ErikW Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 I bought a couple boxes of #4 game loads in case there are any 3/4" steel grader blades at 40 yards in my future. (Think Las Vegas the last two USPSA 3GNs.) I just tested them today to make sure they'd run in my 1100. As an afterthought, I shot them at steel targets at the distance the #4 loads are intended for. At about 37 yards, I had three round 8" and one square 6" plate. I had an IC choke in my gun. Federal 3.25 DRAM 1.125 oz. #4 took down a couple of the plates (but barely), aiming carefully. Unacceptable. PMC 3.75 DRAM 1.25 oz. #4 didn't take down a single plate (!). Totally unacceptable. I was getting about 14 pellet strikes on the 8" plates with the PMC. And it had some nasty recoil. The moral of the story: Shot size is not the be-all-end-all. Payload is not. DRAM equivalent is not. Use the correct choke. (An IC doesn't cut it at 37 yards.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Yeah but those #4's work great when the stage designers screws up and line the targets up diagonally where you can take multi targets down with one shot. Shot a match last year in NY where you could dump 5 out of 6 with one shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted June 10, 2004 Author Share Posted June 10, 2004 Why wouldn't #7.5 or #8 do the same thing? (At 10-20 yards.) The only advantage I can see to using #4 is to maintain velocity at long range. (The little shot pellets shed energy more quickly.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sargenv Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 There are other ways besides choke that could do it for you, unfortunately, most people aren't going to go to that much trouble. Since I reload rather than buy my ammo (even shotshell) there are some tricks you can do, but it requires that you use stiffer wads that you must hand slit. It's a pain in the rear end for most people so they don't bother. Maybe I'll make up some of these loads and see what kind of performance I get with varying load combinations/ranges. Utilizing copper and even nickle plated shot improves patterns due to less deformity, but the cost might be a little steep for most people. I'm at least a little curious. When I load steel shot for waterfowl I use special wads, but I'm able to extend my range a bit by using a specific wad/velocity combination. If I do this little experiement, I'll post the details here. Vince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 At the 2002 3-gun nats in Vegas I shot stage 1 (I think it was 1) with the long range blades with #7 1/2 and IC. I hit them from almost the box, I was watching the video a couple days ago and I shot them on the move from the start box to the wall w/port. One shot each and they went down, no problem and that had to be about 20+ yards. All I have ever used is #7 1/2 and IC and I can't remember not being able to take down steel with a 26" open gun. Maybe I'm just lucky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted June 10, 2004 Author Share Posted June 10, 2004 TMC, 20 yards for IC & #7.5 is not a problem. IIRC, some of those grader blades (maybe it was 2001) required much longer shots (30y minimum) and angled shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 any steel over 20 yds. gets #4 tact. buck. tight patteren out of the ic choke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Grube Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 The advantage is in heavier pellets hitting with enough force to knock over the plates. You could get the angle but were only going to get a few pellets on each plate. Bigger was better. Guys tried it with 7.5 and didn't go as planned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted June 11, 2004 Author Share Posted June 11, 2004 OIC now. They've got to shoot it at an angle to get the pattern on all the targets. I would have liked to shoot buck at some targets but most matches and ranges I've been to restrict shot to no larger than #4. Some even as small as #7.5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 Yeah, buck cannot always be deployed due to match regulations. I have had great results with my favorite 7.5 shot load (Rio 2.75 dram, 1.125 oz) through a mod choke at long distance steel. At the RM3G last year, one of the shotgun stages had a field of grader blades on the right to start and the farthest was maybe 30 yards away and at a steep angle to the start box. I took them all from there with 7.5 and a Modified choke no problemo and they went down fast enough to see it immediately. I love lotsa small shot through a tight choke, it gives immediate feedback from the steel. I shoot modified most of the time lately switching to an IC only if it’s all clays and close steel, but still prefer the mod because it makes me aim so I don’t miss as much anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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