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20ga ammo

4K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  jmacgreg 
#1 ·
Guys, what is the preferred ammo for shooting skeet with a 20ga.? Thanks
 
#2 ·
Guys, what is the preferred truck for pulling my RV down the highway? Sorry, I just couldn't resist.



There simply isn't a 'correct' answer to that question.
 
#3 ·
Brand, velocity, 8 or 9???? Joe Former USMC!

As for pulling your RV? Some considerations to someone new to RVing would be what vehicle, engine, suspension accessories etc. I think you get my point.
 
#6 ·
seacilian said:
Brand, velocity, 8 or 9???? Joe Former USMC!

As for pulling your RV? Some considerations to someone new to RVing would be what vehicle, engine, suspension accessories etc. I think you get my point.
I do now, but your opening question was poorly worded and non-specific as to what you were actually trying to determine; ergo, my reply. Now that you have clarified what it is you are seeking, a better answer is possible. But first, there isn't a correct answer to what 'brand' is preferred. Just as there isn't a correct answer to what truck brand is preferred. Every brand has its own fans.

Per NSSA Rule Book, the following applies to REGISTERED Skeet 20 GA loads.

B. AMMUNITION

1. Lead shot ammunition for skeet shall not exceed:
Gauge: 20; Oz. Lead: 7/8; Grains Std: 382.8; Grains Max: 394.0

2. Gun clubs are allowed to use alternate shot (other than lead) for registered shoots; alternate loads must meet industry standards for "target load" ammunition. [No change from current wording.]

3. Reloads. Any shooter whose loads are challenged as to weight shall have one shell selected and checked for weight of shot and the rest entrusted to the referee for use during the flight. Challenges may not be anonymous. Any shooter found to be using loads heavier than the maximum weights permissible as listed in I-B-1 will have his/her score disquali¬fied for that event.

4. Factory Loads. Any shooter found to be using commercial loads heavier than the maximum weights permissible as listed in I-B-1 will have his/her score disqualified for that event.
For recreational shooting, the field is wide open as to ammunition choice subject only to rules governing ammunition at the club(s) you shoot at and common-sense safety considerations. Common-sense SHOULD tell you that buckshot loads (or any loads containing shot sizes larger than 7 ½ shot pellets) would be inappropriate for use on clay targets.

The most common 20 GA loads used specifically for shooting clay targets are 7/8 oz of lead shot with either #9 or #8 size shot at 1150 to 1200 fps. If you want to equate 'preferred' with 'most common', I have no problem with that. I have several 20 GA selections that I use over the course of a year to include both factory and reloaded ammunition. They all fit into the definition of the most common loads used I posted above.
 
#9 ·
seacilian, I see that your question has not been answered. The short answer(s) is that skeet is normally shot with #9 shot, and Winchester AA ammo. is generally regarded as the top of the line, but it IS quite expensive, although Winchester does sometimes offer rebates. So, for practice purposes, people shoot whatever they can find at Academy, for example, and, at a pinch, they will buy any 20 ga. factory ammo. that is a decent price, with shot size of #8. Most skeet ranges will not allow shot of size larger than 7 1/2. So stick with #8 and you will experience no recognizable disadvantage.
BTW, skeet is normally shot with skeet or cylinder chokes. Even improved cylinder will do for practice.
Peter
 
#10 ·
Seacilian and I live in New York, so no buying from Academy. Sometimes Dick, but that is the only local place with good prices and places like CAC Associates will only ship to an FFL in New York.

Since we have shot together, I will agree that for practice No. 9 Gun Clubs are my choice if I have them and for registered shoots, Winchester AA 9s or Remington STS 9s.

Bob
 
#12 ·
pknimrod said:
seacilian, I see that your question has not been answered.
:w You might try reading the other posts before posting such nonsense.
 
#14 ·
as stated earlier 7/8 oz of 8, 8 1/2, or 9 shot at 1200 feet per second is pretty standard and will work well. 7 1/2 shot can work just fine too. no need for faster than 1200 feet per second.

if you want to save hulls to reload, at this time Remington hulls are the nicest 20 gauge hulls to reload. STS has brass base, the others are steel, brass is easier to resize during reloading. all this may change with Remington segments being sold off, time will tell.

winchester AA is really nice ammo, but the hulls are not quite as user friendly to reload.

if you are not reloading, then anything that is inexpensive and in the standard 7/8 oz load @ 1200 with the above shot sizes should work just fine. federal top guns and or value packs or estates will work just fine and can sometimes be found at nice prices, and will break skeet targets quite nicely.

skeet targets are not that far away, so the ammo it's self is not quite as big a player as it is when shooting as farther out targets or making sure it matches correctly for the animal being hunted. The key is figuring out the correct lead and that is up to you.
 
#20 ·
But here's the deal JFM. The OPs ORIGINAL question (Post #1) said nothing about brand. It was only in his clarification that he indicated an interest in brand as well as several other factors. But by that time, I had already assumed he meant brand and used the comparison about trucks because truck BRANDS are always being beat to death with no real consensus as to which is preferred (the best).

PKN comes along later and states that the OPs question (singular) had not been answered. He then goes on the give us his opinions of the top brand, shot size, and choke constrictions (which were never asked for by the OP). So, yeah, I think PKN SHOULD have digested what had already be written to the OP before he posted that the 'question' had not been answered.

And just so YOU know JFM: before PKN posted HIS nonsense, I had already made the statement "But first, there isn't a correct answer to what 'brand' is preferred." So I think it would be safe to once again say that PKN saying the 'question' hadn't been answered is nonsense.
 
#22 ·
pump shooter said:
Are you guys like this all the time?
Yeah - pretty much. Just one big happy family. :B3
 
#23 ·
If I buy shells, I usually get Remington Gun Clubs 7/8 oz loads.

If I load my own, I use 7/8 oz of 8 shot with 20/28 powder loaded to 1200 fps. AA hulls, Claybuster wads and Cheddite primers. It is a soft shooting, relatively clean load and I've been using it for about 10 years with good results. This load and the Gun Clubs shot similarly.
 
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