I've used it and like the load you have. I won a lot of shoots with them even at the grand , I was using them when I made the PVA All American team in 2004 , I never gave into the shots to light or to small the hits were ink balls when I was on , Gary
I shoot 7/8ths ounce at the 16 yard line. Gun club hull, claybuster wad, 16.5 grains of promo with a cheddite primer. Load goes through chronograph at about 1200 fps.
For all the clay target games, I'd rather have a pocket full of 8.5s and a pocket full of 7.5s than anything else. 8.5s for basically everything, 7.5s for handicaps or long sporting clays targets.
It's great for 16 yards and the first shot of doubles. It's also the shot size that most European sporting clays/FITASC shooters use (UK 8 is the US 8.5). It's good for fixed breach guns because, as stated above, 1 ounce of 8.5s has roughly the same pellet count as 1 1/8 ounce of #8s.
I would argue that 8s are too close to 7.5s; but I guess the conventional (retail) wisdom is that 8.5s are too close to 9s.
It really works well in the .410 - excellent size for quail. You get the penetration that is generally lacking with #9 and the pattern density that gets a bit sparse with #8.
I've used it since the 70's. Very underestimated size.
People will tell you that it won't work in winter only use in the summer. Never use it on Bio's and be such as this. A few years back this shot size was getting bad reviews by local no it alls. It upset me so I proved my point. In Feb. and shooting Bio's, I broke 75 straight for the boys with 1oz 8.5's. Probably wasn't cold enough but I haven't heard anything negative out of them old boys in about 3 years now.
Final note. One of the premier starts of our game used 8.5's. Roger Smith maintained a yearly 16's average in excess of 99.0% for over two decades.
Martin,
I know an ol Rascal with that name, sometimes they call him "Red Dot 1" also, if poor memory serves me correctly he was 73,000 birds in excess of 99% average. Appears he had it figured out, seems like Roger has 4 out of 5 Grand rings also and that was back in the Days of Dan Bonillas, Britt Robinson, Dan Orlich, Leo Harrison was a kid. Some people would call it the "golden age" of trap. Scott
@ pheasantmaster, ive only been shooting about 6 years, and had moved to 8 1/2's about a year ago, i really liked smoking them at the 16, but this winter thats all i had laying around, i went out to the 16 with whipping snow winds, and i knew it was not cutting it, cold hard clay and high winds made a tough day tougher.
i went out and loaded up with 7 1/2's, so now spring is coming i will need to get my brain to say it's ok to back off and size down.
Yes, 8 1/2's smoke targets in Kansas winds, rain and cold temps plus all the other states weather. You point the BOW correctly and the ARROW will smoke the targets in singles and first shot of doubles. Believe Pheasantmaster in what he posted as he speaks with straight tongue and 8 1/2's perform!
Since there is a Lead shortage I decided to demand that we all switch over to 8 1/2 shot. After all the smaller the shot the less there is of it in a cloud. Right?
HeH.
I loaded a bunch of #8 1/2 1 ounce loads at around 1210 fps. to try out last summer. What surprised me was how well they broke targets even from the 27 yard line. They absolutely cause Squid Squirts from the 16. Newish Lady shooter tried a box of them a couple of weeks ago and they worked well for her too.
8 1/2s turn 16 yd. birds into talcum powder! They work for short yardage also. I love loading them in 1 oz.loads. They are an excellent choice for someone who shoots both trap and skeet. Not as popular as they once were but, a lot of suppliers still carry them! When I hunted quail they were my choice. They hit harder than 9s and still had a thick pattern.
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