GRAND PRIX PRO ECO CARTRIDGES

[mgsontour]

Afternoon all

I read with interest the new GRAND PRIX PRO ECO CARTRIDGES ( Grand Prix Traditional & Pro Eco | Eley Hawk (eleyhawkltd.com) )that have come to market, as us more mature shooters remember the original ones years ago these are for our prized old English guns to be able to use steel BUT has anyone used them yet and how do they perform and how much they cost as I'm sick of buying those bismuth at £35/box ?

[Scully]

£419.00 per 1000 from Just Cartridges. 
Which breaks down at £10.74 per box of 25 I think, but will probably be more as that is based on buying a thousand. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Scully

[mgsontour]

30 minutes ago, Scully said:

£419.00 per 1000 from Just Cartridges. 
Which breaks down at £10.74 per box of 25 I think, but will probably be more as that is based on buying a thousand. 

That's on the money; thank you. Now to the important bit...how do they kill because my gut tells me 40yards and not much use after that???? and it would save getting an old English SxS modified for steel once the ban comes into force

[Scully]

I haven’t tried them so can’t help you there. Sorry. 🙂

[London Best]

2 hours ago, mgsontour said:

That's on the money; thank you. Now to the important bit...how do they kill because my gut tells me 40yards and not much use after that???? and it would save getting an old English SxS modified for steel once the ban comes into force

I’ll take forty yard kills from a 2 1/2 inch game gun all day to keep my English guns running. 

[Dave at kelton]

10 hours ago, London Best said:

I’ll take forty yard kills from a 2 1/2 inch game gun all day to keep my English guns running. 

Me too! I don’t fire enough cartridges to worry about the extra cost relative to the cost of a day. All I want is something I can use in the guns, particularly as I am just waiting to collect a Dickson ra to add to the collection.

[mgsontour]

It's an interesting point though, I posted the thread because we were having a chat over coffee the other day and my friend was getting his Purdey's modified to take steel along with a couple of his mates, my reaction was it will spoil daddy's old gun so why not just use bismuth ( he lives in a multi-million pound stately home etc etc ) he nearly fell off his seat on the suggestion of such expense! My personal answer is simple; I use a browning with steel on rough days out and keep my SxS plus 100 bismuth for special days. Obviously Eley have found a niche with the above new cartridge and I can't wait to see them used at higher birds as I personally don't recon they will kill

[mgsontour]

22 hours ago, London Best said:

I’ll take forty yard kills from a 2 1/2 inch game gun all day to keep my English guns running. 

Exactly my point, I don't think they will have enough oomph but my lot are hell bent on getting their guns modified to take standard steel 32grms of 3's

[London Best]

1 minute ago, mgsontour said:

Exactly my point, I don't think they will have enough oomph but my lot are hell bent on getting their guns modified to take standard steel 32grms of 3's

Well, I have not yet used this exact cartridge, but I have every confidence they will do the job when I do.

In fact, I wish they would produce them in a slightly smaller shot size using 30 gram of No. 5 steel instead of just 4’s. 
Express 32 gram steel No. 4’s was my every time load for duck/geese for many years when I had access to lots of wildfowl. Killed Canadas with ease but, I think, too powerful (unnecessary) for driven Partridge.

 

[Scully]

Geoff Garrod has used them extensively for decoying, and he doesn’t miss much. 

[8 shot]

1 hour ago, Scully said:

Geoff Garrod has used them extensively for decoying, and he doesn’t miss much. 

Sponsored by Eley i believe 🤔

[London Best]

9 minutes ago, 8 shot said:

Sponsored by Eley i believe 🤔

Thinking logically, he was hardly likely to be sponsored by Gamebore, using Eley cartridges, was he?

[mk70]

Does anyone know if they are safe to be used in a old sxs   2 3/4 chamber choked 1/4 and 3/4 

dont want to go to the expense of opening the choke on a gun with little value .

when the time comes to shoot steel only I may up grade to something steel proof .

 

 

 

[London Best]

They are designed for 2 1/2 inch guns. All 2 3/4 nitro proof guns will take standard steel any way.

[Scully]

22 minutes ago, 8 shot said:

Sponsored by Eley i believe 🤔

He is yes, because he doesn’t miss much. They aren’t likely to sponsor someone who can’t shoot well. 🙂

[8 shot]

1 hour ago, Scully said:

He is yes, because he doesn’t miss much. They aren’t likely to sponsor someone who can’t shoot well. 🙂

Not likely to show you when he does, either.

 

1 hour ago, London Best said:

Thinking logically, he was hardly likely to be sponsored by Gamebore

Nope, got a multi World Champion for that, now he doesn't miss much. 

[matone]

11 hours ago, mgsontour said:

It's an interesting point though, I posted the thread because we were having a chat over coffee the other day and my friend was getting his Purdey's modified to take steel along with a couple of his mates, my reaction was it will spoil daddy's old gun so why not just use bismuth ( he lives in a multi-million pound stately home etc etc ) he nearly fell off his seat on the suggestion of such expense! My personal answer is simple; I use a browning with steel on rough days out and keep my SxS plus 100 bismuth for special days. Obviously Eley have found a niche with the above new cartridge and I can't wait to see them used at higher birds as I personally don't recon they will kill

My thoughts exactly...the cost of cartridges ,whether steel ,lead or bismuth is negligible to anyone who can afford regular game days and always has been.

On days of say £600-£1000 the cost of bismuth will be £70-£100 ish by my reckoning on current prices.

[holloway]

On 06/05/2021 at 20:48, London Best said:

I’ll take forty yard kills from a 2 1/2 inch game gun all day to keep my English guns running. 

Exactly good point.

[mgsontour]

14 hours ago, London Best said:

Well, I have not yet used this exact cartridge, but I have every confidence they will do the job when I do.

In fact, I wish they would produce them in a slightly smaller shot size using 30 gram of No. 5 steel instead of just 4’s. 
Express 32 gram steel No. 4’s was my every time load for duck/geese for many years when I had access to lots of wildfowl. Killed Canadas with ease but, I think, too powerful (unnecessary) for driven Partridge.

 

I use 28grms 7.5's on partridge with great success and found the 32/4's not enough for ducks but maybe it was where I was pointing them!

[mgsontour]

3 hours ago, matone said:

My thoughts exactly...the cost of cartridges ,whether steel ,lead or bismuth is negligible to anyone who can afford regular game days and always has been.

On days of say £600-£1000 the cost of bismuth will be £70-£100 ish by my reckoning on current prices.

Ditto pal, I go pigeoning with some mates who are financially challenged and they take the Mick out of me all the time because I don't buy the cheapest carts available, like they do, yet sit in the same wood/hide complimenting my higher birds and I'm sick of explaining that carts cost even less than the gin/port they are drinking. Hey everyone does sums differently

[matone]

I hope Eley and other manufacturers start to make a lighter load for those who want to try steel in s/s guns,24-26 gram perhaps?

[wymberley]

15 hours ago, mgsontour said:

It's an interesting point though, I posted the thread because we were having a chat over coffee the other day and my friend was getting his Purdey's modified to take steel along with a couple of his mates, my reaction was it will spoil daddy's old gun so why not just use bismuth ( he lives in a multi-million pound stately home etc etc ) he nearly fell off his seat on the suggestion of such expense! My personal answer is simple; I use a browning with steel on rough days out and keep my SxS plus 100 bismuth for special days. Obviously Eley have found a niche with the above new cartridge and I can't wait to see them used at higher birds as I personally don't recon they will kill

Used to be called genteel poverty. Not so common now as many of the old properties have either been demolished or made into flats.

[8 shot]

33 minutes ago, wymberley said:

Obviously Eley have found a niche with the above new cartridge and I can't wait to see them used at higher birds as I personally don't recon they will kill

I agree entirely, Physics and Ballistics say theyr'e very limited, regardless of who uses them, Garrord or likewise. All these films i take with a pitch of salt, all edited to show the "Sponsors" products are second to none. I do wonder how many Hundereds of thousands of pound it costs us for Gambore, Eley etc. to give these sponsored shooters there 50,000+ cartridges a years. I used to use the same cricket bat as Graham Gooch but could never bat like him.😒 

[wymberley]

5 minutes ago, 8 shot said:

I agree entirely, Physics and Ballistics say theyr'e very limited, regardless of who uses them, Garrord or likewise. All these films i take with a pitch of salt, all edited to show the "Sponsors" products are second to none. I do wonder how many Hundereds of thousands of pound it costs us for Gambore, Eley etc. to give these sponsored shooters there 50,000+ cartridges a years. I used to use the same cricket bat as Graham Gooch but could never bat like him.😒 

I can see how that happened, but it wasn't me: I'll get back to you.

[Charliedog]

2 hours ago, 8 shot said:

I agree entirely, Physics and Ballistics say theyr'e very limited, regardless of who uses them, Garrord or likewise. All these films i take with a pitch of salt, all edited to show the "Sponsors" products are second to none. I do wonder how many Hundereds of thousands of pound it costs us for Gambore, Eley etc. to give these sponsored shooters there 50,000+ cartridges a years. I used to use the same cricket bat as Graham Gooch but could never bat like him.😒 

I hear its much less than 50,000, possibly less than 5000