Best load for local amateur trap club shooters ?

[Hammer1]

What is the best trap load for the local amateur trap club shooters ?

These shooters shoot once per week, two relays of 25 rounds each, all from 16 yard line, using a broad range of 12 gauge general hunting shotguns. Out of 25 rounds, their typical scores are in the 15 to 20 hit range. Broad range of recoil tolerance from senior citizens with shoulder surgeries to young teenagers.  They shoot from eight to twenty times per year.

1 ounce or 1-1/8 ounce ?
7-1/2, 8, or 9 shot ?

Need to use the same load for all.


If asked for a recommendation from a beginning shooter, what choke should be recommended ?
Full ?
Modified ?
Improved cylinder ?

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[thxmrgarand]

I shoot a couple rounds of trap most weeks of the year but I am no expert.  If we had skeet or sporting clays then I would also shoot that.  I switched to one ounce loads a few years ago and now very much prefer them, mostly to save lead with no discernable difference in performance.  There is a superstition that cold weather targets require heavier shot  but I do not know if it is true.  I use 7 1/2 and 8 interchangeably and cannot tell the difference.  For a while I used 9 shot for the first shot on doubles but I do not now bother with that.  I think for 16 yard trap a modified choke works well.  A full choke works well for all yardage.  My experience has been that new shooters should first learn to shoot with the trap locked on straight-aways.  I have also observed that shooters do better with trap stocks then they do with field stocks.  Introducing people to shooting is one of the best ways to help the right to keep and bear arms.

[Graybeard]

Young folks with fast reflexes will break more with IC than MOD and all will break more with MOD than with Full. One ounce is plenty and recoils less. I'd recommend #8 as it's plenty for 16 yard line targets and gives a bit thicker pattern than #7-1/2 does.

My personal preference is close I go with an ounce of #8 and Modified or light modified. I'm old and slow when I was younger I preferred IC at the 16 yard line. I've used an ounce and an eight of #8 from the 37 yard line and gone straight in money matches we used to shoot at my trap range back in the 70s. Yes 37 NOT 27 yard line. I shot a Winchester M12 trap gun with 30" Full choke barrel for that game.

[rbwillnj]

Ditto Graybeard    1oz #8 for 16 yards.   I shoot the same for handicap at 22 yards for practice, but step up to 1 1/8 oz for registered shoots.

[jbmi]

I shoot a lot of trap and found my favorite load from the 16 yd line is 1 oz of 8 1/2's going about 1180 fps.
I load my own and use DownRanges version of a Windjammer wad.  I shoot them through a IM choke (.25) and just watch the birds turn into a dust cloud.

[james25889]

i would use 1 1/8 number 8 shot and nothing less than mod choke

[Hammer1]

Not a recommendation...

But has anyone ever tried #9s with a Skeet choke and shoot the targets as they leave the trap house ?

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[Graybeard]

My reflexes are not that fast, never were really but yes I've used #9 and skeet choke but IC works better for me due to my slow reflexes. From the 16 yard line #9s and skeet choke will work fine IF you have good reflexes.

[Mule]

In an effort to conserve on expensive shot, I went to 7/8 oz.  I prefer 8 1/2 shot but will load and shoot whatever is available.  I also prefer a Light modified choke for 16 yard shooting.

If recoil is an issue with some of your post-operative shooters, they will appreciate the recoil reduction with 7/8 loads.  3/4 oz 12 gauge loads will nearly eliminate recoil , but the patterns are getting thin.

If you are providing the ammo, let them shoot 1 oz for 2 or 3 weeks.  Then switch to 7/8, but don't tell them.  See what it does to the scores.  They might go up!  If that works, try some 3/4.  You will quickly find out who the skilled shooters are.

[Questor]

My trap and skeet load for 12 gauge is:
Winchester AA hull
Winchester AA12SL wad
16 grains of Red Dot (which burns very clean since they reformulated it)
Winchester 209 primer
1 ounce of #8 magnum shot

It's mild recoiling, works well, and I can't think of a bad thing to say about it.

[wxl]

Have good results usually with IC or light mod using 1 oz 8's from 16 yd

[IDMoose]

After shooting around 300,000 birds ( for money) I like 1oz of #8 and full chock. Rem fig 8 wads and Rem primers with Clays powder in between them and STS hulls holding it all together. I don’t remember the charge of clays I am using as this has been the standard load for me for 15 years. This load has work for from 16 to 40 yards out and has never let me down.