Loads for Clay Shooting

[ArmedBear]

I'd love to see opinions, and I know they vary widely.

What do you shoot, and at what?

e.g.:

16 yard trap, 1 oz. #8 at 1135 fps 12G
Handicap trap, 1 oz. #8 at 1250 fps 12G
Chip shoot, 1 1/8 oz. #8.5 at 1150 fps 12G
5-stand, 1 oz. #7.5 at 1250 12G
5-stand, 7/8 oz. #8 at 1200 20G

Are you considering tweaking those loads or do you like them?

 

[Dave McCracken]

I'll play....

For most stuff I tend to use 7/8 oz of shot at 1200 FPS (Book speed, not chronoed). Shot varies from 8.5 to 7.5 depending on time of year.

If I cannot reload the Gun Club 1 oz load comes into play. Usually in 7.5.

 

[johnmcl]

Hi,

I'm still learning the shotgun games, so I'm trying to hold the number of variables down to a minimum. Hence I don't switch ammo a great deal.

Now I'm on Federal shotshells, 7.5 sized shot.

 

[45auto]

They look good...so many combinations to pick from.

I load a lot of 7/8 at @ 1250 FPS range and 1 oz at @ 1200-1225 range. I try to keep the "recoil" sensations similar between loads if I can, which is one reason I reload...don't really like to try new loads.

"Conventional wisdom" is 7 1/2's from 40 yards+. I've switched back and forth with similar results, but would "err" on the side of heavier shot if in doubt, and tighter chokes...if in doubt. That's probably more a "personality trait", than a "results test".

 

[PJR]

Speed kills

12 gauge
7/8s ounce #8 @ 1300fps for targets within 35-40 yards
1 ounce #7-1/2 @ 1,350 for longer shots

28 gauge
3/4s #8-1/2 @ 1,200 fps within 25-30 yards
3/4s #8 @ 1,320 fps for longer shot.

 

[ArmedBear]

"Conventional wisdom" is 7 1/2's from 40 yards+. I've switched back and forth with similar results, but would "err" on the side of heavier shot if in doubt, and tighter chokes...if in doubt. That's probably more a "personality trait", than a "results test".

I thought that, too. I was shooting 1 oz. of 7.5 @ 1250 at just about anything.

Then I didn't have time to reload and had to buy factory ammo for a "games" night, and won a chip shoot with the first box I bought: 1 1/8 oz. of #8 @ 1185.

This was past 40 yards, and chips fly off fast at odd angles, too, so sustained leads are not practical. Yet, the "slow" ammo with #8 shot still worked better than what I had been shooting. This experience made me really reconsider whether sacrificing pellet count for distance really makes sense. Then I found out that some really good trap shooters at my club use #8 at 1200 fps, or less, for 27 yards. I can't argue with straights.

So now I'm rethinking. I loaded a bunch of 1 oz. #8 @ 1125 or so last night. I'm going to see how it works, and probably up the velocity a bit from there. But I'm curious to see.

#8 has 410 pellets per oz., vs. #7.5 which has 350

That can add up to a significant loss in pattern density. Is it worth it for more mass per pellet? I want to find out.

 

[45auto]

All good points.

I'll give you my philosophy on it which is worth what you paid for it . Based on personal experience, what I "see", what I read from credible sources and just plain common sense.

All things being equal, more shot and bigger bores(12 versus 20 for example) is always better. Meaning, bigger effective patterns, more room for "error". Recoil and clay target "rules" dictate how much shot to use IMHO...maybe cost now as lead had skyrocketed. Rules meaning FITASC is 1 oz max, International is 7/8 oz, etc. American skeet and trap, sporting still allow 1 1 /8 oz. Sporting in England is 1 oz.

In the old days, 1200 FPS was "heavy" and 1150 was "light". I didn't see much over 1200 until 1oz and 7/8 oz became more prevalent. My understanding of the speed increase was to "improve", widen the pattern with less shot...because you reduce the effective pattern with less shot, 1/8 oz. So, 1200 FPS, IMO, is plenty for shooting any targets. Gains in speed give little in "energy" and none in lead or shooting style. Meaning, do you alter your "leads" if you increase the speed 100 FPS...no...right?

7 1/2's do retain more energy than 8's at longer distance. Less deflected by wind and I've "read" less pellets to break a target. Less...but bigger. Sounds reasonable to me, but we all know shooters that use just 8's.

Recoil is an "issue", both short and long term. It seems to vary by individual, how much shooting, etc. Common sense dictates recoil is not good, so less is better...however anyone works that out.

Just some thoughts.

 

[ArmedBear]

For chip shooting, I know guys who use 8.5 and 9 shot, even out at long ranges, because the dense patterns are more likely to break a chip.

I haven't tried that, but it sounds intriguing. 9 can't retain its energy/velocity for long, though.

It would be interesting to use a high-speed video camera and watch the shot in slow-mo later! That could be really informative.

 

[redneck2]

So...would somebody that's a hard core clay's shooter take a bird out at different distances and actually shoot at it to see where the effective range ends??

It'd be interesting

 

[The Deer Hunter]

1 1/8th oz of 7 1/2 shot
21 grains of Hodgen's international clays
Remington nitro 27 hulls


I think its about 1200 FPS.

 

[byf43]

Favorite all-time shotgun fodder (NO matter what I'm going after, 'cept geese):

1-1/8 oz shot
18 gr. Red Dot
Claybuster wad OR Winchester WAA12 (white) wad
Winchester AA or preferably the old Peters 'Blue Magic' hulls (which I still have a small 'once-fired' stash of!)
The Remington Premier hulls are pretty decent too. I'm still fond of the 'Blue Magic' though.
CCI 209 primer
This yields as whopping 1200 fps according to the book and this patterns like a DREAM in my dear old Remington 1100.

Many a clay bird, dove, chukkar and pheasant have fallen to this load.

 

[PJR]

So...would somebody that's a hard core clay's shooter take a bird out at different distances and actually shoot at it to see where the effective range ends??

Not with an actual clay. When they are not spinning they are harder to break. I pattern the loads at the distance I intend to use them.

 

[sm]

Reloads of which I have no clue.
Buckets in all 4 gauges say Skeet/Dove/Whatever Stuff- I just get what I need/ whatever dumped into a borrowed pouch.
I snag whatever gun/ use whatever handed to me and shoot all sorts of clay, doves when in season and Whatever Stuff.

Stuff breaks...

I really have gone simple...
I really do just show up empty handed most times...

Mentors did this...seemed to work fine for them...

 

[Hoser]

I just load to 1200 fps. All gauges.

12 skeet, 1 oz #8.5
12 trap, 1.125 #7.5
12 SC, 1.125 #7.8

28 skeet and trap, .75 oz #9
28 SC, .75 #8

410 skeet and trap, .5 oz #9
410 sc, .5 #8

One velocity means only one lead to work with. One less variable.

 

[ilmonster]

I shoot primarily skeet from a Citori XT. I reload Winchester shells - 7/8 oz. at 1200 fps per Hodgden manual using Clays.

 

[mswestfall]

I only load two shells:
1 oz. #8's at 1,180 fps (Chronograph at about 1,207-1,210)
1 1/8 oz #7 1/2's at 1,200 fps (charonograph at about 1,197-1,200)

I shoot the 7 1/2's at 24 yard trap (and beyond) and in the second shot of trap doubles. I shoot the 8's at everything else.

 

[ArmedBear]

ms-

That's what I was thinking of doing. EXACTLY!

I take it that these loads work for you.

 

[mswestfall]

ArmedBear

I feel that these loads have served me well until recently. I've shot poorly for the past couple of months; especially recently at the club Spring league shoot and yesterday at Fort Bragg.

I asked a person I trust for help. He basically said that I haven't been shooting as much as I used to shoot. The truth hurts. He convinced me that there is no reason to blame the loads. I shot the 1 oz #8's at singles at Sprata, IL last August and shot my best 200 bird score to date.

The rest is whining.

 

[ArmedBear]

Load report:

Shot those 1 oz. #8 @ 1125fps shells today. They worked fine. I shot a round of progressive trap, and scored 21. Everything I missed was mid-range (19 to 23). I hit everything at 25 and 27. There was a bit of a noticeable delay between the report and the breaking bird, but they broke decisively, at the longer ranges.

So, this low-recoil, slow load works fine for American trap out to 27. Something a hair faster and a hair heavier might inspire a bit more confidence with snappier breaks, and I'll probably load handicap shells with 7.5 and a bit faster. But I don't really have to, at least if it's not windy.