Shotgun cartridges

Jsmith2211

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Somerset
What is everybody shooting? Just used up the last few of my slab of hull 29g 6s, which seem to work nice. Slightly nicer on the shoulder than the 32g lyvales or eleys, but still seem to take a pigeon out. Also need to get some clay cartriges as using pigeon shot for clays is a bit of a waste. Is everything fibre wad these days or are there still plastic wads about? Much prefer fibre as i dont particulaly like the idea of throwing a load of plastic all over my fields. And what do people think of steel shot vs lead? My gun is steel proofed so tempted to get a box or two of steels to try out.
 
What is everybody shooting? Just used up the last few of my slab of hull 29g 6s, which seem to work nice. Slightly nicer on the shoulder than the 32g lyvales or eleys, but still seem to take a pigeon out. Also need to get some clay cartriges as using pigeon shot for clays is a bit of a waste. Is everything fibre wad these days or are there still plastic wads about? Much prefer fibre as i dont particulaly like the idea of throwing a load of plastic all over my fields. And what do people think of steel shot vs lead? My gun is steel proofed so tempted to get a box or two of steels to try out.

I'd be interested to know the answer to your questions as well. I've not bought cartridges or fired a gun in a few years now, but I can't recall buying cartridges with plastic wads for a long time either.

I presume steel will be a bit lighter for a given volume of shot so it won't go as far and hit as hard as lead so you might have to actually go up in shot size for the same slap?
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
I use Black Gold 32g 5 for almost all my game always fibre wads. I like the consistency of using the same cartridge the I can’t blame my choice on a miss.

At least a couple of shoots in this area will be steel only next year, I had a few days on geese and duck in Scotland before Christmas I used 42g 1 steel cartridges on geese. Having seen what these can do I’m not worried about steel on game.

I also do a fair bit of picking up, it’s noticeable how many people use the biodegradable wads, I have seen a lot of them on the ground. May be worth investigating them next year.

Bg
 
I use Black Gold 32g 5 for almost all my game always fibre wads. I like the consistency of using the same cartridge the I can’t blame my choice on a miss.

At least a couple of shoots in this area will be steel only next year, I had a few days on geese and duck in Scotland before Christmas I used 42g 1 steel cartridges on geese. Having seen what these can do I’m not worried about steel on game.

I also do a fair bit of picking up, it’s noticeable how many people use the biodegradable wads, I have seen a lot of them on the ground. May be worth investigating them next year.

Bg
I tried some black gold fibre wads in my o/u and couldn’t hit a lot. And when I did it was like a rail gun. Talking to someone in the know, after pattern testing, there’s an issue on some fibre wads depending how your gun has been bored. Put the rest through the auto without issue. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

Jsmith2211

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Somerset
Do you have a prefference of 6 shot or 5 shot? Ive only ever had 6s as thats what we had in the safe, do 5s do a better job against crows? I have found once or twice that a crow will obviously be hit but will keep flying when hit by the hulls, could be more down to the person holding the gun than the cartridge though... they seem to work very well against pigeons when i can actually hit the damned things!
 
Do you have a prefference of 6 shot or 5 shot? Ive only ever had 6s as thats what we had in the safe, do 5s do a better job against crows? I have found once or twice that a crow will obviously be hit but will keep flying when hit by the hulls, could be more down to the person holding the gun than the cartridge though... they seem to work very well against pigeons when i can actually hit the damned things!
They’ll all do a job, but if I have the option I prefer 5s as I can comfortably push it another 10-20yards with confidence (with 3/4 choke). Anything within 40 yards is fine with 30g 6s with say 1/4 or 1/2 chokes. Crows do take more stopping so get them in front and if just shooting crows I’d go for 5s
 

toquark

Member
Been using fibre Hull High pheasant 32g 5s this season. Seem like a good shell. Previously used Lyalvale express 32g 5s for game to good effect (or as good as my shooting ability allows anyway). I'm an impoverished sheep farmer so can't afford the Black Golds like them arable boys can, but they are a terrific shell.

I hate using plastic wads, there's really little justification for them nowadays and are such low hanging fruit to our detractors.

When it comes to cartridges, you can split hairs in terms of their performance, but if you're hitting them with a Black Gold, theres a 99% chance you'll still be hitting them with a much cheaper cartridge.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
I use Gamebore Dark Storm (wool wad) for Game 6's or 5's (32 and 34g). depending on where i'm shooting

Gamebore black gold fibre 28g 8's for sporting and Eley Supreme 9's 24g plastic wad for skeet


I've pattern tested to come to the above conclusions and whats right is very gun / barrel length and choke specific


any cheapo fibre 6's for pigeons
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
I tried some black gold fibre wads in my o/u and couldn’t hit a lot. And when I did it was like a rail gun. Talking to someone in the know, after pattern testing, there’s an issue on some fibre wads depending how your gun has been bored. Put the rest through the auto without issue. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I buy cartridges for myself my son and my brother. That’s one of the reasons I stick to the same make. So putting them through 2 berettas and a perazzi. Not had any problems over a wide range of shooting.

It’s purely subjective but when I am picking up I would think I see more black golds in the empties bucket than anything else.

Bg
 

Hesstondriver

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Huntingdon
i use Victory Starlights 32g 5 or 6s they are quite a fast cartridge and make a really big bang!

i used to like Rottwile cartidges to and if i was roost shooting in the dark you'd see a 3 ft flame out the end every time you shot :playful:
 
I use Gamebore Dark Storm (wool wad) for Game 6's or 5's (32 and 34g). depending on where i'm shooting

Gamebore black gold fibre 28g 8's for sporting and Eley Supreme 9's 24g plastic wad for skeet


I've pattern tested to come to the above conclusions and whats right is very gun / barrel length and choke specific


any cheapo fibre 6's for pigeons
Take it you have 3" chambers for your 34grms? When you change to steel shot, sadly I don't:(
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 43.2%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.4%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.4%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 5 2.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top