Question for Trap shooters

[ghostv4]

I went trap shooting a couple months ago with a friend of mine; and now I'm totally hooked. I acquired a nice 12ga Italian gun (Gamba O/U); and recently started reloading my own AA shells; I'm loading 1150fps (2 3/4 Dram) with 1 1/8oz loads, 8 shot. I have been using this recipe for the 16yard line and as far back as the 25 yard line.I have noticed a lot of people here have been talking a lot about using 7/8 loads and 1oz loads instead of 1 1/8. and 1200fps loads, is there a advantage to this other than saving shot, or having less recoil?
does the 7/8oz or 1oz loads shot a better pattern?

Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated:

Rog

 

[oneounceload]

The less recoil will be evident when you start to shoot more than one round or two - fatigue from recoil is one of the major causes of folks to start dropping targets during competition. There are various recoil calculators on the web, but typically, all other things the same, recoil reduction from 1-1/8 to 7/8 is about 30% or more; cost can come into the scene as well for some decent savings

 

[Jim Watson]

I think an ounce of shot is ample for 16 yard and short handicap and the lighter recoil might save you from a flinch on a critical target.

I have not worked hard with 7/8 oz loads at trap although they do fine for skeet. Note that the European 24 gram target loads are at higher velocity than typical US shells so recoil will not be that much less. Of course you could load to the low end for less kick.l I think you would need a very good wad to get good patterns.

 

[Bill B.]

is there a advantage to this other than saving shot, or having less recoil?

The answer is both! When shot hit $48.00 dollars a bag locally any little savings helped. Anything that gives less felt recoil for 200 & 300 target days is also a big plus. At the Grand American several years ago I was shocked to find a very high percentage of 27 yard trap shooters using a then new shell called a Federal Ultra Light which was a low recoil 2 3/4 dram load with 1 1/8oz. of 8's. They were simply turning the birds into ink balls from 27 yards. From shorter yardages the lighter loads are the way to go!

 

[oneounceload]

Loading 3/4 oz for sporting clays, I can get 533 loads from a bag of shot versus 400 for 1oz loads..............I also reduce my recoil by 40% by loading them 1200-1250 fps - work well

 

[ghostv4]

I have never tried any loads lighter than 1 1/8oz, does it make much of a difference hitting they clays with lets say a 7/8 load, i know that's quite a bit difference in the shot count?

 

[dubbleA]

I agree with the others in that a one ounce load will work on the front line very well. My pet load is 1oz at 1150 and even as light as that is when you shoot 3-400 rounds in a day you can feel it. I am a proponent of using only what you need but you will get various opinions on what is needed in ink ball targets. When you shoot from the 27 and are a 90 percenter, you pretty much have it down and can do it with 1 or 1 1/8 oz.

One of the toughest things to master at least for me is the mental game. I shot 1 1/8 oz for years thinking in my mind that the extra payload was an advantage where in reality is wasnt. You are either on or your not, yeah the golden BB will occasionally break a bird but at times 2 ozs of shot would'nt have helped.

In the end, the best thing you can do is to go out and try them with an open mind and decide. What works for me might not work for someone else. One thing that is true though is that felt recoil is noticeable at the end of the day.

 

[GigaBuist]

does it make much of a difference hitting they clays with lets say a 7/8 load,

Nope, not really. You hit 'em and they break. Unless you're hitting them with the fringe outside of your pattern they pretty much always turn to dust.

 

[ATAShooter]

I shoot the same load for all yardages. 1200 fps, 18 gr Red Dot, AA12 wad and 1 1/8 of 7.5. Now, this load rocks the "Earf" when she goes off out of my Model 12, but I have shot it so long now, I'm used to it. It is fine and great to experement to find a load that gets your score up, however, don't psyco-analyze it so bad that the game isn't fun anymore, and has turned into a job.

 

[interlock]

i shoot quite a lot of trap using an OU miroku. I tend to use Hull intercomp HV in 8 shot 28 gr (1oz) they do about 1450fps (<makers figures). but i have also used the 21 gr comp x (3/4 oz) this is also a fast load. i believe that your patterns are tighter with the lighter load. this is because less pellets are damaged before leaving the muzzle so they fly truer. I honestly don't feel the difference in recoil.

in the uk for trap shooting it is not really economical to load your own.