Trap shooting

[dynomike1x1]

Hi everyone. I have been hanging the Cannon section for about three years and i have started back reloading due to the price of shells. Since Doves have gotton scarce in my area backyard trap shooting is gettin more common a matter of fact i shot in two backyard tournements this week end. What i was wondering if someone could tell me what would be the best load to shoot for trap?
1.1/8
1.0
1.1/4
6 shot
7.1/2
8.0shot
1200fps
1300fps
                                                           THANKS
                                                              Mike

[Ken Rummer]

I have worked up loads with 1 oz and 7/8 oz that produce great results for me.
Singles & first shot on doubles:   7/8 oz, #8 or 8 1/2, Red Dot, at 1270 f/s
                                               1 oz. #8 or 8 1/2, Red Dot, at 1235 to 1250 f/s

Handicap & second shot on doubles:  1 oz # 7 1/2, Green Dot at 1250 f/s.  Since my handicap is 20 yds, light loads work ok.

I shoot a lot of 7/8 with the Claybusters 0178 wads in either Win AA or Rem hulls.  These loads are light kicking and fast.
You don't need to lead the target a lot.

[Graybeard]

Are you talking REAL trap or just a cheap thrower tossing targets for fun?

If the latter then it really depends on the distance but most back yard throwers I've seen in use are used mostly at fairly close range and target presentation is seldom difficult.

If real trap as it ATA shot on a properly laid out trap range again it depends. If from the standard 16 yard line even and ounce #9 shot is adequate but #8 would be my preference. When you start talking about handicap that changes things a bit. Handicap is shot beyond the 16 yard line back to the 27 yard line meaning that's how far you are from the target when the machine releases it.

I've shot as far back as 37 yards in a money game we used to play when I owned a skeet/trap range. I used a load of 1-1/8 oz of #8 shot in an ounce and a quarter shot cup to make sure all was inside the cup. I moved it out at 1550 fps and won a lot of games with that load. It was a five shot game high score takes everyone's money. I shot the only five for five ever turned in with that load.

For targets to be hit within 40 yards of the gun #8 is plenty for the job and IC choke is as well. An ounce is plenty of shot to that range. For skeet where you don't have to shoot any target beyond 21 yards I use a half ounce of #9 in a .410 O/U.

We used to play a money game called cow pasture skeet as it began in a cow pasture long years ago. It was similar to a skeet range with the machine set behind station four. It throwed doubles only and the traveled basically just inside of what would be stations one and seven. You began at the machine and shot doubles down the right side equivalent to stations 4 thru 7 then came back and went down the other side equivalent to statins 4 thru 1.

The shooter had two shells to fire at two targets and a partner with one shell to break any missed target BUT he couldn't fire that single shell until the front gun had fired twice at two targets. If a target was lost after those three shots the team was eliminated as long as someone else broke both. Once you went down both sides if more than one team was left ya began to back up from what is basically stations one or seven until all but one team was eliminated. I've shot it where we had backed up 30 yards or so and that makes that far target a LONG way out. The winning team takes all the money in the pot.

[dynomike1x1]

I did'nt know they made 8.5 All i have ever heard of is 8 or 9 shot. I have been shooting 1.1/8oz 7.5  @around 1235 28gr WSF-RXP12 because i loaded them for doves. I did'nt think 9's would do any good @ 40yds.. I have a bag of 9's i will try them. Owe i forgot we usally shoot 22-23yds back 25 for ties.So 1-1/8 9shot @1235-1250 @ you know 23yds back you would have to get on them pretty quick to stay under 60yds. Right? If so will 9's do it @ 60? We have also played an elimation game but the next one in line has the option to shoot even if it is just a chunk left.

[Graybeard]

Yes there is a #8-1/2 shot size and it is readily available. It's really for 16 yard line trap shooting tho and no #9 isn't adequate at 60 yards but #8 is if you get it moving fast enough as I demonstrated years ago when we shot from 37 yards behind my trap machine on my trap range. I know the targets I hit were easily around that far out yet broke.

Pattern density is highly important when you are reaching way out like that. Number 7-1/2 shot is good in that just one pellet can take a piece off and count as a dead target but you need to increase the pay load plus use a very tight choke to have pattern density with it at such ranges.

That's the problem with any long range clay target shooting you have to balance pattern density, velocity and shot size so that enough shot of an adequate size contacts the clay to break it.

I've gone two different routes over the years in our money games fired at long range. For the five shot game 37 yards behind the machine that load of an ounce and an eighth of magnum #8 shot in an ounce and a quarter shot cup at 1550 fps seemed to work great. For other games and situations I've used 1-3/8 and 1-1/2 ounces of #7-1/2 and that too works well at such ranges where there are no rules on what load you can shoot. They sure do kick tho. My 1-3/8 oz load was moving out around 1350-1390 fps and the 1-1/2 oz load at around 1275 fps or a bit more. All worked well breaking clays that were 55-70 yards out when combined with a tight choke and a properly pointed gun.

I trust #9 to around 40 yards on clays and #8-1/2 adds little if any range but does break targets a bit better. I trust #8 well out past 55 yards to at least 60 yards to break them if you can get the velocity up high enough. #7-1/2 will break clays as far off as you can hold pattern density to put a couple of them in the target and one will usually take a piece off that can be seen.

I used an ounce and a quarter of 7-1/2 at 1250 fps as my primary crow hunting load and have cleanly taken crows dead in the air with it out to at least 60 yards. My shooting partner in those days mostly used #8 but only an ounce and an eighth of it. He brought a lot down at long range with a broken wing and nothing more. I once made one of those truly unbelieveable shots in front of a witness when I brought down a crow at something over 100 yards using an ounce and a half of #6. I figure one pellet hit the brain and likely was the only hit on it at such ridiculous range. I was challenged to drop it and danged if I didn't. I could likely try that again a hundred times and never do it again but it shows what one pellet can do if it hits the right spot.

[mcwoodduck]

I really do not want to chime in here but I am going to .
I used to load about 8 different loads for all the shotgun games.
I loaded from 9 to 5's, and in 7/8 1, 1 1/8, and 1 1/4 oz depending on the game where I thought I would have the best advantage.
I later settled on just 9's, 7.5, 7 and 6's  Yes 7's. in 2 loads  1 1/8 and 1 1/4 oz.
It became a large pain in the toosh to try and keep track of all the different loads.
For me the red AA Hulls are 1 1/8 oz 7.5  @ 1200 FPS - great for sporting clays, handicap trap, and hunting Dove and quail
The Gray AA hulls are 1 1/8 oz #9 @ 1200 FPS - great for Trap Singles (16 yard line) Double trap, sporting clays, Skeet, and dove.
The Green STS hulls are 1 1/4 oz @ 1300 FPS #6 - Hunting loads. Wild phesants.
The Gold Premier Rem hulls are 1 1/4 oz @1300 FPS # 7  Pot shoots, Anne Oakleys, Rabbit shoots, and Hunting birds larger than quail.
I found that the same shells that I use to hunt work perfect for targets and I am used to shooting them.
I also found that consistancy is what got me shooting better.
Pick a Hull, Pick a powder, pick a wad, pick a loading and load a thousand of them and go shoot the same game for a while- Trap, Skeet, sporting clays, or other shotgun sport.  Shooting the same load at targets will make you a better shooter.  After you smack 24 and 25's consistantly then start playing with different loads, different size shot or components when you want to win tournaments.  but you need the fundamentals first.

[darkgael]

Shooting the same load at targets will make you a better shooter.  After you smack 24 and 25's consistantly then start playing with different loads, different size shot or components when you want to win tournaments.  but you need the fundamentals first.

Ain't that the truth.......as I have been finding out. Started on the Trap addiction a few months ago. Still working on that first 25 straight. I was changing guns, gauges and loads every time out.  Finally settled on one gauge, gun, and load.
Win. AA hulls, 1 1/8oz of 7.5 shot, Rem Fig.8 wad or WAA12, 18.0 grains of Red Dot (also use 23.0 grains of 7625), Win 209. just under 1200 fps.
I shoot at an ATA Trap facility on Staten Island in NY, just single trap from 16 yards.
BTW - virtually all the shooters at this club are shooting 1 1/8oz of #7.5/#8 shot at the 16 yard line.
Pete

[dynomike1x1]

I think i got it. 7.5 are not enough shot @ longer ranges but 8's are, but need more speed, tighter choke. So speed does kill
Back to the reloading manuel.

[mcwoodduck]

I think i got it. 7.5 are not enough shot @ longer ranges but 8's are, but need more speed, tighter choke. So speed does kill
Back to the reloading manuel.

Not really.
7.5 have more energy at longer ranges than does 8 shot.
You just have a few more 8's in the shot cup than 7.5's.
Same reason I like 7's for long range ove 6's
From the 16 yard line or at sporting clays you are not going to see a difference between the two.
if you want to shoot 8's get 8's  A few more pellets can't hurt.
The speed thing on the other hand does not always work the way you would think.
The faster you want to go the larger the shot needs to be.
Don't ask but at one point I loaded 2OZ of 9's in a 3.5" 10 ga shell @ 1350 fps and thought it would be awesome for pot shoots.
One ounce of 9's has about 437 pellets  So I would be launching almost 900 pellets into the sky at a clay bird and figured the cloud of lead would break everything.  Well the 9's are too small to go that fast over the distance.  Shooting birds from the 30+ yard line I was breaking nothing.  Tried a load of 7.5 and broke a few birds, changed to 6's and was breaking birds consistantly.  i am sure that speed would work for Skeet but there is no need to have faster than 1200FPS or is it allowed in tournaments.
The small imperfections on the shot make them wander all over the sky the faster you send them.  The larger the shot the less effect the speed has on any deformations in the shot that act as sails to move the shot and spread your pattern creating holes that whole flocks of clay bird could fly through.  Start with a 1 or 1 1/8 oz load @1200 FPS and go from there.
Actually start with a good shotgun reloading manual. 

[dynomike1x1]

Well since i am not shooting sanchend tournements  i guess i will stay w/ 12ga 1-1/8 7.5 1356fps. Maybe slow down some.

[Hammer1]

.

As already stated, 8˝ shot is readily available.  Lots of clay target shooters use it.

Sportsmans Warehouse carries 8˝ shot.

Ballistic Products carries it too.


Ballistic Products also carries some other half sizes like 5˝ and 6˝ shot useful for hunting though those sizes have no application in trap or other clay target games.

.

[ranger27]

I am new to trap shooting and want to reload, what type of shot is prefered when reloading?
Lead, steel, copper plated, steel plated, nickle plated lead, copper plated lead or bismuth

[mcwoodduck]

I am new to trap shooting and want to reload, what type of shot is prefered when reloading?
Lead, steel, copper plated, steel plated, nickle plated lead, copper plated lead or bismuth

Because Trap is a volume game (cheap) standard hard lead or even reclaimed shot (sometimes sold at shooting parks) a mix of everything from 9's to 7.5.
At Singles (16 Yards) you are really not going to see a difference.
Moving out.  you want uniformity.
Consistancy is going to be your best friend when learning.  1200 FPS with
1 1/8 oz of shot is ATA legal, light on recoil and will be helpful in teaching you lead nad follow through.
I use Improved Cylinder for singles if I can.  With either 8's or 7.5's when i was shooting a lot of trap.  I changed guns and chokes as I moved back in handicap and was at a full choke for 30 yards.
For reloading Pick a hull, pick a powder and then match the wad to what you need.  Stay with one Hull and one powder till you are breaking 22 to 23 consistantly then play with loads and powders (If someone only told me I would have saved a bunch of time and $).