load usage

[Woodhavenrabbitdogs]

iM WITH PRIDE HILL 5 IS THE WAY TO GO

[S.R.Patch]

It don't take much to kill a rabbit, but you have to hit it.
I've used 7 1/2 for cottontails & birds, 6's for hare & squirrels.

I saw were there were only 9 pellets in a 3" 410 w/ #4 shot, That's some tight shoot'n...
Cost was like $.75 per shot...

[Bigboy kennel]

Thats the reason I use #4. Less pellets.

[walkerdogman85]

I shot #6s 7/8 oz. and they work well! My dad shoots #5s 1 oz. loads and like them all from our 20 gauges

[Shady Grove Beagles]

Just got back yesterday from 2 weeks hunting hare in Maine,New Hampshire and Vermont.I usually use high brass # 6's in my 20 ga. up there. This year took a box of low brass #7 1/2's and found them unsatisfactory.About a third of the hare I shot were not knocked down but were wounded and the dogs had to run them down.Good for the dogs and bad for the hare-------when the dogs catch one like that it's usually eaten before I can get it away from them.
Back home here in Tn. I find the low brass #6's or the same in the# 7 1/2's to be fine for the cottontails.

[S.R.Patch]

That's why I use the heavy 6's for hare in a 20 ga.. In the more open woods, you apt to get shots at distance you wouldn't get on cottontail. I took a couple hare at 47 paces, where with the lighter shot and load would have only served to made them run faster. lol
The little guns with bigger shot will carry as far, but as the pattern opens with distance, so few pellets create big holes in the pattern for the hare to get through resulting in missed shots.
The best plan is to take some paper and some different load shells and shoot at different yardages to see how the pattern covers the paper. You can't fool your self when the picture is before you...

Shady Grove, how did you hunting go? always wanted to hunt the NE, sounds like a great trip!

[gwyoung]

I am sure we have covered this topic many times, and I am sure I have asked this question but I don't remember the answer, So for the guys that use very small shot 7-1/2 for instance can you name ONE advantage that a load of 7-1/2's have over let's say a load of # 6. I can name several dis-advantages but couldn't think of a single advantage, Thank You.

[S.R.Patch]

As I said, I use 7 1/2 on birds and cottontails (2 birds with one stone so to speak), early season cover is quite dense with grass and weeds that it doesn't require a heavy load shot to penetrate and most shots on cottontail are under 30 yds. The smaller shot keeps a denser pattern for birds or cottontails, small shot doesn't break bones and most shot can be found just under the skin not penetrating the flesh deeply and dragging hair, now if you shooting up close and personal, all bets are off.
The single most advantage is pattern density.

I don't think anyone need to defend what works best for themselves, only that others may want to discover something new they never considered or thought of.

#6 shot works as well and I like it also, reloading shells is a pleasure unto it's self.

[gwyoung]

S.R. patch, your answer seems to be a good reason NOT to use 7-1/2's , " Small shot doesn't break bones, and most don't penetrate the flesh , can be found just under the skin," you say, Seems like you are giving good reasons not to use them. As far as pattern density goes there is an advantage in pattern density, If you are shooting game the size of rails and quail, and anyone who has shot many of any of them will tell you a rabbit requires a lot more pellet energy to kill him quickly than do these tiny birds. The fact is you would have to have an unbelieveably poor patterning shotgun not to have sufficient pattern density for something the size of rabbits with #6's. Keep in mind also with 7-1/2"s you run out of energy quickly ( as you have discovered) and you run out of energy before you run out of pattern, so that pattern is of no use to you, anyway. So good answer as to why 7-1/2's shouldn't be used but I was asking why they SHOULD be used. And I saw an earlier post where someone said there were only nine pellets in a 3" 410 hull stuffed with #4's, I am sure they meant 90!

[Squareebeagles]

That's what I use also #5 410 in 3in seem to work good for me

[S.R.Patch]

GW, I been killing squirrels and rabbits for 43 yrs,... I just don't know how i keep doing it...

ps..the front portion of a rabbit where the killing is done is not fleshy, penetration between the ribcage is all that's needed, sometimes I even get a head shot. ...30 yds or less and he's mine...
I don't rely on breaking bones to kill the rabbit.
I think you just need something to argue about today...

[Rcoff]

#6 shot express long range, we hunt heavy brush, shoot for the head so to minimize ruining the meat; gets through the brush, reaches the distance, less meat damage as possible. Even killed a coyote with one 2 years ago!
Thanks,
Bob

[gwyoung]

S.R. Patch, Not arguing , But to use your analogy I know a man who uses #9's for rabbits, he has been killing them for more years than you have been killing them with 7-1/2's, doesn't make it a logical or good choice though, does it. I understand where the vitals are on a bunny. Anyhow you have not answered the question, It was what advantage does a 7-1/2 have over a load of 6's, for rabbits. #6 unlike 7-1/2 will not run out of energy before running out of pattern, This makes your 7-1/2 loaded gun less effective than the SAME gun with #6. In addition to eating rabbit you must like to eat lead as well because you are going to put more pellets in your eating, also, we don't always center the rabbit in the pattern , these small pellets do not possess the energy necessary to kill rabbits cleanly with few hits and at even modest ranges. I have shot hundreds of them with 7-1/2's so I know what I am talking about concerning that size shot. I like #6's but overall the guys who shoot #5's have a very good argument for them if they get sufficient patterning from their guns it takes less hits, and more number 5's will pass completely through the rabbit so you will be biting into less lead. So getting back to the original question , what is even one advantage of using anything as small as 7-1/2's on game the size of rabbits over larger shot? After more than four decades of shooting them I have never heard a logical answer to that question yet! Very well may be one! I will also say that if you are using 7-1/2's your dogs are catching a lot of crippled rabbits, as well as finding dead ones, some of the others they don't find, a rabbit as an uncanny ability to find a hole after crippled. Think of all of the rabbits that holed right after you shot at them, A Rabbit that holes right after the shot, most experienced hunters know what that means, crippled rabbit.

[likeemfast]

I use the #6's cuz ive skinned many a rabbit where a grain or two got in there where the hounds were able to run em down. Some of them i dont think i would of been able to get using #7 1/2s. Also how many times have any of ya knowingly dusted a rabbit with your shot and it got in a hole? I always use the philosophy the bigger the better. Thats why SUPERSIZE was originally invented by McDonalds.

[S.R.Patch]

GW, as I said, 7 1/2 were good for quail and rabbit, I like the taste of bird also.
The 6's work equally well when after hare and grouse.

Found this on the little 410 bore, interesting read.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/410bore.htm