doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Does shot size really matter?

Thanks for the info, Drew. I was wondering about this when these guys were talking about the comparisons between countries. Sure is helpful.

...Got to say I don`t get the logic of 6.5 shot for long clays,users accept the poorer pattern at long range yet claim better breaks IF a pellet hits the clay!!! Surely if that`s their rational they should stick to 6.5 shot for everything as they`ll have denser patterns for the closer stuff ..

On paper theirs an optimum shot size and choke for every target. But shot placement is way more important to the majority of shooters. Putting the target in the center of the pattern will break a target most of the time regardless of shot size or choke. Putting the shot behind a target will not break a target regardless of shot size or choke

Wow, too much, hope the fields and crops are okay.

Hopefully, Debbi has moved-on and Stan's world is OK.

What's the story again on 7s and then 7 1/2s? I know English 7s are different but American 7s should be slightly bigger than 7 1/2s, right? I certainly hope so, as I just had RST load me some 2 1/2-inch 16-bore shells in 7s. Historically, RST 7s have been very effective for me (in my Brummy 16) on Nowhere, Minnesota ruffed grouse hunts.

From unscientific in-field studies (conducted by me, for the last 15-years) shot size does seem to matter. Longer shots with my 16BLE seem to have better results with No. 5s (over 6s). More normal shot-distances work just fine with 7 1/2, but...I seem to get cleaner kills with the 7s. Also, 7/8-ounce shells seem to work fine (I prefer 1-ounce for hunting) but 3/4-ounce shells don't always. Go figure? My chokes are quarter and half. In a more-perfect world my 16's left-tube would have a skosh more choke.

Accordingly, I just ordered a flat of shells from RST, mixed half & half, 5s and 7s. The 5s are 1-ounce, the 7s could only be obtained in 7/8-ounce.

Barring the unforeseen, I am going to be conducting additional "field-work" this coming Fall with an early ~6-lb 12-bore BLE. It'll be interesting to compare it to my 16 for "lethality". Purely a "nice day" gun, it's 30-inch Damascus tubes don't have much choke. I'm planning on using 1-ounce 6s and 7 1/2s in it.

An additional perspective on shot size... Goodness gracious, 1600 fps target loads give me a headache just thinking about them.

They been trying to sell us BIGGER all my life. I have not had any use for loads of number 9 shot. Some of the skeet guys run ‘em, but, my results are better with 7 1/2s or number 8s, which, are far easier to find. I’d never shoot at a wild bird with number 9 shot.

Best,
Ted

Lead shot is made by pouring molten lead through copper screens or sieves. The size of the the mesh roughly determines the shot size. As the molten lead falls in the high shot tower, the molten droplets become spherical and begin to harden. They fall into water to completely solidify and cool. Then they are dried, and may be coated with graphite before further processing for size. This final size sorting is done by passing them through screens or sieves with the nominal sized openings, or by sorters that allow the shot to roll across rods with openings between them that gradually widen until the opening is large enough that the shot falls through.

Naturally, this means that there is some tolerance within any given size. So American no. 7 1/2 shot may measure slightly over or under the nominal size of .090" diameter, which helps to explain why actual shot count for a 1 oz. volume will not always be identical. The alloy of the shot is another factor because the density of the shot may be different. There are numerous sources in print or the internet to find the nominal weight and diameter of all common shot sizes, and the differences found in different countries.

Shot size matters due to various factors such as pattern density, range, and how tough the target is to break or kill. Larger shot has greater mass, and retains energy better, so it will kill better at longer ranges. This all assumes that there are not sufficient holes in the pattern to completely miss the target, or merely strike a less lethal spot. By now, most of us should understand that we have a much better chance on a 40 yards straight away shot of dropping a large ringneck pheasant with heavier winter plumage, with # 5 lead shot than # 8 lead shot at equal velocity. Some critters are just naturally tougher to kill than others, so more retained energy and better penetration may be needed to avoid crippling losses. But several other things matter, such as choke and pattern density... and actually being a good enough shot to have the bird solidly within the pattern. And there is a greater chance that the same load of # 5's at the same range might allow a dove or clay target on edge to slip through unharmed. The expert in Parabola's video mentioned the fact that making an intelligent choice of shot size may instill confidence, and that too will improve scores on game or clay targets.

Lloyd,
Those are the same shot sizes that seem to work best for me. ! oz. of RST's # 7's in the right barrel, followed by 1 oz. of RST # 5's in the left. If they fly-they die, well usually!
Karl

I usually reload 7/8 oz 8 1/2 for skeet in my 16's, 3/4 oz in my 20s.

7s can be difficult to find in factory shells. Supposed to be 299/oz (300 is easier to remember.) They're very close to Brit 6 1/2 (305/oz). Brit 6 shot, which you'll see quite often in British shells, are 270/oz. I've had good luck with both US 7's and Brit 6's on wild pheasants as long as your shots aren't much longer than 35 yards or so.

Re breaking clays: If you walk around examining unbroken targets on the range, you will find plenty with one hole and some with 2 or 3 holes. What that tells me is that good skeet shooters don't rely on single pellet breaks. As Mark pointed out, no matter the shot size, you won't break the target if you don't hit it. And you want to get multiple hits.