Trying to fine-tune my 1-1/8 oz reloads for sporting clays - getting inconsistent breaks at 40 yards
Been working up a load for my Beretta 686 with a Modified choke. Using once-fired STS hulls, Winchester 209 primers, 18.5 grains of Alliant Extra-Lite, and a Claybuster WAA12SL wad. Patterns look decent on paper at 30 yards, but on the course, those long crossers at stations 3 and 7 just aren't shattering cleanly. Velocity is around 1200 fps. Anyone else run into this with Extra-Lite?
1 Answer
I've had that exact issue with Extra-Lite. It's a great powder for lighter loads, but for 1-1/8 oz at 40 yards, you might be right on the edge of its ideal pressure window. Try bumping up to 19.0 grains (check your manual first!) or consider switching to a slightly slower powder like Green Dot. Also, what shot size are you using? For those long targets, #7.5 might be spreading a bit thin - #8s could give you a denser pattern at that distance. Have you chronographed multiple shells to see if your velocity is actually consistent?
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