Ackley Improved User
New member
What are your favorite TRAP and SKEET 12 ga. loads - powder, charge, wad, hull, and shot size? I'm looking to break 100 straight - someday.
Best Trap and Skeet loads?
- Thread starter Ackley Improved User
- Start date
"Best" is a relative term predicated upon what performs optimally in your particular shotgun. I find that Winchester's AA Target Loads, especially their Xtra-Lite brand, pattern well in my guns, and are pleasant to shoot all day long from the 16-yard line at Trap and on the Skeet range. In 12-gauge they feature 2.75 dram equivalents of powder propelling 1 oz. of number 7.5, 8, or 9 shot, and generate a muzzle-velocity of 1180 feet/second.
In his Shotgunner's Notebook the late Gene Hill had this to say about light loads:
"Not being a physicist, and assuming that most of you aren't either, you'll have to trust me when I tell you that a one-ounce load will often pattern better at normal game ranges (25 to 35 yards) than will heavier loadings, and this will hold true with the light loadings in the other gauges as well. There's a magical balance between bore diameter and the shot mass that produces this splendid result. I apologize for using the non-technical 'magical,' but even the much more learned ballisticians can't give you the proof in numbers, and who cares as long as the results are what we want?"
To that I say Amen!
Good luck, and good shooting.
In his Shotgunner's Notebook the late Gene Hill had this to say about light loads:
"Not being a physicist, and assuming that most of you aren't either, you'll have to trust me when I tell you that a one-ounce load will often pattern better at normal game ranges (25 to 35 yards) than will heavier loadings, and this will hold true with the light loadings in the other gauges as well. There's a magical balance between bore diameter and the shot mass that produces this splendid result. I apologize for using the non-technical 'magical,' but even the much more learned ballisticians can't give you the proof in numbers, and who cares as long as the results are what we want?"
To that I say Amen!
Good luck, and good shooting.
I load a light 12ga load for skeet of 1oz #8.5's of hard magnum shot. 17 grains of Clays powder. Pink Claybuster wad or Green Duster wad for AA. Win 209 primer. I use the old AA shells for most of the loads, or the current style Rem STS's or Nitros. They pretty much interchange and the pressures are low. These are running about 1150-1180fps and a light recoil.
I use the same loads for trap 16-22yard with 8's. Even if recoil doesn't bother you, the fatigue of recoil sneaks up after 75+ birds.
70% of my skeet shooting is done with 28ga. Probably 15% with .410, 10% with 20ga and 5% with 12ga. Years ago, the last year I shot registered skeet, my 28ga average was at 98.9% followed by 20ga, 12ga and .410.
I just dabble at trap, best Iv'e done there is a 75 straight.
P.S. I don't do shotgunworld either.
I use the same loads for trap 16-22yard with 8's. Even if recoil doesn't bother you, the fatigue of recoil sneaks up after 75+ birds.
70% of my skeet shooting is done with 28ga. Probably 15% with .410, 10% with 20ga and 5% with 12ga. Years ago, the last year I shot registered skeet, my 28ga average was at 98.9% followed by 20ga, 12ga and .410.
I just dabble at trap, best Iv'e done there is a 75 straight.
P.S. I don't do shotgunworld either.
"Best" is kind of a fuzzy term, unless we define what we want.
The generics like Remington's Gun Clubs and the Walmart bulkpacks will work for basic familiarization. So will the featherlite 7/8 oz loads from Winchester and Fiocchi, and they are creampuffs to shoot.
If you reload, the STS loads are possibly the best target load extant. Not cheap, but the hulls last well for reloading.
One of my favorite reloads is similar to Kudu's, except I use 7/8 oz of hard 8.5 shot and 16.3 gr of Clays. Except for cold weather, this is a fine load out to 40 some yards for trap,skeet, SC and wobble.
Current Trap load for colder weather is 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2s, 17 gr of Clays, CB clone of the WAA12, STS hull and Win 209. Not a hard kicker, but more emphatic than the above 7/8 oz load, of course. Good for mid handicap too. About the time things stay above freezing I'll go back to the lighter one for most stuff.
HTH....
The generics like Remington's Gun Clubs and the Walmart bulkpacks will work for basic familiarization. So will the featherlite 7/8 oz loads from Winchester and Fiocchi, and they are creampuffs to shoot.
If you reload, the STS loads are possibly the best target load extant. Not cheap, but the hulls last well for reloading.
One of my favorite reloads is similar to Kudu's, except I use 7/8 oz of hard 8.5 shot and 16.3 gr of Clays. Except for cold weather, this is a fine load out to 40 some yards for trap,skeet, SC and wobble.
Current Trap load for colder weather is 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2s, 17 gr of Clays, CB clone of the WAA12, STS hull and Win 209. Not a hard kicker, but more emphatic than the above 7/8 oz load, of course. Good for mid handicap too. About the time things stay above freezing I'll go back to the lighter one for most stuff.
HTH....
I used to load...
1 oz. of #9 w/ Clays and claybuster wads in AA hulls and 209 primers to 1200 fps. and broke many 100's (skeet) with this load. Preferred Red Dot in the 20 ga. and Green Dot in the 28 but always loaded to 1200 fps.... Broke the most 100's w/ the 20, probably a question of recoil.
P102
1 oz. of #9 w/ Clays and claybuster wads in AA hulls and 209 primers to 1200 fps. and broke many 100's (skeet) with this load. Preferred Red Dot in the 20 ga. and Green Dot in the 28 but always loaded to 1200 fps.... Broke the most 100's w/ the 20, probably a question of recoil.
P102
Ackley Improved User
New member
Thank you!
Thanks guys - I think I'll go with 17 grs. Clays, 1 oz, #8 or 9, WWAA or STS, W209 - and, of course, point the shotgun to hit the "birds" - at least until someone develops "smart shot."
Thanks guys - I think I'll go with 17 grs. Clays, 1 oz, #8 or 9, WWAA or STS, W209 - and, of course, point the shotgun to hit the "birds" - at least until someone develops "smart shot."
Ackley Improved User, start out with about 16.5 on the Clays powder and try a few rounds and see how you like them. That should put them at about 1090-1100fps and on a skeet range or 16 yard trap you'll never tell the difference between that speed and a 1200fps load. As a general rule, when you slow a load down, it tends to make the pattern tighter. Pattern your barrel and chosen choke tube to the game you're shooting.
We had a fellow at our club who was very recoil sensitive that developed a 7/8oz load at about 1000fps that would cycly his Beretta 391 auto reliably every time. He was shooting skeet and totally smokeing targets with a skeet choke. Turned out his pattern was about that of a modified choke on the pattern board, so he put in a cylinder choke to open it up about 6" more. He still smoked his targets, but had a bit more pattern to work with.
We had a fellow at our club who was very recoil sensitive that developed a 7/8oz load at about 1000fps that would cycly his Beretta 391 auto reliably every time. He was shooting skeet and totally smokeing targets with a skeet choke. Turned out his pattern was about that of a modified choke on the pattern board, so he put in a cylinder choke to open it up about 6" more. He still smoked his targets, but had a bit more pattern to work with.
The first guy I ever witnessed breaking 50 straight was a vetrinarian who had bone cancer. I was buying shells for the local Izaak Walton trap range and he asked me to get the lightest trap loads I could find, which I believe were Winchester Super Lites. He could not take the recoil of a standard AA trap load, and he supposedly "gave up" a lot of shot and velocity.
If you are not breaking in the upper 90s now, I think the choice of shells are irrelevant, especially at 16 yards. A strong case could be made in shooting cheaper shells more often, unless money is no object.
If you are not breaking in the upper 90s now, I think the choice of shells are irrelevant, especially at 16 yards. A strong case could be made in shooting cheaper shells more often, unless money is no object.
The trend in clay shooting is to go to 1 ounce or lighter loads. The olympic shotgun sports limit skeet to 28 grams and trap to 24 grams. Roughly 1 oz and 7/8 oz in non metric terms.
FITASC is going to 1 ounce after allowing 1 1/4 oz for years.
I doubt ATA will change but stranger things have happened.
My pet load for SC is Remington STS/Nitro with Rem fig 8 and 1 1/8 oz of Lawrence Magnum. I use Remington 209 (Pattern here!) and 18 G of 700X.
I have experimented with 1 oz loads with a Rem TGT 12 wad, mostly with #8 in STS hull. 17.5 G of 700X. Worked quite well.
Most of my shooting lately has been 20 or 28 Ga. I am still diddling with the 28, need to shoot more
FITASC is going to 1 ounce after allowing 1 1/4 oz for years.
I doubt ATA will change but stranger things have happened.
My pet load for SC is Remington STS/Nitro with Rem fig 8 and 1 1/8 oz of Lawrence Magnum. I use Remington 209 (Pattern here!) and 18 G of 700X.
I have experimented with 1 oz loads with a Rem TGT 12 wad, mostly with #8 in STS hull. 17.5 G of 700X. Worked quite well.
Most of my shooting lately has been 20 or 28 Ga. I am still diddling with the 28, need to shoot more
HunterTRW
[quotation]
I find that Winchester's AA Target Loads, especially their Xtra-Lite brand, pattern well in my guns, and are pleasant to shoot all day long from the 16-yard line at Trap and on the Skeet range. In 12-gauge they feature 2.75 dram equivalents of powder propelling 1 oz. of number 7.5, 8, or 9 shot, and generate a muzzle-velocity of 1180 feet/second.
I'm a newbie trap shooter and I don't belong in this company. However I had my best day trap shooting after using the above suggested ammo. I used both 8 & 9 shot. I prefer the 9 shot and didn't break 100 in a row, or 50 in a row. I broke a couple short of 20. 25 in a row is a bit down the road for me, but thanks for the advice on the ammo...What recoil?
[quotation]
I find that Winchester's AA Target Loads, especially their Xtra-Lite brand, pattern well in my guns, and are pleasant to shoot all day long from the 16-yard line at Trap and on the Skeet range. In 12-gauge they feature 2.75 dram equivalents of powder propelling 1 oz. of number 7.5, 8, or 9 shot, and generate a muzzle-velocity of 1180 feet/second.
I'm a newbie trap shooter and I don't belong in this company. However I had my best day trap shooting after using the above suggested ammo. I used both 8 & 9 shot. I prefer the 9 shot and didn't break 100 in a row, or 50 in a row. I broke a couple short of 20. 25 in a row is a bit down the road for me, but thanks for the advice on the ammo...What recoil?