Any clay-shooters here? Help with cartridge decisions?

[Unknownsoldier]

Hi Guys,

I'm getting into DTL/Olympic/English sporting etc. clay pigeon shooting.

I have a nice Italian Rizzini 12 bore O/U, with a full and half choke in at the moment. I'm using mainly "Kent,Fibre Wad 7 1/2, 28grms", but today grabbed a small selection to try as the Olympic trap is annoying me, so I got some SAGA Size 6's, 32 grms (for bird hunting), magnum load fibre wad, and intend to use this to lead and a standard to follow, to give me the extra distance I need. I also picked up a couple of SAGA Eurotrap Game 28's, which are a 7 1/2 and an 8, to see how I go.

I have been recommended Hull and Winchester, but anyone else got any recommendations? Only proviso's are, must be fibre wadded (shooting over agricultural and Wetland) and lead, no steel, tungsten or coated shot.... don't know why, club rules :D

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Tom

[Jethro1984]

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/shotshell.aspx

Look at the above page for "Sporting Clay". I think some of these should meet your expectations.

I like Federal Ammunition though I do not own any shotguns. I have, however, done an awful lot of shotgun shooting. Scouts, other Sporting, and Law Enforcement Training.

Anything Winchester is not bad either.

[Dennis]

If you are going to do any significant amount of shooting, most everyone at my club reloads. They save the shotgun shells, reround/resize them and reload them. Saves a bundle of money. MEC (http://www.mecreloaders.com/) makes the one most commonly used - the Sizemaster for shotguns.

[Unknownsoldier]

Superb, thanks I have some Winchester Game X (IIRC, left in a bag my grandfather left me :D), must give it a go, but I may buy a new box as the ammo has to be 10+ years old, I still have paper cartridged Sellier and Bellot!!!!

:D

Thanks again,
Tom

[Unknownsoldier]

If you are going to do any significant amount of shooting, most everyone at my club reloads. They save the shotgun shells, re cound them and reload them. Saves a bundle of money. MEC (http://www.mecreloaders.com/) makes the one most commonly used - the Sizemaster for shotguns.

Most places in the UK have banned reloaded shells, my club has :-( Otherwise I'd reload and set my rounds to suit my style :D

Thanks,
Tom

[Dennis]

Most places in the UK have banned reloaded shells, my club has :-( Otherwise I'd reload and set my rounds to suit my style :D

Thanks,
Tom

That sucks. :frown:

I used Remington STS trap loads:
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshell/target/

Dunno availability across the pond though.

[Jethro1984]

Tom,

I just saw your requirement about the Fiber Wadding. You may want to check to make sure that Winchester and Federal offer a Fiber Wad. Everything of theirs I've used has had plastic wadding, but by no means have I experimented with all of their lines.

Cheers.

[Unknownsoldier]

That sucks. :frown:

I used Remington STS trap loads:
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshell/target/

Dunno availability across the pond though.

I think the problem was you couldn't tell what was loaded into the round, i.e. solid slug large ball, nuts bolt, glass....... and with the UKs strict policy on A). Wetlands shooting (places like the Isle of Sheppey, tune you're banjos up boys ;-) have lead totally banned, steel shot only, as it is an "ASSI"), and B). Certain rounds can only be purchased on a firearms certificate, and some on a shotgun certificate..... we can laso only have 3 shots maximum on a shotgun, on a shotgun licence, but can have 5 if we have a firearms licence.... go figure.

ATB,
Tom

[Unknownsoldier]

Tom,

I just saw your requirement about the Fiber Wadding. You may want to check to make sure that Winchester and Federal offer a Fiber Wad. Everything of theirs I've used has had plastic wadding, but by no means have I experimented with all of their lines.

Cheers.

I'm sure they will do, most professional "Trappers" use plastic, but it's a club rule, fibre is more widely accepted than plastic, which is a pity because Hull does some mean magnum rounds with extra long distance characteristics, perfect for my problem on the OT, but they are all plastic cup, they do some alternative fibre wads but nowhere near as many versions...

Tom

[Dennis]

To be honest, I was even surprised you could own a shotgun. :biggrin:

[Unknownsoldier]

I'm surprised too......... I had to bolt a steel cabinet minimum of two locks into an inacessable place, but not too innacessable..... with 4 size 8 rawl bolts, and bolts into the floor, and I have to keep my gun locked away at all times except for cleaning use or transport.... I had to have a police check, a medical records check, and have a referee........ then I had to pay 50 quid for them to give me a licence, I also got a home visit and interview, and check before anything was processed........

You guys it's a three day waiting period!

Envious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol::lol:

Tom

[airplanedoc]

In the past I shot in a Trap league. A group of us went together and bought a Pallet of Winchester shells, We were getting them for like $20 a case, But several people did shoot reloads.

You might want to check out another forum that I belong to

thehighroad.org

http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=27 link to competition shootign forum there

There is a pretty good forum there on competition shooting, as well as reloading and b/s/t

It is kind of the badger and blade of shooting sports. Lots of great people happy to offer advice, and information.

[Unknownsoldier]

In the past I shot in a Trap league. A group of us went together and bought a Pallet of Winchester shells, We were getting them for like $20 a case, But several people did shoot reloads.

You might want to check out another forum that I belong to

thehighroad.org

http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=27 link to competition shootign forum there

There is a pretty good forum there on competition shooting, as well as reloading and b/s/t

It is kind of the badger and blade of shooting sports. Lots of great people happy to offer advice, and information.

Cool, thanks mate I'll mosey on over and have a little nose :D

Tom

[airplanedoc]

You guys it's a three day waiting period!

If you buy blackpowder you can take it home with you. In some places if you have a conceled weapon permit, I believe you can also take home that day.

[Unknownsoldier]

Cool :D

I believe here, you have to have an explosives licence and have it weighed out for blackpowder etc.....

Tom

[Dennis]

You guys it's a three day waiting period!

Where I live, a 3 day waiting period only for handguns. If you have a concealed weapon permit, then there is no wait. Shotguns, rifles, and blackpowder are all buy and take home on the spot. No registration or any of that. Handguns have to be registered though.

[Unknownsoldier]

Anyone here tell me where I can sign my Greencard :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::bigg rin::biggrin:

[_JP_]

Dove season started here today, so forget about going to the skeet range!

I think that if you talk to others at your club they can point you in the right direction for ammo.

[airplanedoc]

In sanctioned trap and skeet there is no shooting reloads anyway, just off the shelf (so to speak) stuff. At my club they don't care if you shoot reloads. I am not convinced that my own shells would be that much better and I cant shoot much better than 45/50 anyway so its not like I am in contention for winning anything.


For the Annie Oakley after trap is over the hot and highly customized loads all come out. Pretty interesting when it gets to about 9 pm and in the dark. Some guys look like they have a flame thrower.

[stobes21]

I'd recommend www.shotgunworld.com . It's called the friendliest shooting forum on the web for a reason, and there are a number of UK posters there.

As for shell suggestions you've pretty much got me stumped. Nearly all commercial target loads over here use plastic wads. I would suggest if you're having a problem with particularly long birds to use the largest shot size allowed. I would also suggest you pattern your gun at the distance you want to break the targets. Take out a bunch of different rounds (ideally 5 of each) and try different combos of choke and shell until you find something to your liking. Shoot at butcher paper (ideally) and track your results.

[Unknownsoldier]

Thanks guys :D

It's a problem, having to use felt wad all the time, my school range allows anything except steel, but I don't want to practice with a load I'm not allowed to use in competitions etc. at the club I've joined, that would be pointless. I'm not a great shot, totally baulked hitting the olympic trap (although I was apparently spot on for accuracy, the clays were out of my distance by the time I got to them, apparently the degree of the trap is out..... but I'd like to get them even if someone set the trap wrong), the standard DTL, I got 90% the other day on :D Hit 9/10 clays seeing as it was a starter session for me... missed the last bu99er because of a no-bird and it threw my aim.... thats my story and I'm sticking to it :D LOL. I hope to get better and actually enter a competition or two, but I've still got hangovers from rifle shooting, like closing one eye..... D'oh.

Airplanedoc, one of my grandfathers guns got banned from the range, he had a nice BRNO, and when loaded with his Baikal shells it almost dislocated his shoulder, apparently the flame was around 6 foot out the muzzle :D (this was the 70s, and some of the guys he shot with were ex army/navy/airforce etc. and one comment was apparently something like, "What the f*** was that? I served AA guns during the blitz and nothing went Bang like that":D).

I will ask my guys at the range but they all shoot different stuff, more probably suited to their stance, and the unusual amount of semi-auto's we have, something my grandfather would never have approved of...... not a gentleman's weapon apparently.... :D

Tom

[Unknownsoldier]

BTW guys how do you store your rounds for transport to the traps? I'm thinking of some labelled up clipped boxes so I can keep my types separate then load my belt up for the trap??

Tom

[stobes21]

BTW guys how do you store your rounds for transport to the traps? I'm thinking of some labelled up clipped boxes so I can keep my types separate then load my belt up for the trap??

Tom

Is this for what we in the states call sporting clays (i.e. numerous stations spread throughout an area throwing clays in a wide variety of styles/speeds/directions etc)? Thus you want to carry different loads for different types of shots?

Anyway, I have a Bob Allen branded shell bag that simply is divided into two halves. Each side will hold approximately 100 shells, though to actually put that many in would make it very uncomfortable to wear. I also carry a mesh bag that clips on my belt for empty hulls. Thus I can put two different types of shells in the bag, one on each side. I can't imagine needing more than two types on any sporting clays course (one type for close in and the other for far away/hard to break targets).

[airplanedoc]

For shooting trap, I also use a bob allen bag, holds hulls, and 2 boxes of 25 shells. Browning also makes them. A lot of guys have a mesh vest with a several pockets for shells, and hulls, Most also have a shoulder pad.

Vest Link
http://www.higradeshooters.com/browning-apparel-pg1.htm

Bag Link
http://www.higradeshooters.com/special11-29-06-2.htm
As I said mine is a bob allen but they are basically the same other than price. I think the bob allen is only $25 US


A good place to look for stuff if midwayusa.com I hear they do a large export business, so they may have a UK site.

I just grab 2 boxes of shells off my shelf when I grab my shotgun, toss them in the car and head to the range.

[Unknownsoldier]

In the UK, we generally have different stations for different disciplines, I'm fine on DTL, will continue to use standard 7 1/2, but on the Olympic trap (side to side at a very fast rate), I'm going to try some game cartridges to get my eye in.... they are outside my guns distance quite often when I get to them... :-(

In the US you have a selection at one 'trap'? Cool :D

I have thought about the bags, and looked a nice leather one on ebay, but may be content with a nylon one from a gunshop next time I'm in... :D I will be carrying 4 different rounds, mostly on my belt at the moment, and my standards in my pocket.... as I'll only be using my game shells in one barrel (top barrel I think as the fastest and furthest bird goes first).

I have a leather bag that I usually put 100 shells in, and I can get through that pretty easily in an hour.... but 200 would give me more choice :D I wondered if the US gunshop guys did sectioned boxes for shells but all I have found is for rifle ammunition...... :-( I have looked at going to the states in the future to do some trap shooting (mainly because it's warmer :D), but jeez how many forms etc. do you need :D

ATB<
Tom