Simulated game days are very much in vogue at the moment and a lighter load will increase your enjoyment without beating you up.
In the olden days, ‘big is best’ was the clay shooter’s maxim, with Fitasc shooters able to use up to a whopping 36gm of lead. 28gm is now the maximum for clays, or 24gm for ISSF international competitions.
For the more casual shooter who is not interested in the competition circuit, a 24gm load is more comfortable and can give a better pattern than the heavier load with no loss of performance.
Simulated clay days are all the rage currently – and why not? They are a lot of fun and you can fire as many squibs as you wish, only constrained by how quickly you can load!
It’s not the most serious of clay shooting, so we don’t need to worry too much about speed or hardness of shot, but it is great practice, particularly for those of you who also enjoy shooting a few pigeons or get involved with a little game shooting.
With the high volume of shooting, you need something that is not going to give you too much recoil. If you choose to use a 28gm load you will end the day feeling more than a little battered and exceptionally tired. Maybe I am getting a bit old or perhaps I am just a wuss…
This month’s suspects are all 24gm in fibre wad and good to reasonable value. The fibre wad is all important these days of course and I only know of one simulated shoot where you can still use plastic.
Eley Select
We’re starting with the cheapest of the bunch this month. You can’t go wrong with these for simulated game, and they are also popular for normal clay practice.
The Select evolved from the well-loved Eley First, and with Maxam powder behind them they are very comfortable to shoot. This is a great all-rounder for sim days and practice alike.
Load: 24gm Fibre 7.5,8 or 9 shot
Case Length: 67mm
Muzzle Velocity: 1350fps
Price: £194.50 / 1,000
RC Romagnola
RC introduced the Romagnola a few years ago as its revamped budget range. This Italian manufacturer is renowned for performance.
The Romagnola is hard hitting, helped by the fact that the European 7.5 shot is actually closer to a UK 7. The Romagnola does have a little more felt recoil than most of this month’s selection.
Load: 24gm Fibre 7.5 shot
Case Length: 67mm
Muzzle Velocity: 1400fps
Price: £199.75 / 1,000
Fiocchi TT1
The TT1 range from Fiocchi includes a great variety of fibre loads that are a little faster than most. Fiocchi’s range of clay loads is second to none, offering an impressively diverse array of choices.
The TT1 in 24gm is fast, comfortable and hard hitting, inspiring a natural confidence that they will do the job in any situation. If you haven’t tried them out yet, now might be the time.
Load: 24gm Fibre 7.5 shot
Case Length: 67mm
Muzzle Velocity: 1425fps
Price: £203 / 1,000
Eley Olympic Blues
Olympic Blues are the mid range offering from the Eley stable, giving you a little more oomph than the budget Select.
They’re still plenty comfortable, but they give a slightly higher performance. These will give you that required edge over your competitive compadres to help you bring home the champagne…
Load: 24gm Fibre 7.5, 8 or 9 shot
Case Length: 70mm
Muzzle Velocity: 1400fps
Price: £204 / 1,000
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