Post by bluedot on Feb 12, 2023 8:54:16 GMT -5
I'm shooting Sporting Clays now as a way to tune up my shotgun skills. They have slipped in the past few years like anything else that you don't use often. So, I'm making an effort to correct my lax habits. With the price of components, I found a way to save a few pennies. I am using Red Dot powder (15 grains) a Claybuster wad that is made for 3/4 ounce of shot and full/extra full chokes in the shotgun. Like the title says, I patterned that load yesterday with those chokes at 21 yards. I get 100% pattern density in a 12" dia circle with the extra full choke. The full choke put all the pellets inside a 15" dia circle at the same distance.
I do have to bring the cheek piece down a bit. The center of the pattern is about 2" high at 20 yds.
Then I texted the range owner last night asking what yardage the birds were set up to be shot at. He said 20-25 yards........ I thought they were pretty close and I ranged where I thought they were flying. One incoming bird was hitting the ground at 35 yards out, so I estimated we were shooting it at 45-50 yards away. It looked TINY out there. (We were the 2nd group around the course yesterday morning) Then when the 4th shooter in the group got to shoot the bird turned out to be a Battue that was supposed to travel close to 90 yards from the thrower and end up about 15 yards away. The owner thinks that there was a piece of ice on the machine, or the cold temps (it was 19°F when I left the house to drive the 30 min to the range) congealed the grease on it and it took a while to "warm up".
Pickle, you better start practicing!! I still suck but I am slowly figuring out what I am doing wrong.