Cartridge queries

Woodcock shot · 27-08-2014 10:31pm #1

Hi lads, just wondering what's the lightest load you'd advise for game hunting,
I recently bought beretta ultra light for mostly woodcock hunting and I'd say it would be suited to lighter loads to keep recoil low, any suggestions would be great, cheers

E@gle. · 27-08-2014 10:38pm

For woodcock i would probably go with 30g/32g 7.5 cartridges. My cartridge of choice is the Fiocchi

I could be open to correction here, but i don't see heavier cartridges being an issue with recoil in the Beretta ultra light.

useurowname · 27-08-2014 11:11pm

Woodcock shooting I'd recommend nothing bigger than Number 7 shot in a 28g load. Best to use a purpose game load, although most trap shells are light and come in small sizes I'd rarely use them for game.

These shells I can recommend, Eley Impax Plastic 28g No.7, Price 14euro at James McBride Athlone(sorry can't post link as I'm a new user)

shotie · 27-08-2014 11:24pm

i use 32g remington 8s bottom barrel and fiocchi 34g 7 top barrel for woodcock and pheasant .i find 7.5s in 28g dont have enough punch in them for game shooting .

Woodcock shot · 27-08-2014 11:31pm

Cheers lads, that's what I was wondering, have 28g enough to knock them, I found 34g have a fair kick in ultra light so was wondering what people find with lighter loads, cheers for info

allan450 · 27-08-2014 11:45pm

i use 32 gram 9s and 36 gram 8s.for woodcock the best i found.doesnt take much to knock them they are very delicate bird a few pellets to drop them.

Bogwoppit · 28-08-2014 7:37am

Seriously? 36g for woodcock? I think you should spend a bit of time practicing your shooting!

I use a light game gun too and I find 28 / 30g of 7 1/2 shot is plenty for woodcock, if you can't hit them with that then it's not the cartridge that's the problem.
30 or 32g in 6 is what I use for the pheasants and I've never felt I needed more. I've been lucky enough to have been invited on a couple of driven shoots and I've knocked some very high birds with the elegant Grand Prix in 32g. A lot of the guys who shoot driven shoots regularly use 28g cartridges.
If I'm after ducks I sometimes step up to 34g for a bit if extra range but I often use the 32g cartridges as well.
Bw

Woodcock shot · 28-08-2014 9:31am

Cheers useurowname, I'll give them a go,
@ bogwoppit I'm usually the very same for duck but I fired 34 g 4's at a few clays this week just to try out new gun and the recoil was hefty enough, I suppose only saving grace is I won't be firing many shots in a day, cheers

allan450 · 28-08-2014 9:35am

Bogwoppit wrote: »

Seriously? 36g for woodcock? I think you should spend a bit of time practicing your shooting!

I use a light game gun too and I find 28 / 30g of 7 1/2 shot is plenty for woodcock, if you can't hit them with that then it's not the cartridge that's the problem.
30 or 32g in 6 is what I use for the pheasants and I've never felt I needed more. I've been lucky enough to have been invited on a couple of driven shoots and I've knocked some very high birds with the elegant Grand Prix in 32g. A lot of the guys who shoot driven shoots regularly use 28g cartridges.
If I'm after ducks I sometimes step up to 34g for a bit if extra range but I often use the 32g cartridges as well.
Bw

i shoot a lot of woodcock so dont tell me i need to practice my shooting because of the shell i use.its a know fact that woodcock only need a few pellets and their down.i use 7,8,9,10, on them.depending on cover when beating with dogs with snaps id use 9,10 if on the outside of the cover 7,8.but i use mostly 8,9s as it works best as we take turns beating cover.so works best for me.the reason id use the 36 gram 8 is for long distance for the 2nd shot.

useurowname · 28-08-2014 9:41am

Woodcock shot wrote: »

Cheers useurowname, I'll give them a go,
@ bogwoppit I'm usually the very same for duck but I fired 34 g 4's at a few clays this week just to try out new gun and the recoil was hefty enough, I suppose only saving grace is I won't be firing many shots in a day, cheers

Yeh give the Impax a go, they are specifically designed with the light English SxS game guns in mind for use on smaller game birds like partridge so ideal for Woodcock in your Ultralight.
You need the heft for ducks I'm afraid, maybe if you try one of the high performance game loads from Hull, Eley or Gamebore in a 32g No 4, they're designed for high driven pheasant so might have the puck for Mallard. I can't vouch for them though I have never tried them.

Bogwoppit · 28-08-2014 9:41am

allan450 wrote: »

i shoot a lot of woodcock so dont tell me i need to practice my shooting because of the shell i use.its a know fact that woodcock only need a few pellets and their down.i use 7,8,9,10, on them.depending on cover when beating with dogs with snaps id use 9,10 if on the outside of the cover 7,8.but i use mostly 8,9s as it works best as we take turns beating cover.so works best for me.the reason id use the 36 gram 8 is for long distance for the 2nd shot.

I didn't mean to cause offence, use what you like, it's your choice.

I'd have no problems using those shot sizes, but if I thought I needed loads that heavy for a bird that is so easy to knock if you aim in the right place, then I'd be a little suspicious that my aim was a bit off.

But that's just me, each to their own.

Bw

Bogwoppit · 28-08-2014 9:43am

useurowname wrote: »

Yeh give the Impax a go, they are specifically designed with the light English SxS game guns in mind for use on smaller game birds like partridge so ideal for Woodcock in your Ultralight.
You need the heft for ducks I'm afraid, maybe if you try one of the high performance game loads from Hull, Eley or Gamebore in a 32g No 4, they're designed for high driven pheasant so might have the puck for Mallard. I can't vouch for them though I have never tried them.

I've never tried the Impax but I am told they are good in light guns. I might try them out on the pigeons myself to see how they go.

The one thing about using the heavier loads for the ducks, usually I'm in a hide decoying so I wear a lot of extra layers for the cold which really helps with the kick.

TriggerPL · 28-08-2014 11:46am

Eley VIP 32g 6 and 7s will know anything you can shoot in ireland , fast , light recoil and ultimate for pattern .

Vegeta · 28-08-2014 12:09pm

TriggerPL wrote: »

Eley VIP 32g 6 and 7s will know anything you can shoot in ireland , fast , light recoil and ultimate for pattern .

I wouldn't use a 32 gram 7 on a goose or a fox myself

TriggerPL · 28-08-2014 12:15pm

Mate I wasn't thinking goose or fox , although I've used VIP 6s on foxs and tumbled them up to 30 yards .

I was referring more to woodcock snipe , ducks , pheasant .

Not many in ireland have access to goose shooting and I'd normally go with 36g 4's or bit heavier

PDAhunter · 28-08-2014 6:14pm

TriggerPL wrote: »

Eley VIP 32g 6 and 7s will know anything you can shoot in ireland , fast , light recoil and ultimate for pattern .

Where do ya get them vip 7 32 g

Vegeta · 28-08-2014 6:29pm

TriggerPL wrote: »

Mate I wasn't thinking goose or fox , although I've used VIP 6s on foxs and tumbled them up to 30 yards .

I was referring more to woodcock snipe , ducks , pheasant .

Not many in ireland have access to goose shooting and I'd normally go with 36g 4's or bit heavier

Ah I was only pulling your leg, cause you said the 32 gram 6 or 7 would knock anything in Ireland.
I've seen geese take solid shots from heavier cartridges than that and require follow ups to drop them. They can be a tough bird if there are no clean hits to the head or neck.

Love the VIP though, have best part of a slab of them myself for the season

deerhunter1 · 28-08-2014 9:05pm

useurowname wrote: »

Woodcock shooting I'd recommend nothing bigger than Number 7 shot in a 28g load. Best to use a purpose game load, although most trap shells are light and come in small sizes I'd rarely use them for game.

These shells I can recommend, Eley Impax Plastic 28g No.7, Price 14euro at James McBride Athlone(sorry can't post link as I'm a new user)

No 7 in 32 and 34 gr game also have them in no 8

TriggerPL · 28-08-2014 9:13pm

PDAhunter wrote: »

Where do ya get them vip 7 32 g

David mulvihill , and Karl Scollan drumshambo co Leitrim .

Had to come from England but can be got so don't take no for an ans !

gregers85 · 28-08-2014 9:22pm

PDAhunter wrote: »

Where do ya get them vip 7 32 g

sportsden.ie sells the also

TriggerPL · 28-08-2014 10:00pm

gregers85 wrote: »

sportsden.ie sells the also

U sure on the 32g 7 , a lot of places do the 6s ,

Any idea how much a box

When I went looking for them Ardee said they didn even make a 7 in VIP , I had to show them on the eley web site. , and after a gud argument , an email to eley in uk explaining my annoyance that Ardee said they couldn't be got .

Only to get a reply saying that they didn even contact them about it and that 5 cartons would be dispatched that day with my name on them .

grassroot1 · 28-08-2014 10:23pm

What is most annoying is the limited choice available in shotgun ammunition, it seems to be back to pre celtic tiger days (this is what we have, take or leave it) fiocchi eley remmington and a small amount of others

gregers85 · 28-08-2014 10:34pm

TriggerPL wrote: »

U sure on the 32g 7 , a lot of places do the 6s ,

Aplogies, you're right they are 6's my bad

Snakezilla · 28-08-2014 11:30pm

I use Eley Vip 32g 6 for pheasants (find them top class) that usually goes in th top barrel, if Im in a spot where there is a chance at a woodcock I will put a Supergame 7 in th bottom barrel , even knocked a fair share of pheasants with the superame 7 cartridge. I find them great on woodcock with 1/2 choke. Must actually stock up on a few boxs in the next week or so ! Season wont be long creepin in

Woodcock shot · 28-08-2014 11:53pm

Cheers for all the feed back lads, Atlantic shooting in Carlow have VIP 32g 7 on there web site not sure if they have in stock but worth a call

duckman!! · 28-08-2014 11:59pm

RC Sipe 32g 6's will take anything from duck to woodcock.
Best all round cartridge IMO!!

ace86 · 30-08-2014 2:45am

If u are shooting woodcock/snipe anything from 10's 9's,8's in 32 or 34g loads be sufficent with a 34g 7 as a 2nd shot. Pheasant would be anything from 7's to 5's in 34-36g loads depending what ur doing walked up or driven shooting.Ducks can be taken with anything from a 6's, 5's, 4's and beyond in heavys loads normally 36g depending what u want to use yourself. If your gun is very light one heavier loads will be fellt more in recoil so that might be a factor in what you want to use.

patdahat · 30-08-2014 7:34am

I've been using 32gram in 9 and 10 for woodcock,

useurowname · 30-08-2014 10:15am

ace86 wrote: »

If u are shooting woodcock/snipe anything from 10's 9's,8's in 32 or 34g loads be sufficent with a 34g 7 as a 2nd shot. Pheasant would be anything from 7's to 5's in 34-36g loads depending what ur doing walked up or driven shooting.Ducks can be taken with anything from a 6's, 5's, 4's and beyond in heavys loads normally 36g depending what u want to use yourself. If your gun is very light one heavier loads will be fellt more in recoil so that might be a factor in what you want to use.

34g in no. 10 'sufficient' for woodcock and snipe, why not just mount a punt gun to a tractor?! Is there much meat left on the lead when you have them plucked?

Woodcock shot · 30-08-2014 3:16pm

@ acer86 I know what most people use, and I've been shooting woodcock for years using 32g 8 in my old gun, but my question was what's the lightest load anybody recommends or uses, as with my new gun the felt recoil is much greater than old gun, cheers though

allan450 · 30-08-2014 5:31pm

ace86.your spot on with you loads for woodcock.i use the same its great for woodcock and snipe.you must do a lot of woodcock shooting like myself.9 and 10 to look at the bird you wouldnt even know its hit

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