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Cartridges For Walked Up Shooting


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Good Afternoon all. 

Hope you are all doing well? 

I have my first ever walked up day coming up soon (pheasant etc) and I wondered what cartridges you guys use or what you would recommend? I have only ever shot clays before and so I'm a bit stuck on what load and shot size to go for. I have a 12 gauge. 

You're help would be fantastic 😉

Cheers

James 

Edited by Jimbob93
Forgot a few points
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Yes, if your a guest or a paying gun just check on the wad situation.  50yrs ago we all used Eley Grand Prix 5s and things seemed to die just the same.  It is all down to what your likely to see.  If on moorland/marshy ground you might get a chance of snipe and so 7s would be a good choice but put it in the pattern at a sensible range and it will work.

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If you've only shot clays and only therefore have clay loads - having sensibly asked before buying any game versions - they may not be up to it. It's odds on that walking up you won't be firing too many so that expense will not be excessive. Some 30g 7s, 6s and as it's walked up and possibly rangey giving the cartridge some work to do, 5&1/2s. Any left over can be used for pigeon. If it's an organised do, just ask the organisers or a regular visitor- any of those mentioned will cover it.

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3 minutes ago, wymberley said:

If you've only shot clays and only therefore have clay loads - having sensibly asked before buying any game versions - they may not be up to it. It's odds on that walking up you won't be firing too many so that expense will not be excessive. Some 30g 7s, 6s and as it's walked up and possibly rangey giving the cartridge some work to do, 5&1/2s. Any left over can be used for pigeon. If it's an organised do, just ask the organisers or a regular visitor- any of those mentioned will cover it.

Too much theory. 
I know a head keeper who only ever uses 21 gram 7.5’s and everything dies just the same.

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54 minutes ago, Jimbob93 said:

Good Afternoon all. 

Hope you are all doing well? 

I have my first ever walked up day coming up soon (pheasant etc) and I wondered what cartridges you guys use or what you would recommend? I have only ever shot clays before and so I'm a bit stuck on what load and shot size to go for. I have a 12 gauge. 

You're help would be fantastic 😉

Cheers

James 

 

Buy a slab of Gamebore Blue Diamond - 28g 7 1/2 (they are UK size 7 shot). Put in open chokes, skeet and 1/4 if you have them. 1/4 and 1/2 max. 

 

There will be people there using all sorts of silly loads, 36g 4's, 34g 5's, Black Gold this, extreme game that. 

Use fairly open chokes, size 7 shot (if you can get 30-32g 7's even better), swing through and don't over think it. 

 

I have killed more birds stone dead in the air this year shooting 28g of 7 shot than I have in the past few seasons shooting 30-32g 6's and 5's. Many large cock birds, and many good pheasants at decent range. Mostly all walked up shooting as well so shot from behind.

One gun was telling me how my 7's were no good and he offered me some 30g' 5's, almost forcing them into my hand. He missed the next 2 birds, both of which I proceeded to shoot stone dead in the air with 28g 7's. I said "Did I hit those?" as I then handed him his cartridges back. He said "Ah you just had to prove me wrong didn't you!" and laughed about it. 

 

 

If you are shooting ducks you will have to shoot steel anyway. If you can get them just take a handful of Gamebore Super Steel 32g 4's (can be used in any nitro proof gun). 

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Whilst you can overthink these things it does, however, pay to at least consider some things. I'll list them and then why I conclude what I've concluded.

1) What chamber length is your gun?

2) What weight is it?

AS YOU ARE WALKING UP THESE ARE MOSTLY IRRELEVANT AS YOU WON'T BE FIRING THAT MANY SHOTS. SO UNLIKE A FULL DRIVEN DAY THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SHOTS FIRED TO WORRY ABOUT BRUISED SHOULDERS - ASSUMING OF COURSE THAT YOUR GUN FITS. CHAMBER LENGTH ALSO IS ONLY RELEVANT IN THAT IS ISN'T RELEVANT. YOU WON'T NEED 36 GRAM LOADS SO ANY 65MM OR 70MM CARTRIDGE WILL BE ADEQUATE.

3) Is it just pheasants?

4) Or is it pheasants and "mixed" which may be woodcock and snipe and/or ground game?

5) What choke is you gun?

THIS IS HUGELY IMPORTANT. IF JUST PHEASANTS YOU'LL BE OK WITH ENGLISH #6. IF GROUND GAME YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER ENGLISH #5. IF THERE'S LIKELY SNIPE AND WOODCOCK ENGLISH #7.

THE CHOKE MAY HELP YOU GO UP A SHOT SIZE YET STILL MAINTAIN A KILLING PATTERN. SO YOU CAN...JUST ABOUT...IF PHEASANT AND GROUND GAME GET AWAY WITH 32 GRAM ENGLISH #5.

IF PHEASANT AND WOODCOCK AND/OR SNIPE HALF CHOKE MAY AGAIN HELP YOU MAINTAIN A KILLING PATTERN WITH 30 GRAM ENGLISH #6 OR BETTER EVEN 32 GRAM ENGLISH #6. BUT IF YOUR GUN IS OPEN CHOKE AND WALKED UP WOODCOCK ARE EXPECTED AND/OR SNIPE YOU HAVE REALLY GOT TO LOOK AT 28 GRAM OF ENGLISH #7 OR IF NOT THEN 32 GRAM ENGLISH #6 AS A MINIMUM.

So my advice and this is of course for walked up would be 32 gram of English #6 as a good all around cartridge as it has the pattern and, yet, put to forty-five yards the killing force needed on pheasant.

It's not a combination I like for driven shooting and I'd go to either 28 gram English #7 or 30 gram English #6 for that in any gun. But for walked up those extra few pellets in 32 gram English #6 are helpful.

Edited by enfieldspares
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6 minutes ago, enfieldspares said:

Whilst you can overthink these things it does, however, pay to at least consider some things. I'll list them and then why I conclude what I've concluded.

1) What chamber length is your gun?

2) What weight is it?

AS YOU ARE WALKING UP THESE ARE MOSTLY IRRELEVANT AS YOU WON'T BE FIRING THAT MANY SHOTS. SO UNLIKE A FULL DRIVEN DAY THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SHOTS FIRED TO WORRY ABOUT BRUISED SHOULDERS - ASSUMING OF COURSE THAT YOUR GUN FITS. CHAMBER LENGTH ALSO IS ONLY RELEVANT IN THAT IS ISN'T RELEVANT. YOU WON'T NEED 36 GRAM LOADS SO ANY 65MM OR 70MM CARTRIDGE WILL BE ADEQUATE.

3) Is it just pheasants?

4) Or is it pheasants and "mixed" which may be woodcock and snipe and/or ground game?

5) What choke is you gun?

THIS IS HUGELY IMPORTANT. IF JUST PHEASANTS YOU'LL BE OK WITH ENGLISH #6. IF GROUND GAME YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER ENGLISH #5. IF THERE'S LIKELY SNIPE AND WOODCOCK ENGLISH #7.

THE CHOKE MAY HELP YOU GO UP A SHOT SIZE YET STILL MAINTAIN A KILLING PATTERN. SO YOU CAN...JUST ABOUT...IF PHEASANT AND GROUND GAME GET AWAY WITH 32 GRAM ENGLISH #5.

IF PHEASANT AND WOODCOCK AND/OR SNIPE HALF CHOKE MAY AGAIN HELP YOU MAINTAIN A KILLING PATTERN WITH 30 GRAM ENGLISH #6 OR BETTER EVEN 32 GRAM ENGLISH #6. BUT IF YOUR GUN IS OPEN CHOKE AND WALKED UP WOODCOCK ARE EXPECTED AND/OR SNIPE YOU HAVE REALLY GOT TO LOOK AT 28 GRAM OF ENGLISH #7 OR IF NOT THEN 32 GRAM ENGLISH #6 AS A MINIMUM.

So my advice and this is of course for walked up would be 32 gram of English #6 as a good all around cartridge as it has the pattern and, yet, put to forty-five yards the killing force needed on pheasant.

It's not a combination I like for driven shooting and I'd go to either 28 gram English #7 or 30 gram English #6 for that in any gun. But for walked up those extra few pellets in 32 gram English #6 are helpful.

Er thinking snipe are waterfowl so non toxic?

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