Sporting Clays shell size?

eightshot

Can anyone tell me the smallest shot size, fastest speed, of 12 gauge shot shells you can use legally in Sporting Clays? Thanks, Doug

TRAP55

Page 26, subsection C is the ammo restriction
http://www.nssa-nsca.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/2011b-NSCA-Rule-Book-2.pdf

bambambam

Looks like as long as it's 1 1/8oz it's good?

eightshot

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE INFORMATION.
Doug

eightshot

Thank you bambambam and Trap55. Great information.
Thanks,
Doug

beantownshootah

quote:Originally posted by bambambam
Looks like as long as it's 1 1/8oz it's good?

You can use any pellet size you like, up to a MAXIMUM payload of 1-1/8 ounces (citation below).

If you want to use "dust" shot, the rules say you can, but you probably won't break many clays that way.

Note that you're not going to "re-invent the wheel" here with some kind of novel shell type that nobody else is using. The standard is 7/8 though 1-1/8 oz of #7 - #9 pellets, and the reality is that the vast majority are actually using either 1 or 1-1/8 oz of #7.5 or #8.

Even though the rules say you can use any pellets you like, in practice if you go too big, you'll create gaps in your pattern to your detriment. If you go too small, you won't have the energy to break shells at distance. So the reality of what actually WORKS BEST is fairly limited. Also, individual ranges may have restrictions on what you can use too, so you may not be able to go to #6 pellets even if you wanted to (though I'm not sure why you would).

Personally speaking, I've tried different payloads and pellet sizes, and frankly, haven't noticed much difference. Maybe I'm just not good enough or shooting enough to see a difference, but my impression is that the biggest real-world differences here are on pattern and range. More payload gives you a *little* bit of extra range, at the expense of pain on your shoulder (and maybe wallet).

Also note that in general, velocity is NOT a particularly important factor in shotgunning, because the spherical pellets offer high air resistance and lose velocity fairly quickly. Regardless of pellet size, most shells will put out the at roughly the same velocity. Smaller pellets lose velocity faster, which is why long distance shotgunners like to use larger pellets.

This is why nobody in shotgunning talks much about muzzle velocity, the way they do in rifle or handgun shooting. From a terminal ballistic standpoint, the most important factor is pellet SIZE, and from a practical shooting standpoint its CHOKE and then PAYLOAD, both of which affect patterning, especially at distance.

quote:C. GAUGE SPECIFICATIONS
1. Twelve gauge events shall be open to all shotguns of 12
gauge or smaller, using shot loads not exceeding one and
one-eighth (1 1/8) ounces.

bambambam

FWIW, Old man that I buy my reloading suppies from told me long ago to shoot 1 1/8oz of #7.5 lead under 17-18gr or Red Dot. He told me that was THE standard load. He said if I wanted to shoot something else stick with one load & learn how to shoot it at all targets.

Course I never was one to listen.[:D]

allechalley

I think it was a Hogden handout that I read it takes two 71/2 shot to break a target but 4 or more 8's. I was picking up thrown targets, especially rabbit clays and noticed a lot of small holes in "live targets", confirming not enough energy to break the heavier stuff.
Most ranges only allow 7's and smaller

bambambam

FWIW, Old man that I buy my reloading suppies from told me long ago to shoot 1 1/8oz of #7.5 lead under 17-18gr or Red Dot. He told me that was THE standard load. He said if I wanted to shoot something else stick with one load & learn how to shoot it at all targets.

Course I never was one to listen.[:D]