Why is 7.5 shot so popular with trap and skeet?

Super-Dave · March 11, 2009, 06:57 AM

Why is 7.5 shot so popular with trap and skeet?

Why not just use #8 or #7?

What can you really do with #7.5 that you cannot do with #7 or #8?

.45 COLT · March 11, 2009, 07:10 AM

Never knew a Skeet shooter to use #7 1/2. They mostly use #9. A lot of Trapshooters use #8, some #8 1/2. #7 1/2 is popular too, especially beyond the 16-yard line.

DC

Super-Dave · March 11, 2009, 07:37 AM

At my local trap and skeet joint. Almost everyone uses 7.5

Why?

TheManHimself · March 11, 2009, 07:39 AM

Probably because most of the cheap promo loads are loaded with 7 1/2.

Super-Dave · March 11, 2009, 07:43 AM

so do you guys think that #8 and #9 can get the job done for trap and skeet?

Jim Watson · March 11, 2009, 08:12 AM

No 7 1/2 is the LARGEST shot allowed for ATA Trap; many fields (including the one here) are laid out to keep no 7 1/2 on the property but anything larger would carry off of club land; hence the limitation.

A lot of people shoot trap with no 8, some with no 8 1/2, and a few with no 9. Just depends on the pattern their gun throws, their timing, their handicap yardage, and their opinion on what breaks the targets better. No 7 1/2 might be preferred by the long yardage handicap shooter or anybody who thinks that it will take fewer of the larger pellets to break targets.

Serious skeet is shot with no 9, although 7 1/2 or 8 will work if that is what you have on hand. I don't know the rule in skeet, but shotfall area must still be considered and no 7 1/2 is the largest that most places allow for.

No 7 shot dropped out of popularity a long time ago and is hard to find if you want to hunt with it. You can't trapshoot with it anyhow.

RoscoeC · March 11, 2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Probably because most of the cheap promo loads are loaded with 7 1/2.

Bingo. I shoot lots of skeet, some sporting clays and just an occasional round of trap.

I shoot #7 1/2 and #8, because that is what I can find for a reasonable price. I would love to shoot #9s on skeet, and do when I can find them. I can seldom find them at local outlets.

oneounceload · March 11, 2009, 11:48 AM

7-1/2's are better for distant shots regarding retained energy downrange. Any size shot can, and will break just about any target on the trap, skeet, 5-stand or sporting clay fields - although 9's lose their energy REAL quick passed 30-35 yards.

If you were to mic the shot, you'd find that the margin of error is enough between sizes you might a size or more off.

Unless you are reloading some very specific shells for a specific purpose, grab 8 or 7-1/2 as they will usually be what wally world has in stock at the lowest price.

BigJimP · March 11, 2009, 12:18 PM

Like Jim Watson said - 7 1/2's are the largest sized pellet allowed on Skeet, Trap and Sporting Clays.

Are 7 1/2's the most popular size of shot ... No, not in my area - but 7 1/2's are popular among Trap Shooters - especially from the 20 - 27 yard line where you need the extra energy in the larger size of shot to effectively break targets from 35 - 50 yards out as you move back for handicap.

The most versatile load out there right now in 12ga / with the price of shot up so high - is 1 oz. In 1 oz loads - experienced shooters will still pick their loads based on the pellet size they need for the kill range they expect for their game. If they are a 25 - 27 yard line Trap Shooter they will still go with 7 1/2's probably.

But 8's are by far the most popular size of shot being loaded for a shell that can be used for all the clay target games ( Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays ). It will get the job done at close and intermediate ranges for Skeet and Sporting - and its still very effective out to at least 40 yards. If a guy only reloads one 12ga shell - and they shoot all 3 games - I would say 90% of them will load 8's.

For serious Skeet shooters - reloading 9's are still dominant in all 4 gagues ( 12, 20, 28 and .410 ).

Personally, even for Skeet - in my 12ga reloads I stay with 1 oz of 8's just to keep my ammo supply simple as a primary shell - and I like a shell that is a little faster at about 1225 fps. For 20ga reloads, I go with 7/8 oz of 8's for Skeet and sporting clays. For 28ga and .410 I switch to 9's in all of my reloads. For Sporting Clays - I will always have a box of 7 1/2's - and usually 1 1/8 oz - for some of those long crossers or long outgoing targets they tend to throw some places. But on a Sporting Clays course - I will carry about 8 boxes for a 100 bird event on my push cart / 2 boxes of 9's / 5 boxes of 8's / 1 box of 7 1/2's ( just in case ).

In my opinion, you should pick your loads - based on the range you expect to kill a target / whether you reload or not:
9's out to about 25 yards
8's from 25 - 35 yards
7 1/2's beyond 35 yards

At a 16 yard Trap line / you stand 16 yards from the Trap house / and you are hitting that target at around 30 yards from you as it is still rising.

zippy13 · March 12, 2009, 01:19 AM

Super Dave:
It's called "seven and a half" not "seven dot five" shot.

March 11, 2009, 06:57 AM	#1
Super-Dave Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 795	Why is 7.5 shot so popular with trap and skeet? Why is 7.5 shot so popular with trap and skeet? Why not just use #8 or #7? What can you really do with #7.5 that you cannot do with #7 or #8? __________________ If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever. George Orwell

March 11, 2009, 07:37 AM	#3
Super-Dave Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 795	At my local trap and skeet joint. Almost everyone uses 7.5 Why? __________________ If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever. George Orwell

March 11, 2009, 07:43 AM	#5
Super-Dave Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 795	so do you guys think that #8 and #9 can get the job done for trap and skeet? __________________ If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever. George Orwell

March 11, 2009, 07:10 AM	#2
.45 COLT Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 308	Never knew a Skeet shooter to use #7 1/2. They mostly use #9. A lot of Trapshooters use #8, some #8 1/2. #7 1/2 is popular too, especially beyond the 16-yard line. DC

March 11, 2009, 07:39 AM	#4
TheManHimself Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2008 Posts: 730	Probably because most of the cheap promo loads are loaded with 7 1/2.

March 11, 2009, 08:12 AM	#6
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,542	No 7 1/2 is the LARGEST shot allowed for ATA Trap; many fields (including the one here) are laid out to keep no 7 1/2 on the property but anything larger would carry off of club land; hence the limitation. A lot of people shoot trap with no 8, some with no 8 1/2, and a few with no 9. Just depends on the pattern their gun throws, their timing, their handicap yardage, and their opinion on what breaks the targets better. No 7 1/2 might be preferred by the long yardage handicap shooter or anybody who thinks that it will take fewer of the larger pellets to break targets. Serious skeet is shot with no 9, although 7 1/2 or 8 will work if that is what you have on hand. I don't know the rule in skeet, but shotfall area must still be considered and no 7 1/2 is the largest that most places allow for. No 7 shot dropped out of popularity a long time ago and is hard to find if you want to hunt with it. You can't trapshoot with it anyhow.

March 11, 2009, 11:48 AM	#8
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	7-1/2's are better for distant shots regarding retained energy downrange. Any size shot can, and will break just about any target on the trap, skeet, 5-stand or sporting clay fields - although 9's lose their energy REAL quick passed 30-35 yards. If you were to mic the shot, you'd find that the margin of error is enough between sizes you might a size or more off. Unless you are reloading some very specific shells for a specific purpose, grab 8 or 7-1/2 as they will usually be what wally world has in stock at the lowest price.

March 11, 2009, 12:18 PM	#9
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Like Jim Watson said - 7 1/2's are the largest sized pellet allowed on Skeet, Trap and Sporting Clays. Are 7 1/2's the most popular size of shot ... No, not in my area - but 7 1/2's are popular among Trap Shooters - especially from the 20 - 27 yard line where you need the extra energy in the larger size of shot to effectively break targets from 35 - 50 yards out as you move back for handicap. The most versatile load out there right now in 12ga / with the price of shot up so high - is 1 oz. In 1 oz loads - experienced shooters will still pick their loads based on the pellet size they need for the kill range they expect for their game. If they are a 25 - 27 yard line Trap Shooter they will still go with 7 1/2's probably. But 8's are by far the most popular size of shot being loaded for a shell that can be used for all the clay target games ( Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays ). It will get the job done at close and intermediate ranges for Skeet and Sporting - and its still very effective out to at least 40 yards. If a guy only reloads one 12ga shell - and they shoot all 3 games - I would say 90% of them will load 8's. For serious Skeet shooters - reloading 9's are still dominant in all 4 gagues ( 12, 20, 28 and .410 ). Personally, even for Skeet - in my 12ga reloads I stay with 1 oz of 8's just to keep my ammo supply simple as a primary shell - and I like a shell that is a little faster at about 1225 fps. For 20ga reloads, I go with 7/8 oz of 8's for Skeet and sporting clays. For 28ga and .410 I switch to 9's in all of my reloads. For Sporting Clays - I will always have a box of 7 1/2's - and usually 1 1/8 oz - for some of those long crossers or long outgoing targets they tend to throw some places. But on a Sporting Clays course - I will carry about 8 boxes for a 100 bird event on my push cart / 2 boxes of 9's / 5 boxes of 8's / 1 box of 7 1/2's ( just in case ). In my opinion, you should pick your loads - based on the range you expect to kill a target / whether you reload or not: 9's out to about 25 yards 8's from 25 - 35 yards 7 1/2's beyond 35 yards At a 16 yard Trap line / you stand 16 yards from the Trap house / and you are hitting that target at around 30 yards from you as it is still rising.

March 12, 2009, 01:19 AM	#10
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Super Dave: It's called "seven and a half" not "seven dot five" shot.