What's your favourite shot size for ESP/Fitasc?

[ianmaney]

Parkie reckons them Black Gold bullets look really sexy in the barrels before you close the gun !!!

 

[amaher01]

Some great comments there boys. My preference is 80% of the time size 8 and the longer edge on or rabbits a size 6 1/2...... through 1/2 choke in both barrels.

 

[squimp]

I'd use 8's for everything (except the odd really long/edge on target) if they were more widely available. Where I buy shells they seem to predominantly stock 7.5 shot. 

A mate has some heavy  9 shot cartridges and they are devastatingly effective -  even on really long targets (not in comps of course!). He even tried them on long partridges and they knocked them down too. 

 

[EdSolomons]

A mate gave me a load of 36g 8s and 9s when they stopped them for FITASC. Used them on pigeons and folded some brutally long birds!

 

[Hamster]

One of my rabbit permissions (oddly enough) produces some superb pigeon flighting around this of year, I have had three major sessions there since last week using 28g Eley Superb 7.5 and 32g RC SIPE in 6 shot, which is probably more like our 5.5's ?!

On each and every occasion due to the weather and the general lie of the land most shots have been on very high birds, borderline out of shot often enough not to fire at half the time, impossible heights aplenty.

Most of my kills fell to the smaller shot, the bigger shell definitely led to more rangey pick ups with more proper folds going to the Eley. The crops of some of these birds were fit to burst full of rape and some had copious amounts of apples mixed in as well.

I'm trying to e-mail the pics from my mobile so I can post them but no luck so far.

 

[Guerini Guy]

I use 28g 8's for everything at English Sporting, choked at 1/4 and 1/2. I feel comfortable with that and my scores are improving.

Thinking of trying FITASC (Sporting Nicola) and was talking with John Dyson at Dartford last Sunday. His recommendation was for 28g 7.5's with a ready small supply of 6.5's for rabbits particularly, shot through either 1/2 and 1/2, or 1/2 and 5/8 chokes!

Booked in for my first FSP on 6th January and really looking forward to it. Quite prepared to get beaten up, but couldn't care less to be honest - just looking forward to the experience.

 

[Mark Jones]

I'm a bit confused. I think what we are all trying to do is ensure we have the best chance of breaking the target so why would the top shots or indeed any competent shot who has learnt about the subject worry about changing 1/2 a shot size for a marginal further target yet shoot at close ones with 3/4 or full choke? I'm not having a laugh but gen don't understand unless of course your hit rate at close targets is 100% then it would all make sense???

 

[jake.keeling]

I'm a bit confused. I think what we are all trying to do is ensure we have the best chance of breaking the target so why would the top shots or indeed any competent shot who has learnt about the subject worry about changing 1/2 a shot size for a marginal further target yet shoot at close ones with 3/4 or full choke? I'm not having a laugh but gen don't understand unless of course your hit rate at close targets is 100% then it would all make sense???

Well that is the exact reasoning I used when my gun was fixed choke Full/Super Full, you should hit the close stuff including very close rabbits if you know how to do it. I also felt it gave me determination to keep the gun on the target because obviously close stuff doesn't need lead if the gun is moving the same speed. To prove this to myself I shot 25 straight at Skeet with it and 100 Straight at DTL to get my confidence up. I have since had the Gun Teagued. But I slightly regret it sometimes. The only target I felt a slight disadvantage on personally with tight choke was driven where if I misjudged the line slightly it would escape but with a 1/4 choke I would maybe clip it.

 

[Hamster]

I'm a bit confused. I think what we are all trying to do is ensure we have the best chance of breaking the target so why would the top shots or indeed any competent shot who has learnt about the subject worry about changing 1/2 a shot size for a marginal further target yet shoot at close ones with 3/4 or full choke? I'm not having a laugh but gen don't understand unless of course your hit rate at close targets is 100% then it would all make sense???

 This is an interesting and ultimately correct take on it Mark, changing a 1/2 size is pretty much pointless to be fair, other factors are far more important in truth. That doesn't mean I don't do it myself though  but for kind of different reasons, pacing is my excuse on occasion. 

As for tight chokes on very close targets, my view is that only the top 2%-3% of shooters can truly get away with it due to their inherent accuracy, the rest can't but nor can they be bothered enough or want the target enough to change.

 

[Mark Jones]

This is an interesting and ultimately correct take on it Mark, changing a 1/2 size is pretty much pointless to be fair, other factors are far more important in truth. That doesn't mean I don't do it myself though but for kind of different reasons, pacing is my excuse on occasion.

As for tight chokes on very close targets, my view is that only the top 2%-3% of shooters can truly get away with it due to their inherent accuracy, the rest can't but nor can they be bothered enough or want the target enough to change.

 

[Mark Jones]

OOOps. Think you have it. Guess what gives you confidence is of more importance than a pure mathmatical choice. Intrestingly though, i'm sure i read GD now has a second set of barrels made up choked 3/8,5/8 for the close stuff as he felt being too tight was costing him too many targets!

 

[Chard]

OOOps. Think you have it. Guess what gives you confidence is of more importance than a pure mathmatical choice. Intrestingly though, i'm sure i read GD now has a second set of barrels made up choked 3/8,5/8 for the close stuff as he felt being too tight was costing him too many targets!

I saw GD miss some close rabbits at Hodnet a couple of years back, when lesser mortals were straighting the stand. I expect that was because he was using full chokes.

An ex-England shooter told me once that I was penalising myself unnecessarily at ESP by using half and half and I agree (now). There's absolutely nothing smart about over choking. I use 1/4 and 3/8 now and that'll break anything. I have been known to bung a half choke in for something monstrously long range, but I swear it makes marginal difference.

 

[Salopian]

Ah! The myth of Mr. Digweed's  tight chokes.

If only we knew what George used, we could all sleep sound in our beds tonight.

After all, that is the only thing stopping any of us from being twenty times World Champion.

 

[squimp]

I had a Miroku 3800 adjusted by Nigel Teague years ago and he left 12 and 16 points of choke in it. That is just over 1/4 and approx 3/8. I could kill virtually anything with those chokes.

Conversely I went to Roundwood this week and forgot to take my 3/4 choke game chokes out of my current multichoke gun. I shot okay -  but I missed a few close targets that I should (could) have hit with a looser set-up. BTW 21gram Comp X plas wad shells were throwing very effective long range patterns thru' those chokes.

 

[Anni]

I saw GD miss some close rabbits at Hodnet a couple of years back, when lesser mortals were straighting the stand. I expect that was because he was using full chokes.

An ex-England shooter told me once that I was penalising myself unnecessarily at ESP by using half and half and I agree (now). There's absolutely nothing smart about over choking. I use 1/4 and 3/8 now and that'll break anything. I have been known to bung a half choke in for something monstrously long range, but I swear it makes marginal difference.

I was on that Squad too. And the following year at the British open. On virtually the same target on the same stand he got his spare barrels out.

Certainly worked for him, as he won The British on a 117/120.

 

[Salopian]

Cartridges and pellet size has been talked about for years.

George has always erred on the conservative side, his Kent Champions were not the fastest cartridge at the time, but they were smooth, patterned well and were very consistant.

He then moved to White Golds and they have served him very well.

Eley made a bit of an effort with the introduction of Superbs, and ViP's, but I remember very well that one year in particular at Weston Park shortly after the introduction of Black Gold how two Eley sponsored shooters deserted and bought Black Golds. We are a very fickle bunch us clay shooters.

If you watch the promotional videos you will see many brilliant cartridges advertised. Fiocchi and Remington to name but two, but in my experience both of those do not perform as good as the videos would have us believe.

I think Eley Olympics are very good value for money and I shoot a lot of them, but I have always loved RC and Clever cartridges.

But even shot size we cannot really agree on, some of us swear by English 8's, the majority favour English 7 1/2's and I think for the long birds English 7's do the business.

One thing is for sure, I don't think that I have ever missed a target due to a poorly performing cartridge.