[pumper]

I have used 8's on the past for trap out past 50 yards, but my current loads use 1oz of #7.5. The #8s seemed to work just fine. I was using 7/8oz of #8s and when I went to #7.5 I also jumped up to a full ounce to maintain pellet count. I went up a size when I started shooting all the way back at the 27yd line in hopes of retaining a little extra oomph at impact 50 some yards away. I must also note that I shoot lower velocity loads, around 1085fps, to lower recoil a bit. 1200fps would offset the smaller shot size.

 

[pumper]

I knew that, but I'm only 24. 1oz of shot loaded in a 16 is roughly the same length as width, yielding a very good three dimensional pattern. Think of the nomenclature, 16ga means 16 1oz balls. Now you may say "wait, shot is not loaded in a sphere but in a cylinder." I know, but said cylinder is not the same diameter as the bore. In fact, it is smaller by about the same amount that the displaced shot extends the cylinder. Voila, dead bird magic.