doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com MV vs. lead

If you've ever had an argument about how much a change in muzzle velocity affects lead or simply wondered, you might find these figures interesting: A crossing target from station 4(skeet) requires 41.23" of lead, when the shot leaves the muzzle @ 1100 fps. Starting @ 1150 fps, lead is 39.44". 1200 fps requires 37.80" and 1250 fps needs 36.28" of lead. 150 fps difference in MV makes a difference of less than 5" in the lead on a skeet hard crosser. This is from the Skeet Review, December, 2006 issue, figures from the Hodgdon Powder Co.

What WILL be considerably different will be recoil of about 13 ft. lbs. with the 1100 fps load but about 17 ft. lbs. with the 1250 fps load(using a 7-1/2 lb. gun and 1 oz shot)

Jim,

I am going to bet you have as much trouble determining inches of lead on the skeet range as I? Perhaps not!? Interesting numbers in any case! Thank-you,

Kurt

When I was shooting competative trap I always shot AA superlights. I did not stay too long seriously in the sport as, in truth, I found it to be somewhat tedious. I much prefer international trap or sporting clays. However, I did win several significant trapshooting events and was a AA 27 AA shooter.
My point is that the 1100 FPS 71/2 shells I shot crushed targets from the 27 yard line. Crushed them. I guarantee the slower loads gave up nothing to the 3 dram Federals and AAs.
I have never understood why folks love those big slammer loads.
Psychological, no doubt.
Jake

Sorry I didn't get it, what is 41,23" of lead?

Geno;
Pronounce that "Lead" as "Leed" as in how far ahead of the target the gun is pointed when the "Lead" shot (pronuced "Led") leaves the bbl. One of those quirks in the English language. Both words are spelled identical, but pronounced different according to different meanings.
The gun thus would be pointed 41.23 inches ahead of the target or about 105cm at discharge

From past threads, I don't believe Jim has any trouble with leads- anyone who can shoot a 25 at skeet with a flintlock is number one in my book. And I totally agree with light loads with less recoil- what's 3 or 4 inchs of lead with a 30" pattern- it's all what you learn to shoot with. paul

Geno
The Brits call it forward allowance, how much you need to be in front of the target to hit it = lead.
bill

I brought this up because many years ago, I had a brand new 28 ga. and was wondering what powder to use. A shooter next to me said he didn't like Unique because it didn't give the velocity he wanted. As I was also considering buying my first chronograph, I asked what brand of chronograph he had. He answered that he didn't have a chronograph but could tell the velocity by his skeet scores. I didn't believe him then and have been amazed ever since, by how many people believe a difference of 50-100 fps will make a major difference(couple-a-feet?) in necessary lead.
For Paul: it was a percussion shotgun, I've never hit one with a flintlock. Probably didn't lead them enough.

All the posts so far seem to reflect what I've seen also.

However, I did use some of the Win AA Featherlights that have a velocity around 900 fps and they required around 1 foot additional lead. My crude calculation suggests about a 14" increase is required over a 1200fps round.

I don't concern myself much with different leads, because everything I shoot--target and hunting--is toward the low average end of the velocity spectrum (1150-1250 fps). That being said, we need to remember that skeet is a close range game. If we're talking longer sporting clays targets, or long shots at live birds, and a greater velocity spread--like the difference between an 1100 fps light target load and a 1400 fps sporting clays or hunting load, maybe at 40 yards rather than the 20-25 at which you shoot skeet targets, then you will see differences in lead that become significant.