Less Can Be Enough.....

[Dave McCracken]

Yr Humble Scrivener has been preaching the joys of 7/8 oz 12 gauge loads here and about for quite a while.

I even have loaded up some 3/4 oz 12 gauge loads for introducing new shooters to the clay games.

When I picked up the SKB 20 gauge O/U last year, one thing I wanted to do with it was try out some 3/4 oz loads to see what all the fuss the 28 gauge fans make was about.

The best laid plans gang aft agley. The inertia trigger on the SKB will not reset with 3/4 oz loads.

However, the little 20 gauge 870 here does not suffer from that problem, being an 870 and thus perfect. So, I waited until I had some AAs worn enough that shucking them through the 870 and flinging them on the ground held no terrors for me. Yesterday I shot two rounds of Wobble with friends at PGC and used the little quail gun and 3/4 oz loads of 7.5 shot at about 1200 FPS.

Weather was bad, just about freezing and cold rain. I had the Modified tube in,shot Low Gun as always and did about as well as I do with 7/8 oz loads.

I didn't shoot badly, but this little thing got muscled around too much on some angles. At 6 lbs, 2 oz, it's about 2 lbs lighter than my Beretta O/U and 10 oz lighter than the SKB. Still, I broke 20/25 or so both rounds.

The birds broke about 30-33 yards out. A little closer than trap, but not really different.

I plan on trying this again when it's warm, using my standard loads of 8.5 shot instead of 7.5 to fill in the density some.

Questions?....

 

[Milkmaster]

Was there a noticeable difference between your 7/8 and the 3/4 loads on recoil? I bet your sore shoulder thanks you Good to hear you are still out there with us.

 

[oneounceload]

As someone who loads 3/4 for both 12 and 20, I can tell you that 3/4 is a delight to shoot and a wonder to see how targets are crushed

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks, Milk. I see no difference between the 7/8 oz and 3/4 oz loads as to kick, because I don't feel either one. It takes something like those 1400 FPS Super Sports, buck or a slug for me to feel it out of this light little cannon.

The stock here has a plate, not a pad. It originally was on a 28 gauge. It's also been reworked to a straight grip.

1 oz, I have two chokes for the 20. Skeet and Mod. I used Mod, because I though a skeet choke at that distance might not cut it.

I do not recall any smoke. I get some with the 7/8 oz loads from the SKB's Mod barrel. That Mod and this Mod, of course, may differ greatly.

Were I shooting skeet, or the closer targets on a Sporting course, these would rule,IMO.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I cannot remember the last time I bought a wad for anything heavier than 3/4 oz.

Seriously though, I us a disc on top of a 7/8 oz 12 ga wad to dial it back. Hard to find 3/4 oz wads for 12s.

Go to 1/2 oz and it will be like shooting a 410 with a big bore and it will probably give you better patterns than a 410 would.

 

[oneounceload]

I have used a SK in my 12 with 3/4oz loads - on skeet distance targets, they crush very nicely. My favorite 20 SxS is fixed IC/M - and it crushes 5-stand targets easily enough. I'm surprised your SKB did not reset - my 505 does

 

[Dave McCracken]

Earl, so far I haven't needed a filler, the hulls crimp with a slight dish but they do close up.

I've no interest in going lighter than 3/4 oz in either 12 or 20 gauge, but who knows?

I've not patterned these, but I wager the usual flagon of mead there's very few deformed pellets as flyers outside the main pattern.

The trigger not resetting is the sole drawback to the SKB, 1 oz. Fine little gun otherwise.

 

[451 Detonics]

I had good luck using these wads in Federal Gold Medal hulls for 3/4 oz loads.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Rex-24-12ga-Wad-250_bag/productinfo/072REX/

I load my own dropped shot using a Littleton and it comes out very close to #8 size.

 

[Dave McCracken]

451, I'm using the CB clone of the AA20 for now. The BP stuff I've used has been good.