Sporting clays setup

[67temp]

I'm more of a hunter than a clay shooter but I have a charity shoot coming up. Which choke and ammo combo should I use? Patterning beforehand isn't an issue. I'm using a single barrel gun (pump). I have no idea what the course is like.

ammo:
#9 1oz. 1170ft/sec
#7.5 1-1/8oz. 1200ft/sec

chokes:
cyl, imp, mod and full

 

[pbharvey]

Usually charity shoots aren't too challenging. With the choices you gave, I'd shoot the 7.5's out of an improved cylinder. I doubt you'll get many true doubles, probably just report doubles.

 

[Bertfish]

7.5 is a nice shot choice. 1 1/8 load if you can. That's sort of a good "universal" load pair that does most everything decently.

I always shot IMP or MOD

 

[Augie]

I would use the MOD choke, you can shoot both shells, use the 9's for close in birds and the 7 1/2 for everything else.

 

[Bountied]

Why not skeet or improved CYL?

 

[linkstate]

For simplicity and not thinking too hard about it, I would go IC with the 7 1/2 loads. Mod as a second choice. You can always ask the organizer what they recommend for the course when you get there.

I would also grab an inexpensive shot shell pouch off Amazon or wherever to make life easier if you don’t have one. Much more enjoyable than stuffing your pockets or having to place your box of shells on the ground.

 

[67temp]

I already have a pouch from trap shooting.

I forgot I also have in my pile of barrels an old polychoke in case it would be better to change settings between stations. That barrel seems to balance and swing nicely with the extra forward weight.

 

[fabsroman]

7.5 is a nice shot choice. 1 1/8 load if you can. That's sort of a good "universal" load pair that does most everything decently.

I always shot IMP or MOD

There is IC and IM. Guessing your IMP is referring to IC.

OP - I would shoot the #7.5 loads out of IC or M. You should do just fine with it. Modified can kill almost every clay out there.

When I shoot sporting clays, I carry three shells with me:

AA red hull - 1 1/8oz #8 at 1090

AA silver hull - 1 1/8oz #8 at 1145

Remington STS green hull - 1 1/8oz #7.5 at 1200

Guessing 85% of my shots are with the AA red hull and IC or M. Definitely the vast majority. I do carry S, IC, LM, M, IM, LF, F, and XF chokes with me, mostly just because I own them. Usually is it the IC or M that is out of the box.

 

[fabsroman]

Another thing of note, small pellet size will spread quicker than a larger pellet size. So, those #9 pellets will open up the pattern a lot quicker than the #7.5.

 

[Augie]

Why not skeet or improved CYL?

On a good Sporting Clays course their will be a mix of short and long targets, skeet and IC will not be good for the long targets. My sporting gun which is an O/U has IC and MOD and I select barrels depending on target presentation. He is going to shoot a single barrel gun so I would recommend MOD for all targets, if you are on the bird it does not matter too much what choke you use.
My avatar picture shows me shooting at Pintail Point, I was shooting a vintage Winchester Model 12 pump with a fixed full choke, pretty much did as well or better as the others on my squad shooting O/U, maybe missed a few close in targets due to choke but made some very long targets that they did not, I was breaking birds pretty far out there.

 

[Augie]

Another thing of note, small pellet size will spread quicker than a larger pellet size. So, those #9 pellets will open up the pattern a lot quicker than the #7.5.

Which is why I'll have a few #9's in my vest for close in targets especially when shooting my vintage guns with fixed full chokes.

 

[lazarus]

Why not that Russian 4ga? A 4oz load of #7.5 out of a cylinder seems like the way to go to me :-)

Or if you are lucky enough to own an M79, work up some #7.5 loads for it and go to town. You can shoot down both clays and half the ones on the clay launcher in one shot.

 

[possumman]

Charity shoot---7 1/2s or 8s-- IC is probably all you need --won't need the 9s probably---don't drive yourself crazy -have fun-you probably aren't shooting for Buicks.

 

[STeveZ]

IC + 7.5, set it and forget it.

 

[Doco Overboard]

On a good Sporting Clays course their will be a mix of short and long targets, skeet and IC will not be good for the long targets. My sporting gun which is an O/U has IC and MOD and I select barrels depending on target presentation. He is going to shoot a single barrel gun so I would recommend MOD for all targets, if you are on the bird it does not matter too much what choke you use.
My avatar picture shows me shooting at Pintail Point, I was shooting a vintage Winchester Model 12 pump with a fixed full choke, pretty much did as well or better as the others on my squad shooting O/U, maybe missed a few close in targets due to choke but made some very long targets that they did not, I was breaking birds pretty far out there.

I was up there today and used my vintage full chocked M12. Everybody laughed and called it a musket till I smoked a pile of em.
There was only one real double station for today' venue.
No need to overthink any of this with swapping chokes and all of that for goodness sake. One would do better to pay the most attention to the presentation and understand limiting gun movements/differing speeds of the report pairs or whatever the hell it is they call them.

 

[Hog Sniper]

Yup... 7.5 shot with an IC and have fun. If you have a real close incoming bird with a second going away you could always mix a 9 with the 7.5. Where and when is the shoot?

 

[67temp]

The shoot was Saturday at Hummelstown field and stream, and it was for Pennstate Hershy medical center. I ended up just using mod with 7.5. I shot just ok but had fun doing it.

 

[Boats]

Why not that Russian 4ga? A 4oz load of #7.5 out of a cylinder seems like the way to go to me :-)

Or if you are lucky enough to own an M79, work up some #7.5 loads for it and go to town. You can shoot down both clays and half the ones on the clay launcher in one shot.

toob

 

[El_flasko]

Luckily, I stocked up on flats of my favorite fun shoot shells before the madness. Estate 1oz 7.5’s and a few of the 1oz 8’s. Consistent for me and they break anything if I do my part. When I was shooting NSCA I always ran 7.5’s and kept a few flats of AA 1 1/8’s around for tougher stuff.

 

[delaware_export]

Nice! Sounds like fun, and a good cause. sporting clays will humble folks quickly. It’s a good time though, with a little trash talk, innovative excuses and a fun time with friends.

and it’s been a while, always like that area, but never shot up that way.

The shoot was Saturday at Hummelstown field and stream, and it was for Pennstate Hershy medical center. I ended up just using mod with 7.5. I shot just ok but had fun doing it.