Stan - I read that article and it confirmed my belief that for me, for now, light loads are better for competition. The target setters around here rarely have an edge-on target at 40 yards, preferring to get you with change ups in target speeds, odd transitions, and weird flight paths. At most 10% of targets are as hard to break as unmoving, edge-on at 40. So if I shoot 20 tournaments, 2000 targets, 200 are in this category. Roster says I might drop 1-3% of these when I'm on them (I'd be using full choke and 7/8 of 71/2's on these presentations). If I'm shooting better than usual I'll be on 75% of the 200 long shots, so using 2% 'load failures', I'm losing 3 hits per season. Meanwhile I'm dropping dozens to flinches and hundreds to gaps in my technique and skill and mental abilities.
For now, I think light loads and full chokes are helping me work on my weakest areas.
EverD, sounds like that is working great for you, and that is what matters. So much of competition is believing in what you are using, and having no doubts that it will absolutely do the job. If it's working for you, there's no need for you to change. I see a good many targets in the 60 yd. and over range at the shoots I go to, and many are edge on at the time they must be shot. I'm pretty serious about every target, having been on both sides of the results of coming up one bird short or ahead of the class leader. Have won my class several times at bigger shoots by one bird, sometimes a shoot-off.
What I don't understand, tho', about Digweed and his loads is, if he is so convinced that 1 oz. loads are all he needs, why doesn't he shoot them in sporting competition? He has to shoot the mandated FITASC loads, but when he has a choice, in sporting competition, he uses 1 1/8 oz. Or at least he did when I watched him shoot the Triple Classic here in Jawja. I picked up some of his empty hulls to check his loads. Still have one of them.
