Spreader Shell

[Geordieboy]

Hi All

I watched this video last night.  It seems that Fiocchi in the US do a ‘Spreader’ shell.  The guys show them difference between choke and the spreader shell.

Quite interesting this is!

The Science of Shotgun Shells (ft. Fiocchi) - YouTube

So where do we buy shells with this WAd in them?

 

[Will Hewland]

A good watch. Shame the spreader shell is over 28g, which is why you don’t see them in UK I assume. I’ve often thought a spreader shell that is cleverer than a piston wad should be possible. I had different theories about how to do it than that cross shaped post, but hey..

 

[FESkent]

if you home load your own, gualandi make these, never been asked for them but C&G stock them.

https://www.claygame.co.uk/12ga-gualandi-super-g-spreader-wads-pd55

 

[Will Hewland]

Home loads illegal for competition. And if you’re just mucking around why use a spreader? Better to use full choke and see how accurate you can be. 

 

[Geordieboy]

Home loads illegal for competition. And if you’re just mucking around why use a spreader? Better to use full choke and see how accurate you can be. 

The missus tells me that when I am 'mucking about' my full choke blows the pattern and I have to clean the bowl!!!!!!

 

[FESkent]

Home loads illegal for competition. And if you’re just mucking around why use a spreader? Better to use full choke and see how accurate you can be. 

As you say the secret to life is honesty and fair play, fake a cartridge with a home load looking as good if not better than some commercial loads, which using todays tooling is easy to do, then you have got it made but not that i am suggesting anybody should or would. 

 

[Freddypip]

Looking at the Gualandi wad I can understand how it works in that it the central section forces the pellets out, spreading the wad.

I'm not sure why that would be any better than a low velocity fibre that has no wad surrounding the pellets in any way - say a 21g supersoft.

 

[Geordieboy]

My findings on Fibres and BIORS are covered in another post.  Against a 9" Plaswad pattern at 20yds, they give 18" to 20" in diameter.  

Its important to me as I shoot a fixed choke gun.  As I seen this video, I though that a cartridge with that wad in would be a good shell for me.  I am off fibres now as my jouney into them with ELEY VIP (reasurringly expensive) took a turn when my fibre wads started exploding confetti everywhere.  To be fair to ELEY, they come and picked them up from my house!!!!!

Anyway, its plastic wads for me for the timebeing and this Spreader wad was quite interesting.

 

[Will Hewland]

My findings on Fibres and BIORS are covered in another post.  Against a 9" Plaswad pattern at 20yds, they give 18" to 20" in diameter.  

Its important to me as I shoot a fixed choke gun.  As I seen this video, I though that a cartridge with that wad in would be a good shell for me.  I am off fibres now as my jouney into them with ELEY VIP (reasurringly expensive) took a turn when my fibre wads started exploding confetti everywhere.  To be fair to ELEY, they come and picked them up from my house!!!!!

Anyway, its plastic wads for me for the timebeing and this Spreader wad was quite interesting.

You using full choke? Sounds very tight. I get around 20” at 20 yards with 28g plas 8s 

 

[jonz]

Home loads illegal for competition. And if you’re just mucking around why use a spreader? Better to use full choke and see how accurate you can be. 

Yes they are illegal but who would know, when was the last time you had your cartridges checked to make sure they weren’t home loads?

I’m sure if someone wants to cheat then they would get away with using home loaded shells 

 

[Will Hewland]

Yes they are illegal but who would know, when was the last time you had your cartridges checked to make sure they weren’t home loads?

I’m sure if someone wants to cheat then they would get away with using home loaded shells 

You’re almost certainly right. Might get the Mrs undetected under the patio too, but I won’t advise it to others.

 

[Geordieboy]

You using full choke? Sounds very tight. I get around 20” at 20 yards with 28g plas 8s 

I have an Mk38 trap which measure 0.032"  So a tight 3/4.  I use the gun for game so want to keep the chokes the same.  Otherwise, I'd have 2 x 3/8th in there.  

I used to have Multichoke guns, but as an Engineer...... found myself analysing each stand and putting in the appropriate choke for each target.  A fixed choke gun helps my 'Analytical Brain' from overthinking things.

So...... I shoot 50% tight trap shells and 50% open shells.  Simples!!!!

 

[FESkent]

Yes they are illegal but who would know, when was the last time you had your cartridges checked to make sure they weren’t home loads?

I’m sure if someone wants to cheat then they would get away with using home loaded shells 

All ways brings a smile to my face the idea, that law abiding, police checked firearms owners would knowingly and deliberately cheat. Yet some American disciplines I believe allow home loads (NSSA).

CPSA will tell you it’s to do with safety, which is what they preach on their range safety officer course.

 

[Bavarian]

Those spreading cartridges are aroeund for a long time here in germany, but mainly for getting a good pattern at short distances with tight fixed choked guns.

Most of them where used for hunting.

The name of them is "Streukreuz" it means "Spreding cross". There is still something around from Rottweil and Winchester.

And there is (or was) a special skeet discipline with hunting guns, so the Skeet "Streukreuz" cartridges where an option to get good a more open pattern.

But no need to use them if you have a gun with interchangable chokes, in my opinion. Open chokes and spreading cartridges might produce something weird.

The Italian companies call them "dispersante", but if there are cartridges for sports around, I don´t know.

https://appelbaum-sport.de/munition/schrotmunition/winchester/6273/winchester-streukreuz-12/67

https://www.grauwolf.net/12-40-2-mm-topshot-competition-streukreu-24-g-25-stueck.html

https://ruag-ammotec.de/marken/rottweil/rottweil-schrotpatronen/rottweil-schrotpatronen-fuer-den-sport/rottweil-competition-line/rottweil-special-skeet-streu/?tx_tweprivacy_eprivacy[action]=banner&tx_tweprivacy_eprivacy[controller]=Subject&cHash=2a26710ae4660d27f21cd26a05dd2e30

 

[Scotty]

Aren't Hull Pro Piston cartridges designed to spread over short range? I watched an interesting video promoting a change in cartridges through the same chokes, rather than changing chokes depending on target presentation. 

 

[Will Hewland]

Aren't Hull Pro Piston cartridges designed to spread over short range? I watched an interesting video promoting a change in cartridges through the same chokes, rather than changing chokes depending on target presentation. 

I would always prefer a different cartridge to choke change personally, and it achieves at least the same result. The Hull Pro piston throw a pattern about 1/3 larger than a normal 8 shot plas cartridge. But at close range, that’s actually a tiny amount so it’s no substitute for being on target really. And they are expensive. 
 

As I’m now shooting my old fixed choke Perazzi, I’ve been mucking about with different shells. I’m convinced it’s costing me more targets than it’s finding, given how much I’m getting distracted with options.. I think one shell is going back in my bag soon..

 

[Scotty]

I imagine it's more reliable, stand to stand, just swapping between cartridges.

But I also belive the confidence in your own process makes a huge difference too.

And if you're more confident and more relaxed you're more likely to put the shot where it needs to be, further reinforcing your process.

 

[Will Hewland]

I imagine it's more reliable, stand to stand, just swapping between cartridges.

But I also belive the confidence in your own process makes a huge difference too.

And if you're more confident and more relaxed you're more likely to put the shot where it needs to be, further reinforcing your process.

I pretty sure my problem when I use a wider spreading shell is that I visualise a larger pattern and just don’t focus as hard on being in the exact right place. I found this years ago and I’m doing it again lately..

 

[Geordieboy]

You using full choke? Sounds very tight. I get around 20” at 20 yards with 28g plas 8s 

I shoit an mk38 trap gun. Its chokes measure 2 x 3/4

Aren't Hull Pro Piston cartridges designed to spread over short range? I watched an interesting video promoting a change in cartridges through the same chokes, rather than changing chokes depending on target presentation. 

That's exactly what I do. I'm currently trialing Hull shells at the moment with the Pro Piston as my open shell.

I would always prefer a different cartridge to choke change personally, and it achieves at least the same result. The Hull Pro piston throw a pattern about 1/3 larger than a normal 8 shot plas cartridge. But at close range, that’s actually a tiny amount so it’s no substitute for being on target really. And they are expensive. 
 

As I’m now shooting my old fixed choke Perazzi, I’ve been mucking about with different shells. I’m convinced it’s costing me more targets than it’s finding, given how much I’m getting distracted with options.. I think one shell is going back in my bag soon..

I've patterned my gun at 20m with 4 shells. 

Eley Superb 7.5, Eley VIP Sporting Fibre, Fiocchi F3 BIOR, HULL Pro Piston.

Eley Superb gave a 8" pattern vs the Pro Piston which gave a 20" pattern.

So they work