7/8 oz. shot loads

[PJ Hardtack]

Years ago in a 'Sporting Clays' magazine, I read an article on the effectiveness of 7/8 oz. 12 ga loads for general useage in trap and sporting clays. The author had shot with the Brits using 3/4 oz loads and was amazed at how well he was hitting with it.

The Brit attitude is that it does NOT require 1-1/8 oz of shot to break a clay bird - period. They've been shooting light loads in their 2-1/2" chambered SxSs for decades, and I figured that Holland & Holland, Boss, Purdey, etc., might just know what they were talking about. I bought some wads for 7/8 oz. loads and find them quite adequate for 16 yd trap and CAS. My wife loves them for the low recoil.

I ran out of 7/8 oz wads, but had boxes of 1 oz. Rather than change shot bushings, I started to seat a poly 'shot spreader' inside the 1 oz wad - Bingo! I got an even better crimp than before with the 7/8 oz wads. Plus I save 1/4 oz. of shot per load compared to 1-1/8" loads.
Of course you have to work out the right combination of wads and cases to make any shot load work. I'm using once fired Federal scrounged from the trap range.

The poly sprd'r wads have a stem that is supposed to be seated into the shot column before crimping. I cut them off before seating them into the 1 oz wad as a filler. Haven't tried tried using them as intended, but it might make a tightly choked gun better on clay birds.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

You Gotter Otter!

7/8 and 1 oz loads do what needs to be done!

[Big T]

I use 1 1/8 oz cups for my 16 ga but I split a 1/2 in fibre wad an place it over the shot with 7/8 oz of lead then crimp I find if i put the fibre over the shot instead of under it the shot with my 14 grains of greendot will knock down even the stiffest plates even if the thing hits the edge of the plates ,I use a light smokless load for the 16 an my shoulder loves me for it , t

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I use 1 1/8 oz cups for my 16 ga but I split a 1/2 in fibre wad an place it over the shot with 7/8 oz of lead then crimp I find if i put the fibre over the shot instead of under it the shot with my 14 grains of greendot will knock down even the stiffest plates even if the thing hits the edge of the plates ,I use a light smokless load for the 16 an my shoulder loves me for it , t

Interesting tip, Big T;  I'll have to check it out.