Jump to content

What size shot for Clay shooting?


jweaver
 Share

Recommended Posts

I think the thing is to stick to a cartridge / shot size and choke you and your gun are happy with, and then forget about it and just enjoy your shooting, :good:

 

If you start mixing this that and the other you will end up chasing your tail when you start missing targets, as you will start to convince yourself that it is the shot size or the choking that is wrong, where as in fact the only thing that is really wrong is you have not put the shot in the right place- it happens to all of us!

 

If you can, get your gun patterned with you chosen cartridge/ choke setting, this could be a real eye opener – and help you enormously.

 

David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9,s for skeet, 8,s for Sporting. 7,s for Trap. BUT 7 1/2,s for Everything, if you just shoot 7 1/2,s you will be able to hit and break everything.Use 1/4 & 1/2 choke whilst you are learning and Maybe ,use 1/2 & 3/4 for distant birds like you get at tough shooting grounds.This is really psychological because frankly you will break most targets with 1/4 & 1/2.Remember if you hit ALL the easy targets and miss just a few hard ones you will win.

Edited by Salopian
Link to comment
Share on other sites

#8 too. As i understand it #8 will do most of your hale bale shoots. I think the idea is that #7.5 have more punch at slightly longer ranges than #8. As i shoot hales bales i go for #8, one one day i just happened to have a better day using them. If you are a general clayshooter then i'll doubt you'll notice any difference , just got what whatever you feel confident in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I've been trying 6.5 fitasc loads on fast/ hard targets and a mix of 9's and 8's on slow incomers/rabbits and close ones,its been really working for me thinking more about the targets speed/distance and using the different shot sizes acordingly, but keeping my chokes the same. I tried messing arround with them but confused maters so now stick to 1/4 and 3/8.

 

Haggis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just adding to the thread.... I have just started using 7.5's instead of 8's. No noticeable difference either way for me.

 

I have also been trying 21g Hull Comp X..... as they are a damn site cheaper than the gamebore XLR White Gold 28g that I was using....

 

is there really such a huge difference in using a 28g & 21g load in terms of performance? I'm sure this has been discussed many times, but as a newbie there was a big difference in felt recoil & for me no difference in what I was breaking..... but then my scores aren't big enough to tell a difference. Am due to stock up on some carts & any advice appreciated (although I know it comes down to personal pref. I suppose).....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 1/2 28gr fiber all the time, even used them for live birds with success when I've run short.

My mate has started using 24gr 71/2 steels and he loves them. They're cheap, low recoil and they work! He also has 1/4 choke in both.

I really think its all down to putting the shot in the right place in the end so use whatever you want(sensibly)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I shoot 7.5 UK at everything . I have never been convinced of the benefits of smaller shot on skeet targets or any other for that matter . The statistics will tell you the formula for breaking each kind of clay in terms of number of pellets with a specific amount of energy (ie mass x speed squared) . This translates into a given number of pellets size say 7.5 with a given speed at 40 yards to be sure of a break ( breaks therefore depend on the weight , speed and number of pellets hitting the clay). The area of the clay to be hit may change the number /speed combination , eg. the hardest part of the target is the edge of the dome , the most fragile the underside of the clay. Some clays are harder to break than others , the rabbit clay for example .

From this you can see that the less lead in the cartridge the harder it will be to break some clays at longer distances as the pellet density will fall off with increased distance of the clay from the gun .If you start with a low lead cartridge eg 21gm, you will find that you hit the target with fewer pellets at a given range than a 24gm or 28gm particularly as the distance to the target increases .

Edited by T.C.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My only experience with 21gm wasn't a good one. Didn't hit anything in 6 tries, immediately switched back to the 28s and was smoking the exact same clays, as in vaporised not just broken.

 

This experiment was only 5 mins long on one stand at Fennes, maybe the 21s need different amounts of lead or something. But as I'm recoil proof, I'll just skip them for the time being and try them again when I'm 75 years old.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I shoot 7.5 UK at everything . I have never been convinced of the benefits of smaller shot on skeet targets or any other for that matter . The statistics will tell you the formula for breaking each kind of clay in terms of number of pellets with a specific amount of energy (ie mass x speed squared) . This translates into a given number of pellets size say 7.5 with a given speed at 40 yards to be sure of a break ( breaks therefore depend on the weight , speed and number of pellets hitting the clay). The area of the clay to be hit may change the number /speed combination , eg. the hardest part of the target is the edge of the dome , the most fragile the underside of the clay. Some clays are harder to break than others , the rabbit clay for example .Crossing clays are easier to break than straight aways,

From this you can see that the less lead in the cartridge the harder it will be to break some clays at longer distances as the pellet density will fall off with increased distance of the clay from the gun .If you start with a low lead cartridge eg 21gm, you will find that you hit the target with fewer pellets at a given range than a 24gm or 28gm particularly as the distance to the target increases .

 

 

Maybe I need to read that several times to understand it. But if a 21gr gives a better pattern then you will probably hit the clay with more pellets at a longer ranges than if you use 28gr.

 

I do not understand your logic behind a crosser being easier to break than a going away bird. They both are edge on and will need the same energy.

 

At the Essex masters 2 years ago BTMS broke a very long range midi crosser with a 1/4 choke and a load of 9's, not once but several times. It is all about shot placement, not size of pellet or choke or any other formula.

 

Why use 7.5's on skeet birds? they can all be powdered with cylinder chokes and 9's

 

Only yesterday I was breaking a fast teal at about 35 yards with 9's. I probably use more 9's than anything else at club shoots. And I also never use more than a 1/4 choke.

 

You are thinking to much about the science behind shooting and not actually shooting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i pretty much shoot #8 at every thing except #7 at long or edge on rabbits, 1/2 choke in both barrels, even when 36g was allowed in fitasc i only used 28g or maybe an odd 32g and never felt as though i needed more lead to break any target, saying that though there were several targets that i wouldnt have broken what ever i shot at them.

 

mikee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...