6.5 SHOT

[Darkside]

Hamster, I've been fortunate to shoot with a lot of the 'big boys' over the last three years...they all carry 'big' shells for shooting 'big' targets!!!  I see very few 'big' targets that need a 6.5 down South, even most of what Steve Lovatt put on at the Classic and Troy Foods FITASC were not needing any more than Italian 8's...because they show you plenty of clay to shoot at, especially at distance, most of the far out stuff shows full belly or they are still under power, slow stalling edge on clays want a bigger pellet to break well.?Having said that, the man who won Troy foods, shoots a lot of 6.5 Hull Pacours, then what does he know?!?! I'll bet money that when Ben, Richard and George go to a shoot, they will have some 6.5's with them. Going by the reports from the FITASC home international shot at Esker, Ireland, this weekend past, there would be a lot of 6.5 empties in the bins!! As for the statement that with 6.5's you "loose a bit of density"...tell that to the clays that get CRUSHED by 28g of 6.5!!! 

 

[Rosso]

I broke a 50 - 60 yd fast left to right crossing looper at Gunsites last shoot stand 1 with 9 shot through 3/8 choke, twice, after I shot the stand straight with 7's and witnessed by bisondan. 

But I still carry a box of parcours 6.5's just in case.

 

[Hamster]

Somebody remind us what shot size everyone had to use in Dubai. Clays is a game of probabilities, it isn't like other shooting disciplines that rely on a single projectile, logic says if 6.5's are better than say 7's or even 7.5's then why not just use them all the way through ? Please don't anyone start telling us they pattern ultra tight  <_<  not unless you have hundreds and hundreds of representative patterns and data to hand to back it up with real world percentages. 

A few years ago I watched GD, Henry Arnold and Jamie Brightman tackle a 25 bird Compak Pool at Southdown which included a couple of very long birds, took George about 4-5 goes before he straighted it, earlier Henry had bagged a 25 and then shot a 24 with 9's just to see what would happen ! I had managed a 24 with 8's and the odd 7'5. If RF had turned up he'd have knocked a 24/25 in without a doubt, doesn't prove a thing. 

 

[Darkside]

Define "very long"...were the long birds edge on showing no belly and were the clays old weathered clays of nice new ones ?

 

[bisondan]

I broke a 50 - 60 yd fast left to right crossing looper at Gunsites last shoot stand 1 with 9 shot through 3/8 choke, twice, after I shot the stand straight with 7's and witnessed by bisondan. 

But I still carry a box of parcours 6.5's just in case.

He powdered it.

 

[Jeremy Baker]

The Targets at Esker for the HI Fitasc definitely needed either tight chokes or 6.5's or both. 

That was a cracking track.

Gutted I couldn't shoot it. 

 

[Darkside]

Jeremy, they tell me Edith shot brilliantly at the shoot off, on massive targets...another one who belives in 6.5's!!!

 

[Billy Baughan]

The Targets at Esker for the HI Fitasc definitely needed either tight chokes or 6.5's or both. 

That was a cracking track.

Gutted I couldn't shoot it. 

agreed brilliant shoot. I used plenty of sovereign 6 1/2's. 

 

[chippy]

He was, he usually uses Chargot 35g.

yes but i drop down to 32g for close stuff and skeet.

 

[Jim Wheeler]

eventually i have to add tuppence,,,,,

 i assume a 6.5  refers to 2.5 mm shot dia?   that being the case , this is the international maximum size for clay target Olympic disciplines and all shooting grounds? (due to shot fall out distances,, safety,, etc.) 

for 30 years or so, i only had access to 2.5mm shot, or 2.0mm ! not much choice in Africa! so everyone shot the same for FSP or trap, or skeet 9`s 

the point is, that ammo would break any target, and back then, they were mostly at least 40m, if not 60-70m  !  that stupidity stopped 15 years ago, but the point is that ballistics show the bigger shot has better kill at long range,,, obviously,, and has less drift in strong winds, however,, all shot charges slow down quite quickly,bigger shot maybe slows down quicker than smaller shot ?   :smile:   ,there are lots of variables !

i recon a 8 or 9 is not going to break a target better, or worse than a 6.5,,, at less than 40m,, and if it breaks with a 9, it would break anyway with a 6.5.other way i am not so sure ,,,you have to be on the target to kill it,,,

 

[Jeremy Baker]

Jeremy, they tell me Edith shot brilliantly at the shoot off, on massive targets...another one who belives in 6.5's!!!

Absolutly amazing to watch mate. 

Both shot great in the shoot off but Edith was something else totally. 

Best shooting I've watched. 

 

[Parcours pete]

Jeremy good to see you at esker 

have to agree with the 6,5 needed 

shot another box again there yesterday great shoot 

 

[Hamster]

So, why not use them all the way through then, if they pattern too tight   then drop down to half, I mean if it breaks 90 yard edge on aways then use it for absolutely everything. Come to think of it why don't the Trap boys use it ?

The reason of course is that there is a trade off between kinetic strike and density otherwise people would use it everywhere. If a target is so far and edge on that it needs the striking power of a 2.5mm pellet then it is beyond the realm of skill alone because by definition we're saying that you could put a good load of 7.5's through a tight choke and manage to be ON it and fail to break it because it's too far ! So we need the (unquestionably) more random nature of a load of 6.5's to luck into a few actual breaks ! 

350 pellets in 7.5's depending on antimony in 1 oz V 250 pellets in 6.5's so roughly 30% fewer 

 

[Ian Lawrence]

So really, what you are saying is that you have to use the right size shot, and the right choke, and this would vary depending on the target presentation, in order to maximise your chances of a good break. Conversely, using the wrong size shot and the wrong choke, will lessen your chances of a good break.

Sounds a bit radical to me???   :sarcastic:

 

[Rosso]

It comes down to one pellet with enough mass and energy to break the clay at very long range. I call it the Golden pellet. We have all seen a clay just split in half way after the shot.

Its horses for courses.

Its nearly all beyond the range of skill alone or we would not need so many pellets. The skill is using the right tool for the job. That's guns, choking, shells, clothing, etc,  and putting it all together on the day.

 

[jwpzx9r]

What size of shot and load did GD use for his mega distance shot? He shot target after target retreating ten yards a time until he was in the car park and ran out of space at over 100 yds and still broke the targets.

 

[Hamster]

What size of shot and load did GD use for his mega distance shot? He shot target after target retreating ten yards a time until he was in the car park and ran out of space at over 100 yds and still broke the targets.

He changes to 34g loads of 5's I believe after around 85 yards ? Yes he does go on to break (was it 135 yards ?) extreme range Teal but the fact that he didn't stand there and reel off a straight and really milk the applause  :wink: :lol:  should tell you 1) that there is some luck involved and 2) that he's no fool. 

He's on record as saying that he firmly believes that if a target cannot be broken with 28g loads of 7.5 White Gold then it cannot be broken. What he means in case the pedantic brigade have a heart attack  :lol:  is reliably and without trusting to random luck.

 

[Ian Lawrence]

He's on record as saying that he firmly believes that if a target cannot be broken with 28g loads of 7.5 White Gold then it cannot be broken. 

  I thought he was complying with his contractual obligations by expounding the virtues of the cartridges he is sponsored to use? Live and learn eh?

I have proved many times that there are targets out there that are impossible to break with any cartridge whatsoever!  :angel:

 

[Darkside]

He changes to 34g loads of 5's I believe after around 85yds...

He's on record as saying that he firmly believes that if a target cannot be broken with 28g loads of 7.5 White Gold then it cannot be broken. What he means in case the pedantic brigade have a heart attack...

Lots of people are on record as saying lots of things, that they themselves don't actually believe...

So, by your logic, George must shoot White Gold 7.5's at those 80yd teal???

So Hamster, are you stating George Digweed doesn't shoot anything other than White Gold, max shot size of UK 7.5 at clays? Next you will be telling me George has never fired a Black Gold 6.5...

 

[jwpzx9r]

I don't really care what he used to be fair, what I admire is the fact he broke clays one after another out to that distance. Now if it was luck it was remarkable luck to do that.  After 80 or 90 yds  he  must have been doing something to improve his chance of breaking the target so I dismiss luck to be honest. I think he is just a remarkable shooter who knows how to get his shot on the target.