Comparison between low cost and high cost cartridges

[ChrisAsh]

With such a large variation on cartridge prices and people often quoting, the higher the price the more consistent the shot, I wonder if any individual has taken a good sample from many makes, to compare how consistent the loads are, or if its just perceived difference. after all apart from retail and sending many samples to a proof house to check velocity and pressure variations its hard to judge. Even patten testing has large variables like wind and temp to upset results

Edited December 19, 2017 by ChrisAsh

[ips]

a friend of mine is a ballistic guru and has analysed most makes and models incl analysis of antimony content. Myself and another friend have chronod many makes and models and between us we concluded some time ago that pounds buy you consistency. Which is all well and good if you are shooting OT and ABT at a reasonably high level as we were but for general clay and game I doubt that the extra pounds for expensive stuff makes any notable difference

[Dunkield]

About a month ago I witnessed one of the best game shots I have ever seen,  and we get some decent shots on the estate including on occasion George Digweed etc

He was taking high fast birds over the head of the gun on the next peg and the gun on the peg beyond that, and was killing them with absolute ease (once they had missed with both barrels) I went over to help him pick some birds and he asked if I could help pick up his empties.

As they say in Viz 'imagine my surprise' when I picked up handfuls of Hull Superfast 6's  (i.e their low end pigeon load) - so if it matters not to someone like that, why would it matter to your average shot?

[Whitebridges]

I'm not surprised in the slightest Dunkield. The Hull Superfast No 6 holds up with the best.

For my money a top game / pigeon shell is the Express Pigeon Power which is half the money of the higher end game shells.

        

 

[JDog]

I use nothing else but Hull Superfast no.6. Sadly I cannot claim to be as accurate as the Gun Dunkeld describes.

[b325]

I thought it was you he was talking about

[JDog]

6 minutes ago, b325 said:

I thought it was you he was talking about

Did you ever get any?

[Robertt]

Big fan of 29g Pigeon Power.

Used them back to back with Express Supreme Game the other week and couldn't notice any difference at the target end.

Perhaps we should not shout so loudly as we might trigger a price rise !

 

[b325]

1 hour ago, JDog said:

Did you ever get any?

Unfortunately not. I haven't found anyone who stocks them in my area yet. I will keep looking for them though.

[moor man]

2 hours ago, Whitebridges said:

 

        

 

+1

I use these for driven pheasant, they work for me, always available locally at reasonable price.

mm.

[motty]

There isn't that much to choose between a lot of the cartridges on the shelf, which is why I always stick to sensibly priced options.

[washerboy]

Besides the black gold I was given the best I have found have been gamebore super game .They seem cheap enough and several local dealers stock them .

[figgy]

The Superfast 27g have been my go to Cartridge since they first came out as a limited run using up old components. I’ve had some very good results with them on clays. Until the hiked the price when other makers brought out some real bargains £40.00 a thou cheaper.  The 29g 6 are one of the best I’ve used along with the clear cased original Kent Velocity carts. 

 Suppose it also depends on what your gun likes 

[Dangerous Brian]

17 hours ago, b325 said:

Unfortunately not. I haven't found anyone who stocks them in my area yet. I will keep looking for them though.

You could try Allcock Outdoor store in Stourport if not too far away. Alternatively, Herford and Worcester shooting ground (Redditch) might have some.

[Dunkield]

I was under the impression you will struggle to find Superfast 6's during the game season?

I hope that isn't true as I have none and a couple of beaters days coming up soon.

[johnnytheboy]

I’ve shot loot of game cartridges at driven pheasants and I think you’d be hard pushed to tell the difference from most of them, Eley VIP, VIRI Super, Black Gold, Dark Storm, Hull HPX, Lyalvale Supreme, Rottweil Tiger, SIPE, Mirage Xpert, Proper Hi-speed are all about the same in my confidence and my perceived results! If you mixed them up in a big bag I’d be happy to shoot all of them like that.

The thing is with those cartridges there is a huge price difference from the Propers and Mirage to the Darkstorm and tigers. Depending on where you buy them there could be nearly £200 a thousand difference! When you think about it, that’s pretty crazy! What do you really get for another £200? 

 

Now this is the strange thing, I swear the Rio Royal are marginally better, now I don’t know why that is, is it just me, somewhere along the line did I shoot a high pheasant or something that has stuck at the back of my brain, the only thing I can see  different is that the shot size is bigger, Could that make such a big difference? 

[Smokersmith]

I know exactly what you mean.....

[ChrisAsh]

As a **** clay shooter myself I just buy the cheapest going and have no interest in competitions. But still cannot understand how people "say this is my favourite cartridge" apart from Recoil or pattern test how can you tell?. is it all a physiological thing, hit a couple of awkward birds or clays and forever after believe that that cartridge made the difference

I can understand constancy to a certain level it must be better than variations, but if you pattern a gun you never get two identical patterns, so would things end up the same using the cheapest available

[panoma1]

12 hours ago, johnnytheboy said:

I’ve shot loot of game cartridges at driven pheasants and I think you’d be hard pushed to tell the difference from most of them, Eley VIP, VIRI Super, Black Gold, Dark Storm, Hull HPX, Lyalvale Supreme, Rottweil Tiger, SIPE, Mirage Xpert, Proper Hi-speed are all about the same in my confidence and my perceived results! If you mixed them up in a big bag I’d be happy to shoot all of them like that.

The thing is with those cartridges there is a huge price difference from the Propers and Mirage to the Darkstorm and tigers. Depending on where you buy them there could be nearly £200 a thousand difference! When you think about it, that’s pretty crazy! What do you really get for another £200? 

 

Now this is the strange thing, I swear the Rio Royal are marginally better, now I don’t know why that is, is it just me, somewhere along the line did I shoot a high pheasant or something that has stuck at the back of my brain, the only thing I can see  different is that the shot size is bigger, Could that make such a big difference? 

Though I do not have the range of shop bought cartridges mentioned, I will happily just fish two game cartridges at random from the bag and fire them! I know they are 6/7 shot, 28/30 gram x 2.5 inches long, fibre, are comfortable to shoot and if I hold the gun straight will kill what I am aiming at! That goes for driven and walked up game of most species.....I don't care what colour they are or what logo is on the case......fowling cartridges? Now there is a different kettle of fish! I load my own non tox to suit the expected situation/quarry.

[mecman]

3 hours ago, panoma1 said:

Though I do not have the range of shop bought cartridges mentioned, I will happily just fish two game cartridges at random from the bag and fire them! I know they are 6/7 shot, 28/30 gram x 2.5 inches long, fibre, are comfortable to shoot and if I hold the gun straight will kill what I am aiming at! That goes for driven and walked up game of most species.....I don't care what colour they are or what logo is on the case......fowling cartridges? Now there is a different kettle of fish! I load my own non tox to suit the expected situation/quarry.

Now there’s a sensible man.

[Jason_ox]

Generally I stick to one cartridge, black gold game. It’s not an unwillingness to try others, I think I’m susceptible to overthinking things which makes me miss more.

It’s just one thing that I don’t have think about, I’m confident with it I know the cartridge can kill and all the others can too but in my mind THIS cartridge is my choice and if I miss it’s down to me and I can’t blame my choice cartridge  

[washerboy]

At clays I shoot anything in 21-24 g , I can’t see the point in paying extra for 28g that are harder on the shoulder 

[MattSoanes]

On 19 December 2017 at 18:22, Whitebridges said:

I'm not surprised in the slightest Dunkield. The Hull Superfast No 6 holds up with the best.

For my money a top game / pigeon shell is the Express Pigeon Power which is half the money of the higher end game shells.

        Just picked up 500 of these ( plastic wad ) at £53.50 a slab, looking forward to getting out after Christmas and trying them out.

 

 

[welshwarrior]

I'm not massively cartridge fussy but 29g 6 for most driven days I shoot wont cut it a 32g 5 is the minuim and after October I shoot that at most things going to 32/34g 4s on the high stuff. 

[Wingman]

Always use pigeon power for pigeon shooting in all my guns and the occasional game day. As for clays I tend to buy whatever is on offer and shoot equally badly with all of them. Currently working through a 1000 power blues.  

Edited December 26, 2017 by Wingman