Chief Rick Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 I have a load worked up on my MEC Sizemaster. Claybuster 7/8 oz wads and Clays powder. It's about time to order more wads. I have a 3/4 oz charge bar for the MEC. Should I just stick with the 7/8 oz loads and order more of the Claybuster CB0178 wads? I don't think reducing the shot by 1/8 oz will reduce recoil or improve target pattern. And I don't think I'll realize any savings by reducing the load by 1/8 oz, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted October 9 Share Posted October 9 Chief Rick You are correct. there may be an almost imperceptible difference in felt recoil. Not enough difference at the that to spit at. It could make a tiny (golden BB) difference when wing shooting or clay birds. I would suggest changing your load by an eighth ounce to be a waste of time. I personally shoot a one ounce load because it fits the huge pile of wads that I already have. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 Differences between 7/8 ounce shot and 3/4 ounce shot: you will only use 85% as much shot firing 3/4 ounce loads you will get only 85% as much recoil firing 3/4 ounce loads if both loads have the same muzzle velocity Folks have to make their own decisions about cost of shooting, and about what recoil they can "go fast" with. I recently stepped down my cowboy loads from 1 ounce to 7/8 ounce and it is a little faster for me to shoot, but not 15% faster. Having loaded 3/4 ounce loads for a couple of ladies in the sport, they really noticed the difference, and requested more 3/4 ounce shells. So, it varies by the shooter's preferences and skills. good luck, GJ 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 Use your 7/8oz wad. Put a dried red kidney bean in the shot cup before adding the 3/4oz of shot. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Rick Posted October 10 Author Share Posted October 10 I ordered more 7/8 oz wads. They work. They were a buck less expensive than the 3/4 oz wads. So, I saved .002 cents per round.🤣 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 I load an ounce of shot because I’m shooting FC and hope that some of that shot hits a target that I cannot see! Hugs! Scarlett 6 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 I loaded lots of 3/4 oz loads for my late wife and they always take down the SG targets. Something to consider, by dropping the shot charge 1/8 of an ounce you'll be able to load 3 more boxes of shells out of every 25 lb bag of shot. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 when i shot trap - i never noticed a big difference from 1 1/8oz to 1oz , nor even the 7/8oz , yes there was a diference in kick but it was small , so here id say no big deal , when i worked up my 3/4oz SASS load i did see the difference but thats because this one uses less powder as well as shot , so here i say try to stay as close as you can to what your used to , you can not really tell the difference a lot between 3/4 & 7/8oz , so it shouldnt be a big problem but if you have to make major changes to your reloader im not in favor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 I do like OLG and drop a dried bean on top of the shot. Lets me use 7/8 oz wads with 3/4 oz of shot. Doing so doesn't impact the number of shells I load in an hour. I mostly shoot Frontier Cartridge or Frontiersman and for big matches I shoot 1 oz loads over 4cc of real BP as I want the extra insurance it provides if I am slightly off target. When it comes to monthly matches it is a waste of powder and shot to shoot those hot loads. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Preacherman Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 I've been shooting 3/4 oz for years. Like Dave said, economy, shot's expensive. If I hit 'em, they fall. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 I use 1 oz. I’ve been using that for years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 I started with 1 1/8 because that is what my reloader came set up for. I bought Feather Lights but never really fell in love, though at least my wife would go practice with them occasionally. Helped out with a ladies event (Girl and a Gun) and as a club we decided to go with 3/4 to help keep the cost down. Tried them in CAS and as a practice round. Found that as long as I hit the target they worked fine. Now with shoulder issues they are much easier to get through a match without pain so just left the reloader set for them. YMMV Regards Gateway Kid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeye Pete, SASS # 29941 Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 On 10/10/2024 at 8:15 AM, Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life said: I started with 1 1/8 because that is what my reloader came set up for. I bought Feather Lights but never really fell in love, though at least my wife would go practice with them occasionally. Helped out with a ladies event (Girl and a Gun) and as a club we decided to go with 3/4 to help keep the cost down. Tried them in CAS and as a practice round. Found that as long as I hit the target they worked fine. Now with shoulder issues they are much easier to get through a match without pain so just left the reloader set for them. YMMV Regards Gateway Kid Gateway Kid, I've had both shoulder joints replaced and have dialed back my shotgun loads so that I might be able to continue shooting. I load 7/8 oz of reclaimed shot from the local T/S club, claybuster wads, and 13 gr of a powder that was imported from Europe called REX II. It loads and acts like Clays. Very easy on the shoulder and if I do my part, they knock down the SG targets with no problem. In fact, I shoot skeet and trap with the loads as well and they break the targets with ease, that is if I'm on the target. Other shooters notice the reduced noise from my loads, but they know the issues I have with my shoulders. Good luck. Buckeye Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 (edited) As Garrison Joe noted every decease in shot weight will have less recoil at the same velocity. Most CAS loads are very light and well below any published data. So they do not recoil as much in the first place and going from 7/8 to 3/4 oz may have no perceptible difference in felt recoil. Here is a recoil calculator. Leave the wad weight and powder charge as is and plug in your other data for a comparison. You will have to accurately weigh you gun as this is a major factor especially for light CAS loads. http://www.omahamarian.org/trap/shotshellenergy.html P.S. the calculator is decimal. So if your gun weighs 7 and 3/4 pounds you must write the weight as 7.75 pounds Edited October 13 by Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four Feathers Posted October 14 Share Posted October 14 In this post, as in every other discussion I have heard, the discussion to reduce recoil is only about the weight of the shot charge. Reducing the velocity of the shot charge is also a means to reduce recoil. And whether the recoil is reduced by a lower shot charge depends on the velocity of the reduced shot charge. If reducing recoil is desired, why isn’t reducing velocity discussed as the way to do it. Given that you are trying to overcome the inertia of a heavy steel plate, would a faster moving, lighter shot charge or a slower moving, heavier shot charge be more effective. And which effective combination would have the lower recoil. Someday I hope to get to test this question. When I wanted reduced recoil loads, I continued to use 1 oz of shot and reduced the velocities (powder charge) of the shot charge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted October 14 Share Posted October 14 54 minutes ago, Four Feathers said: In this post, as in every other discussion I have heard, the discussion to reduce recoil is only about the weight of the shot charge. Reducing the velocity of the shot charge is also a means to reduce recoil. And whether the recoil is reduced by a lower shot charge depends on the velocity of the reduced shot charge. If reducing recoil is desired, why isn’t reducing velocity discussed as the way to do it. Given that you are trying to overcome the inertia of a heavy steel plate, would a faster moving, lighter shot charge or a slower moving, heavier shot charge be more effective. And which effective combination would have the lower recoil. Someday I hope to get to test this question. When I wanted reduced recoil loads, I continued to use 1 oz of shot and reduced the velocities (powder charge) of the shot charge. Because we are already reloading our rounds at the minimum velocity that can be safely achieved. Most shooters reloading smokeless loads are using the minimum safe powder charge which produces velocities between 900 and 1000 fps. Pretty hard to load any less powder and still get consistent ignition. 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted October 14 Share Posted October 14 5 hours ago, Four Feathers said: If reducing recoil is desired, why isn’t reducing velocity discussed as the way to do it. At the velocities we are shooting the most expedient way to reduce recoil is to increase gun weight. That is why a lot of shooters put lead in the hole in the stock on most shotgun stocks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four Feathers Posted October 14 Share Posted October 14 While I wasn’t aware of the assumption about velocities in the discussion, I still think that velocity is an important data point. If shot weight is decreased and velocity correspondingly increases, does recoil change? Commercially available low velocity shot shells do fall in the 900 to 1000 fps range, but is there experimental data for how low of a consistent velocity is possible? I got a consistent velocity at 953 fps; but chose 1020 fps for my standard cowboy loads. Without a specification for a minimum load to knock down a target, I decided to play it safe. When I can get powder to do some more reloading, for its academic value, I will investigate how low I can get a consistent velocity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozark Huckleberry Posted October 15 Share Posted October 15 One difference between 7/8 oz and 3/4 oz of shot is about three more boxes of shells per 25# bag of shot. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tye Riverman, SASS #41433 Posted October 15 Share Posted October 15 Well first I am an admitted gamer, not a very good one, but a gamer nonetheless. I shot the 50% recoil/noise 7/8 at 960 fps rounds for years and still do at monthly matches since I have quite a few of them, but for the big matches I move up to the xtra-lite AAs which are 1 ounce loads at 1180 fps. The reason being, if I get an edge hit with the heavier load it will take the target down. Point being there is a sweet spot between loads and capabilities. If I reloaded shotgun shells I would most likely experiment in the range between the two, but alas I don't reload shotgun shells. In the end I do not believe 1/8 an ounce makes a great deal of difference compared to velocity. YMMV Tye 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four Feathers Posted October 15 Share Posted October 15 Even if a gamer would correctly observe that reduced recoil would get you to the next target faster, I also think that we all agree that if the lighter load takes down the target, there is no advantage to abusing your shoulder with unnecessary extra recoil. Use the lightest load that gives you the capabilities your need for the current situation. What that lightest load consists of is shooter dependent. I believe that how to achieve that light load is both shot weight and shot velocity dependent. With respect to xtra-lite AAs, consider this: 1) Winchester AA Xtra-Lite Target 12 Gauge Ammo, #AAL128, 1180 Feet Per Second, 1 Ounce versus 2) Winchester AA Light Target 12 Gauge Ammo, #AA128, 1145 Feet Per Second, 1-1/8 Ounce. If you check the Hodgdon reloading tables, AAL128 can be achieve using 17.2 grains of Clays and AA128 with 17.3 grains, a 0.6% difference. I shot one after another in a double barrel and couldn’t tell the difference. Forget the names and consider the data. Is the 35 fps (AAL128) or the 1/8 ounce (AA128) is giving you more capability? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted October 15 Share Posted October 15 9 hours ago, Tye Riverman, SASS #41433 said: Well first I am an admitted gamer, not a very good one, but a gamer nonetheless. I shot the 50% recoil/noise 7/8 at 960 fps rounds for years and still do at monthly matches since I have quite a few of them, but for the big matches I move up to the xtra-lite AAs which are 1 ounce loads at 1180 fps. The reason being, if I get an edge hit with the heavier load it will take the target down. Point being there is a sweet spot between loads and capabilities. If I reloaded shotgun shells I would most likely experiment in the range between the two, but alas I don't reload shotgun shells. In the end I do not believe 1/8 an ounce makes a great deal of difference compared to velocity. YMMV Tye Similar regimen to mine. I switched to making and using my 3/4 oz load to reduce my shoulder pain from monthly matches and practice. I could probably go lighter yet on the powder thus reducing both velocity and recoil saving a few pennies but I get a lot of edge hits as well. My 3/4 oz load works well enough that I don’t see a need to change. That said I still have a lot of my old load, 1 1/8 oz shot, 16 grains clays, rem 209 primer in an STS or nitro hull with a Clay buster cb8118 -12 wad (fig 8 clone) that I use for big matches, state and above. I call them my certainty loads. Regards Gateway Kid PS let me check and see if I still have an official gamer card and I will send it to you. I’ll send you a pm one way or the other in a little bit. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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