Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
I've bored you to tears telling of how loading your own means one can tailor a load for a particular mission. Of course, the flip side is that if the mission changes, the load needs to change too.
So now I snitch on myself.
Last year in the cold I noted that my scores were dropping. I bumped the powder up a bushing, switched to 7 1/2s from my warm weather load of 8 1/2s, and fixed the prob.
So, this year I did the same. Scores have plummeted again, and I blamed lack of practice, lack of focus, and the nasty conditions for it.
Trouble is, I had switched barrels since last winter, and things happen when that occurs.
Anyway, what kicked me off and clued me in was a box of generic ammo, Federal Walmart specials. At AGC last Sunday I had swapped a box of my light stuff for these. A young girl borrowed Son's little NEF and the 3 dram 1 1/8 oz loads would have crippled her in that light little 12. My oz loads of less than 2 3/4 dr eq were easier on her, though I regret to say she really didn't hit much.
So, I had these, fired them off in the middle of a day when I was lucky to hit 20/25, and ran the 25 without much trouble. The wheels started turning. I had just shot better with ammo that by any standard, was not as good for trap as mine were SUPPOSED to be. HHmmmm....
So, I abandoned my light loads, swapped out the 1 oz charge bar for the little used 1 1/8 oz bar, ran the powder up another bushing to 18 grains of Clays, and loaded up 50. Tested them today,scores were 22 and 23. The misses were mine. I was misreading the line etc. The hits were not as devastating as before with my old load, but there were more of them.
I'm using Frankenstein lately instead of my TB, and those loads are thumpers in that lighter shotgun. So, I had a box of 1 1/8 oz 8s along with the old amount of powder. I knew they'd pattern TOO tight at 30 degrees, so I decided to try a more open choke.
Taking out the Light Full Carlson's tube, I put in the Modified Remchoke, giving me .010" less constriction at .710". Using that, I shot another 23, with less thump at shoulder and face.
Duh......
So now I snitch on myself.
Last year in the cold I noted that my scores were dropping. I bumped the powder up a bushing, switched to 7 1/2s from my warm weather load of 8 1/2s, and fixed the prob.
So, this year I did the same. Scores have plummeted again, and I blamed lack of practice, lack of focus, and the nasty conditions for it.
Trouble is, I had switched barrels since last winter, and things happen when that occurs.
Anyway, what kicked me off and clued me in was a box of generic ammo, Federal Walmart specials. At AGC last Sunday I had swapped a box of my light stuff for these. A young girl borrowed Son's little NEF and the 3 dram 1 1/8 oz loads would have crippled her in that light little 12. My oz loads of less than 2 3/4 dr eq were easier on her, though I regret to say she really didn't hit much.
So, I had these, fired them off in the middle of a day when I was lucky to hit 20/25, and ran the 25 without much trouble. The wheels started turning. I had just shot better with ammo that by any standard, was not as good for trap as mine were SUPPOSED to be. HHmmmm....
So, I abandoned my light loads, swapped out the 1 oz charge bar for the little used 1 1/8 oz bar, ran the powder up another bushing to 18 grains of Clays, and loaded up 50. Tested them today,scores were 22 and 23. The misses were mine. I was misreading the line etc. The hits were not as devastating as before with my old load, but there were more of them.
I'm using Frankenstein lately instead of my TB, and those loads are thumpers in that lighter shotgun. So, I had a box of 1 1/8 oz 8s along with the old amount of powder. I knew they'd pattern TOO tight at 30 degrees, so I decided to try a more open choke.
Taking out the Light Full Carlson's tube, I put in the Modified Remchoke, giving me .010" less constriction at .710". Using that, I shot another 23, with less thump at shoulder and face.
Duh......
