#12 shot on the skeet range

[catnthehat]

Well, I dropped by to visit my good buddy sdvc last night for a cup of his great Esspresso and to drop off some 20 gayge wads because he was running low.
He told me that he had found an old 10 pound bag of #12 shot!
Well, one thing led to another and we decided to try it out
On the skeet field this week! LOL
anybody who has shot skeet knows it doesn't take a lot of velocity to breaks birds. Especially from stations 1,7 and 8.
The number of pellets in a 7/8 oz load is crazy when comparing #9 to 12 as well, which is why we are going to do this experiment .
I will be using my favorite 28 gauge bird load, 30 grains of H110 with a BPI HV28 wad and a Cheddite hull.
This load runs right around 8,340PSI and 1320FPS
( according to BPI)

The average pellet count for a 7/8 oz. Load of 9's is 495
Compare that to a load of 12's , which is 2043.
That gives you over FOUR TIMES the number of pellets in a load , which theoretically should be a solid wall of shot moving better than 1,200FPS!
This will be a fun experiment for sure!
It is amazing what us old retired guys will do for a bit of excitement!
Cat

[elkhunter11]

I am still finding some Superior Canadian shot around, including some labelled 10 and 12, but I have only been buying the 9. The 10 was tempting, but I never even considered the 12, as I am thinking that it may not be reliable on the longer shots.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I am still finding some Superior Canadian shot around, including some labelled 10 and 12, but I have only been buying the 9. The 10 was tempting, but I never even considered the 12, as I am thinking that it may not be reliable on the longer shots.

This bag was from Ancaster ( Hummanson), and the pellets seem to range from #10 or even #9 to#12.
I am going to try the loads on 1 and 7 on the incomers first, and 8 , to see how they do, but I am pretty sure they will work well.
Cat

[oilngas]

cat: I'm taking a slightly different approach on the skeet field; 3/4 oz. of what ever small shot (71/2 to 9) I have left in the shot locker loaded with Alliant Extra light at about 1000fps. I have not encountered any issues breaking targets except the shoulders without rotator cuffs and full of arteritis say "this is way better eh!" who cares if we drop a few!

Biggest problem is I can't find any more Extra Lite!

So each to his own! It doesn't take much to break most of the targets on the skeet field, I just gotta do my job!

[rugerfan]

I might be interested in a bag of #10 or #12 if someone has a line on it. I’d like to try some smaller pellets in my experimental 444 marlin shot loads. They’re not very available at the usual places though.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by rugerfan

I might be interested in a bag of #10 or #12 if someone has a line on it. I’d like to try some smaller pellets in my experimental 444 marlin shot loads. They’re not very available at the usual places though.

I could have purchased some #12 cheap, because nobody around here wanted it. Number 4 also isn't a big seller here.

[The Cook]

Good to know, maybe I can bring my score up.

[fps plus]

In theory it sounds good but shot doesn’t go out like a flat plate. It stings out from the muzzle to the target. You will find your shot string will more than likely just be longer and more fliers with the smaller shot .

You are not reinventing the wheel on suitable shot size for skeet .
Keep us updated on you progress .

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by fps plus

In theory it sounds good but shot doesn’t go out like a flat plate. It stings out from the muzzle to the target. You will find your shot string will more than likely just be longer and more fliers with the smaller shot .

You are not reinventing the wheel on suitable shot size for skeet .
Keep us updated on you progress .

Oh, I am fully aware of how things like shot strings work and how much ( or little ) certain things affect them, but this is just a bit of fun to see if the shot swarm is increased at all by three times the pellet count or if the patterns are at all effected by the fact that I shoot a set of 6" 28 gauge adapters in a cylinder bore 12 gauge hammer double!
I have read books by Greener, Burrard, Bristor Hartman and Roster since I was young, but after reading what some "experts " say on the internet I am amazed that I am able to hit anything with my guns let alone pheasants and geese!!
Cat

[stob]

The only thing I can find for 12 shot is it's use in rimfire and centre fire pistol snake and vermin control...as an aside it was used in the military in rimfire to train Bomber gunners in ww2...they would shòot at small Clay's from different angles..,my father in law and his buddies loved that training

When I shot alot, people sometimes talked about it and #10, but I never saw it used or for sale...an Olympic skeet coach I knew dismissed it out right

[catnthehat]

We went out today and shot three boxes of the #12, 7/8 oz loads using the Briley Side Kicks in my hammer double , in pretty crazy winds .
As I suspected, the breaks were excellent , but there was no discernable difference in the 7/8 oz #12 and 3/4oz #9 loads .
If I was swinging properly , things broke, if I wasn't , an
1 1/8 load likely would not been any better LOL.
Cat

[fps plus]

Glad it’s working.
You have not shot in winds until you shoot in Lethbridge. At the old trap club there were times if a person missed a target it would land behind them !!!

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by fps plus

Glad it’s working.
You have not shot in winds until you shoot in Lethbridge. At the old trap club there were times if a person missed a target it would land behind them !!!

I was told that if the wind ever quit blowing down there all the cows would fall over!
Cat

[elkhunter11]

We shot in some brisk winds here as well, it was a challenge shooting the 410. I was the only one not shooting a 12 gauge today.