Going Skeet Shooting for the first time...I trid finding ammo at Dick's and only had $20 on me. Found only two boxes for my caliber, both the same thing. Winchester AA 20 gauge 9 shot. Is 9 shot good enough? I Was thinking like a 7 1/2 shot but thats all they had left. Oddly they ad plenty for 16 gauge which shocked me. They had a 100 rnd box of Winchester AA 8 shot for $30 for the 20 gauge, but like I said I only had $20. Any recommendatios on what to look out for? Where to look, what shot type, oh and I stick to winchesters only cuz ever since I tried remington and went ack to winchester out of dissapointment I've been ffraid to try anything else. I need help from people who have shot many kinds of ammo and skeet.
What shot is good for skeet?
- Thread starter Big Tom
- Start date
oneounceload
Moderator
9s have been used for skeet for a looooooooooooooooong time - in fact the only use I see today for 9's is on the skeet field. 8s and 87-1/2s also work well
GunsAreGood
New member
I would also suggest 7 1/2 or 8 (2 3/4)(1oz.)
Typical, 20-ga skeet loads are 7/8 oz of #9 shot. My all time preference in 20-ga are WW Double-As. But, changes in their constructions have diminished their super-star status. They are still great shooters, but aren't as reloadable as they old one. Other name brand target loads are acceptable. Many select Remingtons because of their reloadablilty.
I'm one of the few members who'll confess to having shot tens of thousands of rounds of skeet in competition and more in practice. Believe me, experienced shooters use #9 shot the vast majority of the time -- we're after the highest scores possible, and the rules prohibit anything smaller than #9s. Exceptions to using #9s are if the wind is howling or there are irregular targets, then we might go a little heavier.
The price of ammo is outrageous these days, so don't let them pass off something other than #9s for skeet. Of course, you can use trap and/or field loads for skeet, but do you wanna break as many targets as possible, or shoot holes in the sky?
I'm one of the few members who'll confess to having shot tens of thousands of rounds of skeet in competition and more in practice. Believe me, experienced shooters use #9 shot the vast majority of the time -- we're after the highest scores possible, and the rules prohibit anything smaller than #9s. Exceptions to using #9s are if the wind is howling or there are irregular targets, then we might go a little heavier.
The price of ammo is outrageous these days, so don't let them pass off something other than #9s for skeet. Of course, you can use trap and/or field loads for skeet, but do you wanna break as many targets as possible, or shoot holes in the sky?
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Skeet disks break with only one bb hit.
Some will folks swear on a stack of bibles that it takes 3 pellets to break a target. I've seen many unbroken targets on the ground with several holes in them. Also, BB sized shot isn't allowed at most target ranges. Typically, ranges are designed with safety zones (and property limits) based on the maximum distance of 7-1/2 shot. That's why some ranges will get very excited if you want to shoot anything heavier that 7-1/2s (the maximum size allowed for trap by ATA rules).That may be true, but neither a BB gun nor a 9mm is appropriate at a shotgun range. And, yes, it's quite common to see clay targets otherwise unbroken but with holes in them. It's disheartening to dust a target hard enough to make it veer from it's path, but without giving up a visible chip. (Newbies: Only the smallest visible chip possible is all it takes to have a target counted as dead, but dust is scored as a miss.)Maromero said:
Lke others said ...
9's are the most common shot size for Skeet / but in a 12 or 20ga I will often shoot 8's. I'm not a serious competitive skeet shooter like Zippy was/is - so 8's or 9's / doesn't really matter to me. In a 28ga or .410 - I definitely go with 9's.
For Trap - its changed a little - 7 1/2's used to be dominant. I think more Trap shooters are shooting 8's ( from the 16 - 20 yard line ) then at 21 yards - 27 yard lines, they go to 7 1/2's ... and more guys are shooting 1 oz shells for everything as opposed to the old standard of 1 1/8oz shells.
For Sporting Clays, Trap and Skeet - my common 12ga load is 1 oz, of 8's at around 1200 - 1225 fps ..../ and I think its a do virtually everything pretty well load. I reload / and I keep 25 gallon tubs of shells available - and part of the reason I keep them the same, is then I don't have to mark the 9's vs 8's etc --- I just dump them all in the tub / or put them in quart freezer bag - baggies ( 30 to a bag ).. and put 10 or 12 bags into a tub...
9's are the most common shot size for Skeet / but in a 12 or 20ga I will often shoot 8's. I'm not a serious competitive skeet shooter like Zippy was/is - so 8's or 9's / doesn't really matter to me. In a 28ga or .410 - I definitely go with 9's.
For Trap - its changed a little - 7 1/2's used to be dominant. I think more Trap shooters are shooting 8's ( from the 16 - 20 yard line ) then at 21 yards - 27 yard lines, they go to 7 1/2's ... and more guys are shooting 1 oz shells for everything as opposed to the old standard of 1 1/8oz shells.
For Sporting Clays, Trap and Skeet - my common 12ga load is 1 oz, of 8's at around 1200 - 1225 fps ..../ and I think its a do virtually everything pretty well load. I reload / and I keep 25 gallon tubs of shells available - and part of the reason I keep them the same, is then I don't have to mark the 9's vs 8's etc --- I just dump them all in the tub / or put them in quart freezer bag - baggies ( 30 to a bag ).. and put 10 or 12 bags into a tub...
About the 3 pellet thing......
Both Zutz and Roster say that to consistently break clays it takes three hits from pellets carrying about 1 ft/lb of energy each.
At Skeet, a standard to slow 1150 FPS plus load will do so with 9s. Any shot past say, 40 yards, I'd be tempted to use 7.5s and up the speed just a little.
I do little skeet, but when I do I do, I use the 8.5 shot I favor for SC and trap in the warmer months. Just to keep the inventory simple.
Both Zutz and Roster say that to consistently break clays it takes three hits from pellets carrying about 1 ft/lb of energy each.
At Skeet, a standard to slow 1150 FPS plus load will do so with 9s. Any shot past say, 40 yards, I'd be tempted to use 7.5s and up the speed just a little.
I do little skeet, but when I do I do, I use the 8.5 shot I favor for SC and trap in the warmer months. Just to keep the inventory simple.
dalecooper51
New member
I use 7/8 oz of number 8's for my skeet load just over 1200 fps. It crushes the clays when you are on them. A miss is a miss regardless of shot or payload size.
The skeet range where I shoot has limitations on shot size. Due to proximity of the property line, no shot larger than number 8 is permitted. Check with the club where you will be shooting as not to waste money buying shells you cannot use them.
The skeet range where I shoot has limitations on shot size. Due to proximity of the property line, no shot larger than number 8 is permitted. Check with the club where you will be shooting as not to waste money buying shells you cannot use them.
oneounceload
Moderator
Unless you are already good at crossers, some advice I was given when I first started - "Try to miss in front"
oneounceload
Moderator
Yeppers, and I remember how long it took me to figure out what I was doing wrong on high house 1 - always shot over/behind that sucker.......and then there's low house 5................high house 2................and on and on.....
I rarely shoot skeet anymore - at least not as long as the 5-stand is open, but when I do, I shoot low gun (except for 8) and I can still manage a respectable 23 or 24 - with my ponderously long 32" 12 gauge (I know how much you love them long barrels Zippy)...
I rarely shoot skeet anymore - at least not as long as the 5-stand is open, but when I do, I shoot low gun (except for 8) and I can still manage a respectable 23 or 24 - with my ponderously long 32" 12 gauge (I know how much you love them long barrels Zippy)...