Loads for Trap/Skeet

[12gauge12]

Whats loads are you guys using trap. I've got about 400 once fired Winchester AA ready to be loaded. I'm planning on using the white winchester wads and 209 primers.
What powder, and shot are you guys using?

[Waldog]

You need to know if your AA hulls are "new" or are the "older" AA design. AND, if your "white" wads were purchased recently or are a few years old.

Here is the reason. Winchesters shotshell manufacturing equipment was updated a couple of years back and they no longer produce the old style compression formed AA hull. The new AA hull is easily identified as being "shiney" and with a simple "AA" printed on the hull. The older hulls were not "shiney" and had a load and AA printed on the hull.

The internal dimensions of the newer hull are different than the older hull. As a result, the Win. wads were redesigned to work in the new hull with Win. powder. You run into to trouble using older AA hull's with new wads and non-Win. powder. It's not that these combo's are not safe. It's just that you need to make adjustments. As an example, I found that when I used the "new design" wad in my old AA cases I could not get a full 1 oz. of shot in the case while I was using Clay's powder. There simply was not enough room in the case for Clays powder and a full 1 oz. shot load with the new wads. I had to drop the shot load down to 7/8 oz. and make the appropriate powder charge adjustment n order for the hull to crimp.

If I had been using NEW AA hulls and NEW Win Wads and WIN powder. The 1 oz. load combination would have been perfect.

You might log on to http://www.shotgunworld.com/index.html. This subject has been discussed on that web site. But, I have not checked that site for over a year.

Don't worry, you can find a combination that works. Good Luck!

[thebloodsonthewall]

I use AA hulls with the Winchester wads and titewad powder with 1 1/8 oz of 7.5 shot.

[PatriotnMore]

I use AA hulls with the Winchester wads and titewad powder with 1 1/8 oz of 7.5 shot.

Thats a perfect load for trap, or skeet. IMHO, the shooting skill and barrel length are more of an issue than the load.

[rg_1111@yahoo.com]

I like 700 X DuPont powder.32 Mec Bushing. Winchester white wads, CCI 209 Primer, 1.1/8 oz of 7 1/2 shot. For trap.
Like PatriotnMore said Barrel length, Choke, & shooting skills are going to be a big factor.

[12gauge12]

The wads and shells (grey) were bought from midway about a week ago. I've always liked 1-1/8 oz of 7.5 shot. Thats what I'll be loading first. What powders and how much do you guys recommend? I do have a load book, but want to see what you guys are doing.

870 w/ 28" barrel, extended mod choke

[sargenv]

Not to sound like a broken record.. but you really should own at least one loading manual for shotshells if you are going to load for them. There is a lot more info in those manuals other than powder/case data. Personally I own 3 or 4 manuals for general shotshell reloading and about 10 different manuals for specialty ammunition for shotshells. You can find shotshell data on any of the powder web sites.. Hodgdon, Alliant, Accurate arms, etc. I'd STILL highly reccomend something like the Lyman shotshell loading manual though, lots of good advice and it's more dependable than "what I heard on the internet".

[Revoman]

Unless it's a listed load in one of the manuals or from the powder manufacturer's website, I would not use it.
Not that anyone that is replying doesn't know what they are doing, just that if for some reason, the info wasn't quite right, or it was off by a smidge, or a multitude of anything that could go wrong, I simply wouldn't want to risk it.
At least with the manuals and manufacturer's info, you have a lot of research behind it, also, they have liabilities when they provide this information. Therefore, it should be the right place to get it. Granted some, or most of it, will be conservative, but you can work up your own loads based upon factual, historical and conservative information.