Trap and Skeet Limits on Shot Size?

[Coltdriver]

I must first confess to being a trap and skeet neophyte.

Last year I went to my favorite range and shot some trap to figure out a Browning BPS for pheasant season. I used # 6 shot at the skeet range. by the way its 50 miles from my house. But they also have a fabulous rifle range out to 200 yards and a pistol range.

This year I got a 20 guage. Went to a Clays place and they said you can only shoot 7 or 8 or 9, but no #6. Honestly I was pissed, I didn't say anything but I had called before driving 25 miles to their place and asked and this limit was not mentioned. I left as I was not interested in practicing with a light target load, I need to practice with what I will use in the field. Duh.

This morning I go back to my favorite range. I called in advance and specifically asked if I could use hunting loads. The fellow there said no problem.

But I arrive and decide to shoot some trap and the fellow there says you can only use 7 or 8 or 9. I said I had called, he said no problem and let me shoot my hunting loads.

I called back to apologize to my friend at my favorite range who had said I could shoot #6. I thought I might have got him in trouble. He said there was no problem, he owned the place and I could shoot hunting loads all day and he was fine with it.

Can anyone shed light on the reasoning behind 7 or 8 or 9 shot?? The place I am shooting has no limit on the background. They own the property and there is not building or parking lot or anything like that for over a mile. The fellow at the clays place said no trap or skeet place in Colorado would let you shoot over 7 or 8 or 9 shot.

What is up with the small shot restriction?

 

[oneounceload]

Rules of the game state no shot larger than 7.5, no shot smaller than #9 - basically that's it. Has not only to do with what the games were originally intended for - practicing for upland, but also to deal with shotfall - anything larger than 7.5 carries a great ways and can cause issues further down range.

BTW, the same shot size restrictions exist for 5-stand, Helice, and Sporting Clays - for the same reasons

If for nothing else, the wally world Federal or Remington 4 packs are cheaper than shooting #6 hunting loads and you don't need them to break clay targets

 

[oneounceload]

Here is where you can download brochures explaining the games of trap and skeet:

http://www.remington.com/pages/news-and-resources/downloads/brochure-downloads.aspx

 

[Coltdriver]

I appreciate the pointer. I figured it was something to do with the rules of the game.

In my case, I don't care about the game at all.

I care about practicing with what I hunt with.

So it will be nice to be able to go to at least one place who does lets me do this. The difference in down range travel between number 6 and 7 is not that much and this place has a clear view for a mile or better. I would imagine # 9 shot only goes a few hundred feet at most.

 

[CApighunter]

My range limits you to #7 steel shot only.
CApighunter

 

[Jim Watson]

If you have an empty mile down all your lines of fire, no reason not to shoot any shot size you like.

But if you are on a minimum field - NRA once calculated that you could put a combination trap and skeet field properly situated on 37 acres and have all the shot fall on your land - if the shot size was not larger than 7.5.

Journee's formula says that the maximum range of a shot pellet in yards is 2200 times its diameter in inches. So a no 7.5*, diameter .095"**, will go for 209 yards. That is a bit low, by actual test, we got 700 feet and a bit when building the trap and skeet range here.
A no 6 will therefore go for at least 242 yards by that formula, and probably more in the real world.

*7.5 shot has been the usual size in that range for longer than I have been around.
True no 7 is scarce.

**Subtract US shot size from 17 to get the diameter in hundreths of an inch.

 

[Tom Held]

shot size at clubs

Even at the pheasant/chukar hunting preserves in Maryland and Pa you cannot use shot sizes larger than 7.5's unless you use non-toxic shot. There are too many hunters and dogs in a somewhat confined area. It's a safety issue at the clays clubs and usually no one wants to shoot a round of 100 targets using game loads due to the higher recoil.

 

[drsfmd]

Using #6's (or larger) would get you thrown out of every single club I know of.

 

[Virginian]

Practicing with 7-1/2s or 8s is not one whit difference than practicing with 6s anyway.

 

[oneounceload]

Especially when you can get 7.5 loads running 1300+fps

 

[JoeMal]

7 1/2 - 9 is what my club allows...and I completely understand why.

 

[Coltdriver]

Oh I understand it.

Looks like there is the rules side which is ultimately practical. And the facility size is a factor. And a safety issue where there is limited space.

And on the practical side for skeet and trap shooters, those relatively soft shooting loads make shooting all day easy. Practicing with #6's all day would get old pretty quick.

I had done some homework and come up with the 242 yards number for #6 too. I think that's with the shotgun at a 45 degree angle. Much less if you are under that elevation.

So I know what to expect now, and why. Which was my original objective.

Thanks!