Winchester Traacker Shells

Dreaming100Straight · August 27, 2013, 01:14 AM

Does anyone have any experience with Winchester AA Trackers? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYncOiZC2z8

BigJimP · August 27, 2013, 10:32 AM

Nope, not me.....but I'm going out to my local shotgun club today, I'll ask around ....( but they're mostly old retired guys --- cheap --- / where its a 2 day job to get 2 nickels out of them )...so I'd say no...but I'll let you know.

Dreaming100Straight · August 27, 2013, 03:49 PM

Cheap . . . ain't nobody cheaper than me. I have read a lot of argument about them, and they aren't a pancea, but those that finally managed to get hold of them seemed to think they were a good training aid when used properly. That means with a buddy/coach watching where the wads went.

zippy13 · August 27, 2013, 09:09 PM

About 50-years ago, there was a similar "tracker" load. It had an incendiary tracer pellet. It was bright enough to see in daylight, but was very effective at night. Of course, they were a fire hazard and were outlawed in many jurisdictions. These new AAs seem to have solved that problem.

Beyond than their novelty, I didn't find the tracers very helpful as a training aid. They were more of a distraction than anything else. When fired at crossing targets, there was an illusion that the shot followed a curved path. IMHO, you're better off finding a coach, or spotter, who can see the shot stream.

Dreaming100Straight · August 27, 2013, 09:26 PM

You likely are correct about finding a coach who can see the shot cloud. Actually, from what I have read the shooter should ignore the tracker, which is hard for them to follow anyway and doing so encourages head lifting. It is if a professional coach or a buddy stands to the side and observes where the wad is going. Myself, I don't know if I ever have seen my shot stream and only rarely do I catch a glimpse of another shooter's shot.

If I could get hold of a couple of boxes, I would give them a try if for nothing other than the novelty.

If I were a coach, I might hand some to a student without telling them that they were trackers and would only do so when they encountered a situation where it wasn't clear where their misses were going.

Dreaming100Straight · August 27, 2013, 09:28 PM

Come to think of it Zippy, is there a certain time of day or conditions when it is easier to spot the shot cloud?

BigJimP · August 28, 2013, 11:37 AM

I asked a dozen or so experienced shooters yesterday ....none of them have tried them / a few of them have seen the ads for them on the internet - and thought they were just a novelty. The old tracer loads that Zippy was discussing...a few of the guys said they tried years ago ...but they didn't work very well either.

Consensus was - its a waste of money....and a novelty.

Seeing the shot cloud...??? I don't know / yes, maybe if the light conditions are just right on a cloudy or foggy day - maybe it can be seen ( not by me ) ...unless I were at a fairly significant angle to the shooter ...and then its hard to tell if its behind the target or ahead of it.... Its my opinion that most guys who say they can see the shot cloud / are just guessing...

A pattern board - screw in a full choke ...and check your loads for Point of Impact ...to adjust your gun / then screw in the correct chokes for the range you want, and you can check the patterns your shells are throwing.../ Personally, I think that's way more valuable....

I can't see using these things as a training aid.../ but then I'm old and set in my ways too ...

and my skeet scores yesterday were nothiing to rave about ....93 (24, 22, 23, 24 )......but its about as good as I can do these days...visibility was not very good...or at least, my vision ability, was not very good.

Dreaming100Straight · August 28, 2013, 04:32 PM

I notice on SGW that the consensus was the same, until people actually tried the tracker shells. I can always use the hulls for reloads, so if I can find them I will try a box or two. Problem is they are very hard to find.

Powermwt · August 28, 2013, 05:56 PM

I'm not so sure their target is guys that have shot skeet and trap their whole lives.

I have three sons in their mid 20s to early 30s that don't shoot that much... all having trouble hitting the target. They blame the shotgun or the ammo... anything to justify their scores. I usually just watch now as it just hurts my shoulder too much to be fun for me any more but I stepped in and shot three doubles in a row just to show them they all were having tracking issues, not gun or ammo problems.

I look at it this way... if it helps great if not, so what.

I checked at Cabela's online and WW Super Target 12/1-1/8/7-1/2 are going for $69.99/case of 250 vs. $89.99 for the WW traacker 12/1-1/8/7-1/2.

Midway has them for 99.99 less a $20 rebate until the end of the month.

Both say they are in stock.

That is $20 per 250 shells or $.08/shell.

I'm going to try a case and see if it will help them.

Dreaming100Straight · August 28, 2013, 11:15 PM

To qualify for the rebate, you must get a minimum of 10 boxes. I only want a couple of boxes of the trackers, but you can mix them with an order for 8 boxes of regular AAs at midway. To get the rebate your purchase must be made no later than the end of the month.

Once in a while I get by the So Cal Bass Pro. You have one near Sacramento I believe and I think they sometimes have the traaker.

zippy13 · August 29, 2013, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Come to think of it Zippy, is there a certain time of day or conditions when it is easier to spot the shot cloud?

With the sun behind you. The clearest I've even seen shoot was at Salem, OR (45° N), shooting in the US Open. We had the first rotation of the day and the early sun was right over our shoulders on the east side of the field. You could almost count the pellets at Station-7.

Dreaming100Straight · August 29, 2013, 03:19 AM

So now all I have to do is make trips to Oregon for practice.

BigJimP · August 29, 2013, 10:33 AM

and if you shoot station 7 all day ....your scores are bound to go up ...

.300 Weatherby Mag · August 30, 2013, 12:38 AM

Quote:

So now all I have to do is make trips to Oregon for practice.

Actually,

All you have to do is come down to Chino, specifically Prado... Buy me breakfast at Flo's Airport Cafe... I can see the shot pattern on a clear sunny day, in the morning hours... With enough harassment I might even choke my correctly and reign destruction on those poor, unsuspecting clay targets..

Dreaming100Straight · August 31, 2013, 03:05 AM

You mean we are supposed to use chokes? Re shooting station 7 all day, I do, BigJim, but someone suggested that was a booboo on a trap line. Too confusing.

Creek Henry · August 31, 2013, 04:19 PM

I would like to try a box... And my goal is to hit a dove with one of those wads :)

BigJimP · September 1, 2013, 10:43 AM

As I get older - the whole world is confusing Dreaming....

station 7 on a Trap line...??? No....

Dreaming100Straight · September 1, 2013, 01:43 PM

Don't pretend you never shoot station #7 on a trap line. You just move to your right and stand just to the left of #1 on the next field over, Jim.

Dreaming100Straight · September 1, 2013, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Buy me breakfast at Flo's Airport Cafe... I can see the shot pattern on a clear sunny day, in the morning hours... With enough harassment I might even choke my correctly and reign destruction on those poor, unsuspecting clay targets..

Weatherby, If I get up early enough to go to Flo's and get to Prado while it is still morning, I won't even be able to point at a clay. Maybe that is why they snicker when I try to blast one of the boogers.

Jay24bal · September 21, 2013, 09:16 PM

I know this thread is a couple weeks old, but I wanted to report my experience with them today as I was able to test them and there did not seem to be much first hand experience with them.

Short Version: They are worth every bit of the extra $1 per box for someone like me who has trouble with shotgunning. Heck, after my results, I would have paid $20/box for them.

Long Version: I have never been very good with a shotgun. I am slightly above average with a handgun and IMO pretty good with a rifle whether scoped or shooting irons, but the skills needed to hit consistently with a shotgun have always eluded me. It has frustrated me in the past and resulted in my harvesting of fewer waterfowl than most other people I was with because I always waited for the easy/close shots to ensure a clean, humane kill. On average I was hitting on about 60% of my shots when shooting trap or sporting clays.

I have had several buddies "coach" me and attempt to track where I was missing, I even took a couple training sessions with a shooting coach to try and address the issue. After the paid sessions, my hit rate did not improve at all and I was resigned to just never being good at shooting moving targets with a shotgun. So when the Trackers were introduced I was intrigued and I was able to run 4 boxes today with a buddy helping track the colored wad.

What I discovered, is that I was consistently aiming high over the target. It did not matter if if it was a left-to-right or right-to-left, or even a straight away shot, I was hitting 1-1.5 feet high.

Maybe it was finally having the visualization that helped because everyone always told me I was high, but my scores went up drastically today after running those four boxes. We were just throwing hand trap, but I put together 4 different strings of hitting 20+ consecutive clays with the first shot. I actually looked like I knew what I was doing out there today.

I could not be happier with the Trackers. I had 2 boxes of the orange and two boxes of black wads to see which worked better. It was a rainy, overcast day here and the black ones really stood out. The orange wads were still visible, but the black wads really stood out in the overcast sky.

When the time comes that I start missing a lot again, I will surely go grab some more AA Trackers and let them show me where I am missing.

Creek Henry · September 21, 2013, 10:33 PM

I just got 2 boxs from Gander Mountain and I will try thrm tomorrow. They had NO 20 ga though and that is the gun I am having trouble hitting with. Anyway, I figure it is one more tool in my toolbox.

Dreaming100Straight · September 22, 2013, 03:11 AM

CoolJay24, I hope to get some next week but everything I have heard about them from people who have never tried them is they have to be a gimmick but people who have tried them think they are the cat's meow.

Dreaming100Straight · September 22, 2013, 03:13 AM

You got it Creek. They are just a tool and I understand that best used the shooter should ignore where the wad goes and let a buddy watch them.

Jay24bal · September 22, 2013, 09:31 AM

Dreaming - You are 100% correct in my experience, as it is tough to have a correct follow through if your eyes are trying to track the wad. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending how you look at it) for me, I was off so much, I could tell in my peripheral vision how badly and where my main miss was. It will definitely be easier to have someone else track the wad.

Dreaming100Straight · September 22, 2013, 11:20 AM

I am glad these work so well for you, Jay. If all goes well, I am getting a case this month for a bday. Beats the heck out of another new tie.

August 28, 2013, 05:56 PM	#9
Powermwt Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2000 Location: Selah, WA Posts: 326	I'm not so sure their target is guys that have shot skeet and trap their whole lives. I have three sons in their mid 20s to early 30s that don't shoot that much... all having trouble hitting the target. They blame the shotgun or the ammo... anything to justify their scores. I usually just watch now as it just hurts my shoulder too much to be fun for me any more but I stepped in and shot three doubles in a row just to show them they all were having tracking issues, not gun or ammo problems. I look at it this way... if it helps great if not, so what. I checked at Cabela's online and WW Super Target 12/1-1/8/7-1/2 are going for $69.99/case of 250 vs. $89.99 for the WW traacker 12/1-1/8/7-1/2. Midway has them for 99.99 less a $20 rebate until the end of the month. Both say they are in stock. That is $20 per 250 shells or $.08/shell. I'm going to try a case and see if it will help them. Last edited by Powermwt; August 28, 2013 at 06:02 PM.

September 21, 2013, 09:16 PM	#20
Jay24bal Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2011 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 735	Tried the AA Tracker's Today I know this thread is a couple weeks old, but I wanted to report my experience with them today as I was able to test them and there did not seem to be much first hand experience with them. Short Version: They are worth every bit of the extra $1 per box for someone like me who has trouble with shotgunning. Heck, after my results, I would have paid $20/box for them. Long Version: I have never been very good with a shotgun. I am slightly above average with a handgun and IMO pretty good with a rifle whether scoped or shooting irons, but the skills needed to hit consistently with a shotgun have always eluded me. It has frustrated me in the past and resulted in my harvesting of fewer waterfowl than most other people I was with because I always waited for the easy/close shots to ensure a clean, humane kill. On average I was hitting on about 60% of my shots when shooting trap or sporting clays. I have had several buddies "coach" me and attempt to track where I was missing, I even took a couple training sessions with a shooting coach to try and address the issue. After the paid sessions, my hit rate did not improve at all and I was resigned to just never being good at shooting moving targets with a shotgun. So when the Trackers were introduced I was intrigued and I was able to run 4 boxes today with a buddy helping track the colored wad. What I discovered, is that I was consistently aiming high over the target. It did not matter if if it was a left-to-right or right-to-left, or even a straight away shot, I was hitting 1-1.5 feet high. Maybe it was finally having the visualization that helped because everyone always told me I was high, but my scores went up drastically today after running those four boxes. We were just throwing hand trap, but I put together 4 different strings of hitting 20+ consecutive clays with the first shot. I actually looked like I knew what I was doing out there today. I could not be happier with the Trackers. I had 2 boxes of the orange and two boxes of black wads to see which worked better. It was a rainy, overcast day here and the black ones really stood out. The orange wads were still visible, but the black wads really stood out in the overcast sky. When the time comes that I start missing a lot again, I will surely go grab some more AA Trackers and let them show me where I am missing. __________________ I like guns. Once Fired Brass, Top quality, Fast shipping, Best prices. http://300AacBrass.com/ -10% Coupon use code " Jay24bal "

September 22, 2013, 09:31 AM	#24
Jay24bal Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2011 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 735	Dead on Dreaming - You are 100% correct in my experience, as it is tough to have a correct follow through if your eyes are trying to track the wad. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending how you look at it) for me, I was off so much, I could tell in my peripheral vision how badly and where my main miss was. It will definitely be easier to have someone else track the wad. __________________ I like guns. Once Fired Brass, Top quality, Fast shipping, Best prices. http://300AacBrass.com/ -10% Coupon use code " Jay24bal "

August 27, 2013, 01:14 AM	#1
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	Winchester Traacker Shells Does anyone have any experience with Winchester AA Trackers? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYncOiZC2z8

August 27, 2013, 10:32 AM	#2
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Nope, not me.....but I'm going out to my local shotgun club today, I'll ask around ....( but they're mostly old retired guys --- cheap --- / where its a 2 day job to get 2 nickels out of them )...so I'd say no...but I'll let you know.

August 27, 2013, 03:49 PM	#3
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	Cheap . . . ain't nobody cheaper than me. I have read a lot of argument about them, and they aren't a pancea, but those that finally managed to get hold of them seemed to think they were a good training aid when used properly. That means with a buddy/coach watching where the wads went.

August 27, 2013, 09:09 PM	#4
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	About 50-years ago, there was a similar "tracker" load. It had an incendiary tracer pellet. It was bright enough to see in daylight, but was very effective at night. Of course, they were a fire hazard and were outlawed in many jurisdictions. These new AAs seem to have solved that problem. Beyond than their novelty, I didn't find the tracers very helpful as a training aid. They were more of a distraction than anything else. When fired at crossing targets, there was an illusion that the shot followed a curved path. IMHO, you're better off finding a coach, or spotter, who can see the shot stream.

August 27, 2013, 09:26 PM	#5
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	You likely are correct about finding a coach who can see the shot cloud. Actually, from what I have read the shooter should ignore the tracker, which is hard for them to follow anyway and doing so encourages head lifting. It is if a professional coach or a buddy stands to the side and observes where the wad is going. Myself, I don't know if I ever have seen my shot stream and only rarely do I catch a glimpse of another shooter's shot. If I could get hold of a couple of boxes, I would give them a try if for nothing other than the novelty. If I were a coach, I might hand some to a student without telling them that they were trackers and would only do so when they encountered a situation where it wasn't clear where their misses were going.

August 27, 2013, 09:28 PM	#6
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	Come to think of it Zippy, is there a certain time of day or conditions when it is easier to spot the shot cloud?

August 28, 2013, 11:37 AM	#7
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I asked a dozen or so experienced shooters yesterday ....none of them have tried them / a few of them have seen the ads for them on the internet - and thought they were just a novelty. The old tracer loads that Zippy was discussing...a few of the guys said they tried years ago ...but they didn't work very well either. Consensus was - its a waste of money....and a novelty. Seeing the shot cloud...??? I don't know / yes, maybe if the light conditions are just right on a cloudy or foggy day - maybe it can be seen ( not by me ) ...unless I were at a fairly significant angle to the shooter ...and then its hard to tell if its behind the target or ahead of it.... Its my opinion that most guys who say they can see the shot cloud / are just guessing... A pattern board - screw in a full choke ...and check your loads for Point of Impact ...to adjust your gun / then screw in the correct chokes for the range you want, and you can check the patterns your shells are throwing.../ Personally, I think that's way more valuable.... I can't see using these things as a training aid.../ but then I'm old and set in my ways too ... and my skeet scores yesterday were nothiing to rave about ....93 (24, 22, 23, 24 )......but its about as good as I can do these days...visibility was not very good...or at least, my vision ability, was not very good. Last edited by BigJimP; August 28, 2013 at 11:44 AM.

August 28, 2013, 04:32 PM	#8
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	I notice on SGW that the consensus was the same, until people actually tried the tracker shells. I can always use the hulls for reloads, so if I can find them I will try a box or two. Problem is they are very hard to find.

August 28, 2013, 11:15 PM	#10
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	To qualify for the rebate, you must get a minimum of 10 boxes. I only want a couple of boxes of the trackers, but you can mix them with an order for 8 boxes of regular AAs at midway. To get the rebate your purchase must be made no later than the end of the month. Once in a while I get by the So Cal Bass Pro. You have one near Sacramento I believe and I think they sometimes have the traaker.

August 29, 2013, 03:19 AM	#12
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	So now all I have to do is make trips to Oregon for practice.

August 29, 2013, 10:33 AM	#13
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	and if you shoot station 7 all day ....your scores are bound to go up ...

August 31, 2013, 03:05 AM	#15
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	You mean we are supposed to use chokes? Re shooting station 7 all day, I do, BigJim, but someone suggested that was a booboo on a trap line. Too confusing.

August 31, 2013, 04:19 PM	#16
Creek Henry Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 514	I would like to try a box... And my goal is to hit a dove with one of those wads :)

September 1, 2013, 10:43 AM	#17
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	As I get older - the whole world is confusing Dreaming.... station 7 on a Trap line...??? No....

September 1, 2013, 01:43 PM	#18
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	Don't pretend you never shoot station #7 on a trap line. You just move to your right and stand just to the left of #1 on the next field over, Jim.

September 21, 2013, 10:33 PM	#21
Creek Henry Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 514	I just got 2 boxs from Gander Mountain and I will try thrm tomorrow. They had NO 20 ga though and that is the gun I am having trouble hitting with. Anyway, I figure it is one more tool in my toolbox.

September 22, 2013, 03:11 AM	#22
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	CoolJay24, I hope to get some next week but everything I have heard about them from people who have never tried them is they have to be a gimmick but people who have tried them think they are the cat's meow.

September 22, 2013, 03:13 AM	#23
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	You got it Creek. They are just a tool and I understand that best used the shooter should ignore where the wad goes and let a buddy watch them.

September 22, 2013, 11:20 AM	#25
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	I am glad these work so well for you, Jay. If all goes well, I am getting a case this month for a bday. Beats the heck out of another new tie.