28g 7’s

[Lloyd90]

I shot some walked up birds today, shooting over some trialling lads and lasses spaniels, using my silver pigeon and Gamebore Blue Diamond 28g 7 1/2’s (these are UK size 7’s I believe). 
 

Not only did I hit and kill stone dead the partridges that I shot at as they flushed ahead, I also hit and killed a 35+ yard pheasant that got up fast and was going away from me, killed it stone dead in the air, and another lad who I have 2 of these cartridges to killed a strong cock pheasant that was crossing in front of him at 25+ yards with the first shot, the bird again stone dead in the air before it hit the ground. 
 

I was using skeet choke and 1/4 although all my first were killed with the first barrel (skeet choke). 
 

 

Very impressed with this combo. Wide open chokes, 28g of UK 7’s shot. 
 

I am even more tempted now to cut an inch or two off the end of my rough SxS and take it from 1/2 and FULL to cylinder and cylinder considering just how good I found wipe open chokes and a nice 7 shot cartridge  

 

I wonder what 30g and 32g 7’s would be like?  

 

I am tempted to stop buying “game cartridges” and “pigeon cartridges” and think I might just buy Game bore blue diamond for everything (apart from Wildfowling!) 

[Ultrastu]

Thats the way I've gone for pigeon and crow shooting .

Ranges limited to around 35 yds with 1/4 choke but that's fine by me .

 

[Stonepark]

1 hour ago, Lloyd90 said:

Very impressed with this combo. Wide open chokes, 28g of UK 7’s shot. 
 

 

 

My prefered 12 bore combo in past, franchi with ***** choke in lower barrel and **** in upper barrel, blue diamond/white gold/black gold, 28g 7.5, good for up to 35 yards with open barrel and 40 yards with upper.

 

When using the 12b now adays (when not using 410), Briley SK (5 thou) and LM (15 thou) in lower and upper respectively, but same cartridges.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Stonepark

[enfieldspares]

Knew a guy used nothing but the "classic" load as recommended by Payne-Gallwey in "High Pheasants in Theory and Practice" of one ounce of English #7. Through his Purdey that was right barrel true cylinder and left barrel improved cylinder. He was in near forty years in this pastime the best game shot I've ever seen. 

However I'd advise the OP not to cut his barrels down but to have the chokes opened up by a good gunsmith to 1/4 and 1/4 and see how he gets on. My own game guns are all Improved and Improved in each barrel. 

Edited October 21, 2020 by enfieldspares

[Old farrier]

It’s fine until you get a bird that’s out a bit further it doesn’t take long for a bird to get to 35 + yards when it’s flushed of the nose of a dog 

[Guest cookoff013]

If it works, why not?

[shalfordninja33]

11 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

I shot some walked up birds today, shooting over some trialling lads and lasses spaniels, using my silver pigeon and Gamebore Blue Diamond 28g 7 1/2’s (these are UK size 7’s I believe). 
 

Not only did I hit and kill stone dead the partridges that I shot at as they flushed ahead, I also hit and killed a 35+ yard pheasant that got up fast and was going away from me, killed it stone dead in the air, and another lad who I have 2 of these cartridges to killed a strong cock pheasant that was crossing in front of him at 25+ yards with the first shot, the bird again stone dead in the air before it hit the ground. 
 

I was using skeet choke and 1/4 although all my first were killed with the first barrel (skeet choke). 
 

 

Very impressed with this combo. Wide open chokes, 28g of UK 7’s shot. 
 

I am even more tempted now to cut an inch or two off the end of my rough SxS and take it from 1/2 and FULL to cylinder and cylinder considering just how good I found wipe open chokes and a nice 7 shot cartridge  

 

I wonder what 30g and 32g 7’s would be like?  

 

I am tempted to stop buying “game cartridges” and “pigeon cartridges” and think I might just buy Game bore blue diamond for everything (apart from Wildfowling!) 

Back in the good old days when Hull made Pro-Trap in 32gm 7's they were my go to cartridge for everything. Not much escaped with cylinder and 1/4. Sadly Hull stopped making them and I went into High Pheasant 30gm 7's for a good few years, then Hull stopped making those and I used 30gm 6's.

I now Shoot RC Sipes through my 12 and 20. 32gm 7 (UK6.5) in the 12 and 26gm 7 in the 20. Both with cylinder and 1/4. There would definitely a market for an English 7.5 in 30gm and 32gm in my view.   

Edited October 21, 2020 by shalfordninja33

[Lloyd90]

9 hours ago, Old farrier said:

It’s fine until you get a bird that’s out a bit further it doesn’t take long for a bird to get to 35 + yards when it’s flushed of the nose of a dog 

Yes I experienced that yesterday, sometimes the bird flushing 10+ yards ahead of the dog as it gets up early. 
 

Still managed to drop a cracking pheasants that got up like this, must have been 35+ with the skeet and 7’s although it I had missed with the first I don’t think I would have tried with the second. 
 

Although the bird was going away from me (shot “up the butt”) it was still killed stone dead in the air... I have used other carts in the past, much more expensive ones such as black gold 32g 5 (think they’re UK 4.5) and many many times have had birds still alive or run on using these carts. 
 

I have made some cracking shots in the past using 30g 6 - clear pigeon, through a 1/2 and FULL choked SxS but I have also missed a lot of birds with that gun that should have been easy shots and in the bag! 

[Guest cookoff013]

1 hour ago, shalfordninja33 said:

Back in the good old days when Hull made Pro-Trap in 32gm 7's they were my go to cartridge for everything. Not much escaped with cylinder and 1/4. Sadly Hull stopped making them and I went into High Pheasant 30gm 7's for a good few years, then Hull stopped making those and I used 30gm 6's.

I now Shoot RC Sipes through my 12 and 20. 32gm 7 (UK6.5) in the 12 and 26gm 7 in the 20. Both with cylinder and 1/4. There would definitely a market for an English 7.5 in 30gm and 32gm in my view.   

You know you can make those shells, right?

I prefer slower loads. On clays i use whatever.

[matone]

40 yr ago ,I knew far more people that used #7 than #6`s !!! Perhaps we were able to watch things go in those days........

[daisyrob1]

3 hours ago, shalfordninja33 said:

Back in the good old days when Hull made Pro-Trap in 32gm 7's they were my go to cartridge for everything. Not much escaped with cylinder and 1/4. Sadly Hull stopped making them and I went into High Pheasant 30gm 7's for a good few years, then Hull stopped making those and I used 30gm 6's.

I now Shoot RC Sipes through my 12 and 20. 32gm 7 (UK6.5) in the 12 and 26gm 7 in the 20. Both with cylinder and 1/4. There would definitely a market for an English 7.5 in 30gm and 32gm in my view.   

Empire cartridges do a 7 and a 7.5 in 32g I think their £85 a slab or £300 thou, owner told me uses 32g in 7.5 for normal range pheasant and partridge. 

[London Best]

Virtually all my pheasants and partridges, pigeons and crows are shot with 28 gram 7’s.  I find it effective to forty five yards. The bigger the shot, the greater the number of runners/cripples with broken wings or legs. It is pattern that kills, provided the energy is (just) sufficient.
 

[old'un]

4 minutes ago, London Best said:

Virtually all my pheasants and partridges, pigeons and crows are shot with 28 gram 7’s.  I find it effective to forty five yards. The bigger the shot, the greater the number of runners/cripples with broken wings or legs. It is pattern that kills, provided the energy is (just) sufficient.
 

^^

I have used English sporter or Fiocchi 28g 7.5s felt wad for a number of years, they kill

if I do my part and at around £190 per thousand what's not to like.

[Lloyd90]

38 minutes ago, matone said:

40 yr ago ,I knew far more people that used #7 than #6`s !!! Perhaps we were able to watch things go in those days........

 

If the bird gets up that far ahead, or you miss it with the first shot... perhaps it deserves to get away  

10 minutes ago, London Best said:

Virtually all my pheasants and partridges, pigeons and crows are shot with 28 gram 7’s.  I find it effective to forty five yards. The bigger the shot, the greater the number of runners/cripples with broken wings or legs. It is pattern that kills, provided the energy is (just) sufficient.
 

Certainly what I have found from experience in the field! More runners and winged birds with 32g 5's. More stone dead birds with 28g 7's ... wonder what the pellet count is on:

30g 6;s 

32g 6's

32g 5's 

and 28g 7's 

 

[London Best]

2 minutes ago, Lloyd90 said:

 

If the bird gets up that far ahead, or you miss it with the first shot... perhaps it deserves to get away  

Certainly what I have found from experience in the field! More runners and winged birds with 32g 5's. More stone dead birds with 28g 7's ... wonder what the pellet count is on:

30g 6;s 

32g 6's

32g 5's 

and 28g 7's 

 

287

302

248

340

assuming traditional British sizes.

[old'un]

5 minutes ago, Lloyd90 said:

 

If the bird gets up that far ahead, or you miss it with the first shot... perhaps it deserves to get away  

Certainly what I have found from experience in the field! More runners and winged birds with 32g 5's. More stone dead birds with 28g 7's ... wonder what the pellet count is on:

30g 6;s 

32g 6's

32g 5's 

and 28g 7's 

 

look here...http://shotshell.drundel.com/pelletcount.htm

[daisyrob1]

8 minutes ago, old'un said:

look here...http://shotshell.drundel.com/pelletcount.htm

Think that's us sizes

[old'un]

10 minutes ago, daisyrob1 said:

Think that's us sizes

Yep, theres not a lot between the two, English...https://www.claygame.co.uk/shot-size-info-22

[Lloyd90]

4 minutes ago, old'un said:

Yep, theres not a lot between the two, English...https://www.claygame.co.uk/shot-size-info-22

Thank you 

[Farmboy91]

I've got some 36g no.7's if you need that little bit more 🤭😂

[Smokersmith]

28g 6.5’s (2.5mm) are a sweet load.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

5 minutes ago, Smokersmith said:

28g 6.5’s (2.5mm) are a sweet load.

They certainly are!

[mk70]

Eley Grand Prix 30grm 7 👍

woodcock partridge or walked up phesant 

always try something new 👍

[figgy]

I've shot game with 25 gram of 6 & 7 shot carts. They held a great pattern 

The old sxs guns had little or no choke, they worked well.

Partridge and early season pheasants 28g of 7 are my choice. 

[Lloyd90]

11 minutes ago, figgy said:

I've shot game with 25 gram of 6 & 7 shot carts. They held a great pattern 

The old sxs guns had little or no choke, they worked well.

Partridge and early season pheasants 28g of 7 are my choice. 

 

I'm debating whether to buy 28g 7's or 24g 7's when I next buy a load of BG Blue Diamond's