time.

 

 

Thanks!

[Stonepark]

But likewise hitting with edge of the pattern with your ounce of 7s is more likely to wound or pr i ck a pigeon than hitting with the edge of the pattern with 32gm of 6.

 

7 or 6.5 for decoying is my preference.

If you are starting off with 340 no7 and 304 no6, how is the no7 more likely to pr i ck a bird on edge of pattern?

 

Surely it is more likely to kill due to higher chance of hitting with additional pellet(s)?

Edited January 6, 2017 by Stonepark

[wildfowler.250]

Should have added, don't wish for folk to argue as to what works for them and not others ect. Just more like, I find "X" works well and is £.. per box or per 250

[rbrowning2]

If you are starting off with 340 no7 and 304 no6, how is the no7 more likely to pr i ck a bird on edge of pattern?

Surely it is more likely to kill due to higher chance of hitting with additional pellet(s)?

May be, first you need to define the edge of the pattern, then the distance from the muzzle then the pellet energy, is one hit with a 6 pellet likely to have more energy and penetrate deeper that one or may be two hits of 7 shot with less energy.

Then it depends on where it hits the pigeon.

 

All about probability so I guess any out come is possible, if middle of the pattern as Motty suggested at decoy distances then shot size is less important so then job is done but at the edge of the pattern any outcome is possible and I would think impossible to predict.

 

Pattern without energy is no better than energy without pattern the joy of winged shooting, do we actually know the outcome when we pull the trigger on a live quarry?

 

Back to op question I would go for any cartridge with 2.4mm, 2.5mm or 2.6mm in fibre wads as I don't like littering the country side with plastic in 70mm that is available local at the price you are happy to pay after all they are all manufactured to CIP pressure standards.

Edited January 6, 2017 by rbrowning2

[Wilts#Dave]

Used thousands of the gamebore velocity 29g 6 and more recently the 30g..... plastic wad versions perform better through my gun than the fibre and would recommend them as a great budget pigeon load!!

Likewise recently didn't have any in our local gun shop so bought a thousand hull super fast pigeon 29g in plastic wad and can say they're equally as good, really snappy little shell. Both used through my beretta a400 action semi auto with no problems.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Wilts#Dave

[lakeside1000]

Used thousands of the gamebore velocity 29g 6 and more recently the 30g..... plastic wad versions perform better through my gun than the fibre and would recommend them as a great budget pigeon load!!

Likewise recently didn't have any in our local gun shop so bought a thousand hull super fast pigeon 29g in plastic wad and can say they're equally as good, really snappy little shell. Both used through my beretta a400 action semi auto with no problems.

I tried the Gamebore velocity 29 gm in 6 but found I was just pricking more birds on the edge of the pattern, say 35 to 40 yards, whereas the Gamebore Clear pigeon 30 gm in 6 seemed to hit harder and accounted for birds at range more consistently, for the extra few pounds per thousand I believe the Clear pigeon offers good value.Its probably more a matter of confidence in your choice of cartridge, and of course ability to hit the target with pattern centre rather than just clipping it with the edge of the pattern.

I use my Hatsan magnum and the clear pigeon cycles well without any jams, I also tend to over choke slightly to keep the pattern tight out to longer ranges, normally 3/4 to take birds out to 50 yards +.very few keep going after being hit.

[wymberley]

I tried the Gamebore velocity 29 gm in 6 but found I was just pricking more birds on the edge of the pattern, say 35 to 40 yards, whereas the Gamebore Clear pigeon 30 gm in 6 seemed to hit harder and accounted for birds at range more consistently, for the extra few pounds per thousand I believe the Clear pigeon offers good value.Its probably more a matter of confidence in your choice of cartridge, and of course ability to hit the target with pattern centre rather than just clipping it with the edge of the pattern.

I use my Hatsan magnum and the clear pigeon cycles well without any jams, I also tend to over choke slightly to keep the pattern tight out to longer ranges, normally 3/4 to take birds out to 50 yards +.very few keep going after being hit.

Can you do that consistently/humanely at 55 yards with a pattern density of 37% which is more open than TC at 40 yards?

[ElvisThePelvis]

I find clear pigeon work well, whatever you choose please use fibre wad, I really don't understand why in this day and age people insist on deliberately littering the countryside with plastic, it just gives anti shooting public more reason to object. I wish people would think a little more about their actions and take responsibility for them,shooting sports are on rocky ground as it is.

[rbrowning2]

I find clear pigeon work well, whatever you choose please use fibre wad, I really don't understand why in this day and age people insist on deliberately littering the countryside with plastic, it just gives anti shooting public more reason to object. I wish people would think a little more about their actions and take responsibility for them,shooting sports are on rocky ground as it is.

Totally agree re the use of fibre wads.

[GingerCat]

Kent velocity are ok.

Clear pigeon in fibre (either 30 or 32g as I bet you can't tell) take some beating and have accounted for a good few birds however my current favourite are eley pigeon in 6.5 and 32g.

 

They are fast, hit hard and importantly seem to hold a good pattern. (Case is red so easy to find as well).

 

Over decoys and out to 35-40 yards any 28g 7.5 clay load seems to work well.

[wymberley]

Rottweil Special 12F in 6&1/2s. Just a crying shame about the Hull High Pheasant in 7s being discontinued.

[wildfowler.250]

Cheers for the replies! Clear pigeon seem a firm favourite. Keen on fiber wads of possible.