doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Hooked on 3/4 oz. 20 gauge

I've fiddled with 12 gauge loads for years, but never loaded anything except a factory duplication skeet load in 20. My reasoning was that 7/8 oz. was little enough shot, and I wanted all the lead in the air I could get there.

Well, I've grown up.

A friend has been shooting 3/4 oz. for quite a while with no ill effect on his scores so I tried it.

What a pleasant surprise. The initial idea was to tame down a light weight SxS, but even in a 7 3/4 lb. "Panzerkampfwagen M-K20" the difference is remarkable and can only result in better shooting. The only concession I made was moving to a little more choke at 5-stand.

I settled on 12.2 gr. of International, a CB-1075, W209, and 3/4 oz of Lawrence Mag in a AA hull. It runs a pretty consistent 1150 fps over my chrono with the muzzle at one foot in front of the unit. They cost $3.75/box to load, not including the hull of course. That's moving the 'cartridge bill' as the Brits say in the right direction.

The 3/4 ounce 20 gauge wads are brilliant product, and I'm betting a factory 3/4 ounce load would sell and we may see one. The caveat is that this load will not work a recoil auto, and might not set some inertia triggers. That might be what's holding back the commercial load.

It's just a good thing for these 'square' loads and one pellet breaks I guess. Can of worms reopened!

Jones,
I've shot some Fiocchi so called "trainer" 7/8 oz. 12 ga. loads and really liked them for clays. I know they make a 3/4 oz. 20 ga. load that I'm going to try in my 5lb. 12oz. 20 ga. SxS. Yes, less is sometimes better! Square loads? Ah, I'm not touching that one!
Karl

I know a couple serious sporting clay shooters who went to 3/4 ounce loads in a 12 gauge for a while. They finally settled on using 7/8 ounces as a better option. (They weren't shooting skeet!)

I now use 7/8 ounce in all my gauges; 12, 16, 20. And I agree the Fiocchi Trainer 7/8 ounce are very good loads...even in damascus barrels!

friend of mine in his eighties, is an avid skeet shooter...he fabricates 3/4 oz loads for his 20 ga citori...his typical score is in the twenties...

for those who dont fabricate, rst offers some dandy 3/4 oz 20 ga loads...

Ah. I see the Fiocchi 3/4 oz. 20's available now.

All I find though is 'sevens and a half' which seems curious.

It's a good idea, I've seen kids trying to shoot factory hot 20's and not really enjoying the experience.

I've actually patterned the Fiocchi loads, and found the patterns to be very good. By looking at the sheets, if I had all day to arrange the pellets myself, I couldn't have done better. I know they use high antimony (5%) lead in those loads.
Karl

I've never met a Fiocchi product I didn't like.

Sir, what choke did you settle on please?

I moved from cylinder to skeet for skeet.

From skeet to IC on 5-stand.

That's how they measure, but I find modern screw chokes with hard lead shot to shoot tighter than marked across the board.

Maybe it will make me a better shot. I have run that five stand in the past with a 20 gauge using standard skeet loads and skeet chokes.

Our five stand is pretty variable, but most of the stuff is 30 yards or so with the longest being the teal if you take it at the top which is a calculated 43 yards hypotenuse. It's best shot on the way up.

There is another 5-stand in the area that virtually demands a doubles trap gun.

Choke is always going to be a compromise at 5-stand.

http://www.gamaliel.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=D85561AE98714571B344079757E13965
JR