Anyone else think the new Federal Gold Medal Grand shells pattern too tight for sporting clays?
Been shooting sporting clays for years, usually run a Beretta 686 with an Improved Cylinder choke for most stations. Picked up a case of the new Federal Gold Medal Grand 1-1/8 oz #8 shot at 1290 fps to try. On the longer crossers and quartering shots past 35 yards, I'm getting more dust than breaks - feels like the pattern is just too dense. Tried switching to a Skeet choke and it helped a bit, but still not getting the consistent breaks I want.
1 Answer
I had the same experience with those shells. They're basically a target version of their waterfowl load, so they're designed with a harder shot and thicker wad for tighter patterns. For sporting clays, you're right - they're overkill on most presentations. I've had better luck with standard Federal Top Gun or even the cheaper Champion target loads for 90% of the course. For those really long shots, maybe try a Modified choke with your usual shells instead? What distance are you struggling with most - the 40+ yard stuff?
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