Game Loads............AIN'T !!!

L

Lavan

New member
Posting in Gen'l Info because I bet most shotgunners already know.

I just found out my son-in-law had never been told about "game loads" and "dove loads" etc.

These are almost useless ammo. They are made to sell at a discount price that can be advertised to get people into the shop.

They have light shot loads, lousy patterns and will cause you to miss more birds.

Get good shells. They are not that much more and you will be amazed at the difference. Doves that you used to miss will drop at ranges you always missed using dove loads.

Just thought it an appropriate post for dove season. Even worse is the guys who try for quail with em. I have never seen a brand that will pattern well.

If you are going to take a $300-$1200 shotgun, a $25 license, a pair of $75 boots, a $35,000 SUV or a $10,000 pickup out hunting, get some $5 boxes of shells.

You will be glad.
 
What do base your statements on? Reference materials that might be cited backing up your statements?

Have you patterned any of these loads yourself? If so, what results were there, % wise or statistical differences and load make up.
 
Yes, but strange enugh, they work great on greys. Those little saucer men go down quick when hit by cheap gameloads. They're thin-skinned ya know.
 
Don't be lulled into a false sense of security. The greys are only disposable troops in the service of the greens. The greens are much thicker-skinned and may be wearing body armor, powered suits, etc. Which argues for the need of a .50 BMG rifle in each squad. Plus their saucers are more heavily constructed, which is why we need a brigade-level AAA system on a tracked chassis.

:)



[This message has been edited by Ivanhoe (edited September 03, 2000).]
 
BTR, probably the best loads are trap loads. The pellets are hardened (compared to the loss leaders) and there is a bit more care taken in manufacturing. I find that some trap and skeet fields have these loads at a reasonable price. Our Wal-Marts usually have them or something a step up from Lavan's loser loads. :)

Giz
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gizmo99:
BTR, probably the best loads are trap loads. ... Our Wal-Marts usually have them or something a step up from Lavan's loser loads.
Giz[/quote]

Winchester AA Trap loads: $4.69
Remington Target loads: $4.69
Super Speed: $3.25

The AA's function each and every time.
The "Super Speed" game loads are aluminum headed shells, and only function about 75% of the time in my Remington M-1100. That's not good enough. AA hulls are reloadable. Most "field" loads are not.

I HAVE informally patterned the trap loads against the game loads (on a clean plywood target backing), and have found the target loads to have MUCH more even coverage, while the game loads can have holes big enough for a dove to fly through. It's just a matter of superior shot and better wads and cups.

That said, full disclosure is that I have better than half a case of "Super Speed" game loads at home, and several partial boxes of other brands, as well. When the dove are flying hot and heavy, I perhaps can afford to miss a coupla shots, but when they're flying like they were on Sunday morning (we're in a drought here in N. Texas), I want EVERY shot to count.

FWIW,
L.P.



[This message has been edited by Long Path (edited September 04, 2000).]
 
I normally use 7/8oz 20ga Federal trap loads. They work. I recently tried cheaper 3/4oz Winchester Superspeed loss-leaders. My purpose wasn't saving money but reducing the recoil. That worked, these kick less...they don't even unlock the action of the 1300 most of the time.

However, my scores dropped faster than dead clays. Further, I had several failures to extract with these...no way will I start a newbie on promo loads.

FWIW, the promos cost $2.89/25 and good ammo, $3.49/25 -- hardly a significant difference.
 
Yep, I've patterned them. Did not count percentages. All I had to do was look at the paper and see all the big spaces between holes.

I have switched from handloads and Federal Top Gun to those General Purpose 100 box thingies from (ugh) Wal Mart. Sure wish someone else would stock them.

My trap scores have increased UNBELIEVABLY!
These pattern extremely well in my Beretta A303. I now shoot 25's REGULARLY at HANDICAP. I don't believe it either.

And they are a fast 1 1/8 load. It decreases lead length to almost nothing from the 23 yard line where I am handicapped.

At 16 yard line, I don't even need any lead if I keep my swing good.
 
Those Wall Mart value pack loads are quality loads. The hulls are not designed to be reloaded more than once or twice like AA's or STS hulls. But the components in them are first class.

My K20 loves the 7 1/2 loads in 20 ga, shoots them better than more expensive loads.

They are made like european shotshells, cheap throw away hulls and first class components. Europeans do not reload, so they make sense.

The Wall Mart near me sells pallets of the value packs. They often put them on the shelf without taking them out of the shipping cartons because the clays shooters buy them up as fast as they come in! They are definitely not in the same class as the cheapie loads from Rem and Win.


Geoff Ross
 
I did some dove hunting this past weekend
2 day 2 limits :)

I used mostly the Cheapie "Winchester Super Speed" ammo that Walmart has for $29.80 a case (12 Guage, 7/8oz 7 1/2shot). We also had a case of Remington 1 1/8 oz #8 shot. I was much more consistent with the cheap stuff. I hadn't gotten as much practice in as I'd have liked before hand, but I felt like my shooting was better than usual.

This is on a very good hunt with lots of birds, and lots of shells getting burned up. On those tougher hunts, I like my friends reloads (1.25 oz 7 1/2 shot over Red Dot I think), but they are too hot for the volume of shooting we got into this past weekend.
 
LAVAN, I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

I bought some of that cheap #8 shot from Federal and I found out they arent worth a damn. The birds shrugged it off like it was nothing. One dove landed 25yds in front of my on a post, I shot once he fluffed his wings, I shot again and he just looked at me like I was a joke, The third shot he fluttered to the ground. I didn't want to shoot any more so I broke its neck.

Fact of the matter is use Hi-brass in #6 to be effective in killing doves.
 
Each gun and choke is different... Now I can shoot the cheap loads through my 12ga. with a skeet choke in it and get a fair pattern with them. The rest of my chokes forget it.

I load up on the cheap ones every year for target pratice then switch to the good stuff for hunting.



------------------
Richard

The debate is not about guns,
but rather who has the ultimate power to rule,
the People or Government.
RKBA!
 
Oft I use the cheapos on doves with a Modified tube,or use the excellent AA trap loads with a Skt tube. They give similar patterns.

Also, the generic ammo is good for HD practice, but one MUST use the ammo one plans to use for HD some of the time.
 
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