Thread: Clay target loads on possums?

If you are going beyond about 25 metres then you need a tighter choke to condense the shot column. Thats why your basic side-by-side uses 1/4 and 3/4 choke as standard issue.
If you have an inter-choke firearm you can choose anything that works for you

Try full choke and Falcon Cowboy action loads, Low recoil 1oz of 7's rather than usual clay target loads 7 1/2's
that 1/2 does make a difference.

How far are you intending shooting them at .treat em like a duck for range. You aren't going to do too much damage at 50 plus meters.a 22 in my opinion is way better but if trap loads is what you want to use they will still work fine at there shootable range .

Originally Posted by Quackers

How far are you intending shooting them at .treat em like a duck for range. .

thats wheret he lombardy poplar thing comes from....I can tell you this much,a duck flying level with top of poplar looks to be a LOOONG way up when in reality they are well in range

Hows the ol 410 on the possums ?

the .410 is great if you use them same 3" #4s and have better than half choke.... same deal its all about putting enough pellets into them to kill them quickly. and the range in all but the tallest tress wont be more than 25 yards.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

swings n roundabouts... open choke and heavy pellets and tight choke with light pellets will still poke about same amount of lead onto target..... but the few larger pellets will still penertrate out a wee bit further.. .also...not every load patterns the same... one load will be tighter than the other. and strangely enough a SLOWER load ofte npatterns tighter than a fast one..... you were talking about doing a black powder load.....it might be just the ticket heavy payload of say #3-4 shot trundling along at 1100ish fps it may pattern ok in open choke..only one way to find out. I can make that load patter n REALLY tightly when using a steel shot wad without splits in wad cup. or can a make it a spreader load with lots of splits.

That's interesting to hear, I would have thought that faster loads would give more hitting power and made up for things if using a lighter shot, but as you say, it's probably more important to get more lead onto the target.
I have an MEC loader and want to experiment with loads, especially on an older SxS that can only take black powder it had a ridiculously tight choke but patterns beautifully.

Originally Posted by mikee

Try full choke and Falcon Cowboy action loads, Low recoil 1oz of 7's rather than usual clay target loads 7 1/2's
that 1/2 does make a difference.

Ive got a whole box of the things, i never considered them powerful enough for possums, they are only 900fps or so, but the old gun I use them in has a very tight choke.

Originally Posted by Quackers

How far are you intending shooting them at .treat em like a duck for range. You aren't going to do too much damage at 50 plus meters.a 22 in my opinion is way better but if trap loads is what you want to use they will still work fine at there shootable range .

I typically use the .22 to shoot possums that are a bit further away. If I can get possums within at least 30m with the shotgun I would be happy however.

#3 makes them self gutting.

my pet 12g 3"no334gm solway magnum effectively cures any reproductive urges of mr jacko in perpetuity.Regarding range -Ive never had any probs getting right up to most with .22 especially if theres a horny wee doe round cause the bucks go stir crazy and inevitably think you want their bit of fluff .Ive had them sit spit and snarl at me literally on the end of the barrel as they glare madly out of the branches .oops Mr.22 pill was my reply .using rabbit ammo/dyna point in my 1st stirling it was bloody dynamite .blew a fist sized hole in a jackos ribcage one night as he charged down the branches at me. shot a doe and 3bucks one afternoon at 4pm as i (horrible partypooper)and dog interrupted their gang bang on a willow log by the landlords milking shed.he was mighty impressed with my effort,as was i as iwas off after rabbits ,it being a pleasant warm afternoon midsummer.

I was using no 7 steel 12 guage last week but always have a quick back up no.4 or Bo if needed.

When I was a kid 20 something years ago we used the trap loads without any problems, that said motor bike and quad headlights were not great so range would have been under 25m. Falcon Sp40 would damn near pluck and gut one wouldn't it?