I like Federal. I tend to avoid Fiocci due to extremely hard primers that will pock your firing pins.

 

Pock?

 

For trap and longer sporting shots- STS or AA’s.
Skeet and short to average sporting-probably doesn’t matter.

 

Five pages of comments, and Number 3 is the best answer you're likely to get.

 

Before the hoax..... Federal Papers. QC/QA has always been high on those shells and they were always a pleasure (treat) to shoot. After I would say take your pick for domestics. They all seem to be hot/cold for QA/QC. If I had steady OTC access to them I would go with Clevers. They only real difference their budget shells have versus their premium shells is the grade of shot. Great shells from top of the line to the bottom.

 

I always wanted to try Clevers, but never got around to it yet.

 

Not quite what you are looking for but a pretty good overview of smokeless powder.

Guide to Smokeless Powder

Check out this complete guide to smokeless powder - A detailed explanation of powder types and gunpowder for sale at Widener's.

www.wideners.com

 

Federal hoa for Handicap and top guns for singles and doubles.

 

There is no best, same as with any other product. It all comes down to what you like and what works well in your gun.

 

Perhaps, as I haven’t tried all the different brands that are out there. However If I had to choose, I would probably go with Remington Nitro 27 and my second choice would be Winchester AA., as I have had success with both in the past. And like you said “what works well in your gun”.

 

Nitro 27 or AASH for hdcp, light 8 AAs for singles and dbls.

 

If I'm buying factory ammo for practice, I'll get top guns, if it's for a competition, I'll get AA, I prefer STS and nitros but the Winchester is cheaper and I can't really tell a difference anyway.

 

Inside of 40 yards it makes little difference as long as you are choked for the shot distance. For shots beyond 40 yards, the premium ammo (with harder more spherical shot) will probably give you an edge!

Here are a few of my pattern numbers with target loads to give you an idea of the difference in performance between them. Now you can be the judge!

Patterning results from a 12-gauge Browning Citori with 28" Invector-plus barrels using Briley flush chokes (30-inch post-shot inscribed pattern circle, yardage taped from muzzle to target, true in-shell pellet count average from five shells, and true choke constriction from bore gauge).

40 YARDS / Full choke (.036” constriction)
10-shot averages
Estate Super Sport 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (395 pellets) / pattern 283 (72%)
Federal Field & Target 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (486 pellets) / pattern 345 (71%)
Federal Top Gun 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (405 pellets) / pattern 276 (68%)
Winchester Universal 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (356 pellets) / pattern 253 (71%)
Winchester Super-Target 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (368 pellets) / pattern 255 (69%)

Here are a few more of my pattern numbers from target loads shot with the same gun and choke as above for comparison.

40 YARDS / Full choke (.036” constriction)
5-shot averages
Reload (STS, Red Dot) 2 ¾” 1 oz #8 lead (391 pellets) / pattern 302 (77%)
Win AA Extra-Lite 2 ¾” 1 oz #8 lead (393 pellets) / pattern 288 (73%)
Win AA Extra-Lite 2 ¾” 1 oz #7 ½ lead (344 pellets) / pattern 275 (80%)
Win AA Heavy 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (377 pellets) / pattern 299 (79%)
Rem Gun Club 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (375 pellets) / pattern 272 (73%)
Rem Premier STS 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (408 pellets) / pattern 321 (79%)
Rem Premier Nitro 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (420 pellets) / pattern 321 (76%)
Reload (STS, Green Dot) 2 ¾” 1 1/8 oz #7 ½ lead (402 pellets) / pattern 294 (73%)

 

This was useful information for a newbie. Thank you

 

Yep, that's how those particular batches of shells worked in your gun with your chokes.

Other than that, it's pretty meaningless, though.

 

I shot Federal HOA and both me and my 725 liked them. Brought my average up by one bird.

 

Nice, Federal HOA are great shells.!!

 

Remington STS work very nicely from all of our Trap guns, hence my personal favorite for ATA.
From what I've read on here, they have high pellet count, good % antimony and great pattern %.
Can't easily find Rem Nitro around SW Ontario so rarely shoot them.
We also use Rem Gun Club, Federal Top Gun and HOA, Challenger First Class and Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics.
Even used some RIO a couple weeks ago, worked fine.
Generally, if it goes "bang" at 1145-1200fps, I'll use it LOL.

 

Well I have used Rio ammo also and they seemed to work great for me. I like the 1 OZ. 1250 fps. 7.5 shot.

 

I shoot the Remington STS for singles and doubles, Nitro 27 for caps. I have tried the Federal HOA and like those too.

 

Lots of good input here! Us newbies always appreciate the help!

 

This is not so much which is best, but what you can find and afford. In central Kentucky AA is the best bet as Walmart sells them for $10.98 a box. think you can't go wrong with AA, STS or HOA it's just a matter of finding them. If your just shooting singles then most of the brands in the middle tier work, Top Gun, Gun Club or Super Target.

 

I believe in shooting the ones you can afford and they go boom. Choke correctly will help.

 

What does everyone mean when they say choke correctly. I thought the only correct choke was full.

 

I shot with a guy in Reno NV years ago, that had a custom Remington 3200, that shot everything with a full/extra full. You could really tell when he got on the Skeet field. Not sure why, to each his own I d image.

 

I have just purchased some more AA's for 16's, and HC. I think they are fairly decent, although I think the quality and availability of the leading brands are not what they were. I used to like Gold Medal for many years.
Devonian.

 

I'm new to this, but didn't like our California ammo prices or taxes. Fixed that with a FFL-03 & COE!

 

I have become a believer in Noble Sport. Shot them all summer usually the 1oz. 1250fps. They are comfortable to shoot, and performed flawlessly. No deformed shells, and not one FTF. Shot them at all distances in my BT99.

 

Agreed, I have a lot of 1-1/8 OZ. In various brand shells, but lately I’ve been shooting 1 OZ. loads through my guns, and even at distance as well and they seem to perform just as well, if not better, IMHO. 😊👍

 

We shoot’s Top Guns and Super Targets most of the time.

 

Not a lot of difference in shotgun shells. It is still the guy behind the gun who fines what he is comfortable with.....all things considered I like my reloads for doubs and handicap.

 

The latter part of the summer, I was shooting B&P Mach 1oz 7.5 @ 1250 for 16yd trap, 5 stand and sporting. I load similar for practice and save the factory shells for actual competition. They worked pretty well on crows too.

 

So you use reloads strictly for competition?

 

STS for everything in “normal” range. Nitro for the handicap

 

What shot size do you prefer for either?

 

I also shoot 7.5 for everything.

 

I’m sort of one of the few guys that do at our club. When it comes to shooting sporting, they say why don’t you use 8s for the first close bird? I just have more confidence with all 7.5s. Opinions very I guess.