favourite shotgun cartridges
- Thread starter mjjl
- Start date
flytie
Well-Known Member
When I had my first multi-choke beretta (silver pigeon III sold on this site) I was given some Carlsen chokes to try in it by a former editor of Target Gun Magazine.
I got a big end reel of paper from a 36 page printing press and went off down the fields on a friends farm. I used every type of cartridge I could beg borrow or steal, with a minimum of five shots of every type of cartridge. Over a measured 40 yards I fired each shot onto a clean piece of paper, then placed a segmented clear acetone 30" circle over the centre of the pattern and counted off the shots in the centre.
There was a clear winner in all of this. My gun and chokes, any of the chokes, preferred Hull Cartridges, with the Sovereign just shading out all the others of the game and clay lead cartridges. But the best performing cartridges of them all were the Lyalvale Hevi-Shot, with all the pellets being within the 30 circle, just, and very evenly spread. This was found to be the case with the 5's and the 3's.
These days I cannot be bothered to do any such testing. But for game shooting I buy Hull fibre wad cartridges in 5 shot, then I use Hevi-shot in 5's for duck and 3's for geese. And after the testing done by BASC I use 3 shot for foxes, although as a young man I preferred 2's for geese and foxes. For clay shooting I use 24gr fibre wad, whatever I can get best for the price.
Simon
I got a big end reel of paper from a 36 page printing press and went off down the fields on a friends farm. I used every type of cartridge I could beg borrow or steal, with a minimum of five shots of every type of cartridge. Over a measured 40 yards I fired each shot onto a clean piece of paper, then placed a segmented clear acetone 30" circle over the centre of the pattern and counted off the shots in the centre.
There was a clear winner in all of this. My gun and chokes, any of the chokes, preferred Hull Cartridges, with the Sovereign just shading out all the others of the game and clay lead cartridges. But the best performing cartridges of them all were the Lyalvale Hevi-Shot, with all the pellets being within the 30 circle, just, and very evenly spread. This was found to be the case with the 5's and the 3's.
These days I cannot be bothered to do any such testing. But for game shooting I buy Hull fibre wad cartridges in 5 shot, then I use Hevi-shot in 5's for duck and 3's for geese. And after the testing done by BASC I use 3 shot for foxes, although as a young man I preferred 2's for geese and foxes. For clay shooting I use 24gr fibre wad, whatever I can get best for the price.
Simon
Cottontail killer
Well-Known Member
I use lyallvail special game 4s for duck and high pheasants
eley VIP5s for walked up and remington 0 3" magnums for geese
And clear pigeon for about everything else
eley VIP5s for walked up and remington 0 3" magnums for geese
And clear pigeon for about everything else
wannabecanuck
Well-Known Member
Pigeons - Hull Pigeon Special all the way. Maybe its a confidence thing but I can average about 1.5-2 shots per bird flightlining with that compared with 3-4 for other cartridges. Great for pheasants too as long as noone is looking!
Ducks and geese - still havent found anything I like apart from Tungsten Matrix but thats just way too expensive. Have tried several boxes of Federal Black Cloud and am not convinced. So usually go for some cheap stuff and keep the shots below 25 yards.
Ducks and geese - still havent found anything I like apart from Tungsten Matrix but thats just way too expensive. Have tried several boxes of Federal Black Cloud and am not convinced. So usually go for some cheap stuff and keep the shots below 25 yards.
12g Gamebore Clear Pigeon 6's for...................Pigeon!
20g RC Sipe Fibre 28g 6's through the AYA for game
12g Express Dan Arms 28g 7.5's for clays
Duck & Geese, Eley Bismuth 34g 4's
And when I take the old Lang & Hussey out for the day, 12g Thomas Turner Red Rapid, Paper Case 28g Fibre 6's
20g RC Sipe Fibre 28g 6's through the AYA for game
12g Express Dan Arms 28g 7.5's for clays
Duck & Geese, Eley Bismuth 34g 4's
And when I take the old Lang & Hussey out for the day, 12g Thomas Turner Red Rapid, Paper Case 28g Fibre 6's
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