Article 6 – 2022 (July)

Australian Shooter Magazine

Question and Answers

Article 6 – 2022 (July)

Question:  I was very interested to see that another shooting organisation recently reversed its decision to allow 32 gram shotshells in some of its events. I would have thought in this day and age it was a backward move as I think 28 gram shotshells would be just as effective at any range. Keen to hear your thoughts on this?

Michael Moretti, South Morang VIC

Answer:   I assume the decision you are talking about is the Australian Clay Target Associations move to continue to allow its members to shoot 32 gram (1 1/8 ounce) shotshells in its handicap events. I have discussed this in the past and whilst this event is irrelevant to the membership of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, the answer may be very beneficial.

Specifically the event where they are allowing the usage of 32 gram shotshells to continue is in their Handicap event where targets are being broken at distances up to approximately forty to forty five metres from competitors shooting at their maximum handicap distance of twenty five metres from the trap house.

If I was on a Sporting Clays range or standing on the edge of a duck swamp knowing my target was at forty five metres what shotshell would I think would give me the greatest chance of breaking the clay or falling the waterfowl from the sky if I was offered a 28 gram or 32 gram shotshell? You would need to be the world’s greatest salesman to convince me that using 4 grams less of the same size shot will increase my chances of scoring a hit or eating a duck dinner that night. More lead more dead!  I have used that phrase in this column before and I will continue to use it. There simply is no valid argument that less shot is more effective. Could I score a hit or a kill with 28 grams of shot? Of course. Would it recoil less? Provided I am not trying to drive the 28 gram shotshell out of the end of my barrel at ridiculous speeds then once again the lighter payload will naturally recoil less. But your question asks “just as effective at any range”.

To take this analogy further the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) introduced a reduction in shotshell payloads for its Olympic Clay Target events in 1973 from 36 grams to 32 grams. In 1989 they further reduced this from 32 grams to 28 grams and again in 1993 it went from 28 to 24 grams. There is now further discussion about 21 gram loads being introduced in the future. Personally I doubt this will happen, but did all the reductions in payloads reduce scores in their events. You bet it did! There are still great scores at the top end of the field, but the average score was reduced on each occasion. This is exactly what the ISSF wanted to achieve.

To be honest I could not imagine the pain of having to shoot 36 gram shotshells for two or three days of competition using a four kilogram shotgun. This amount of shot may very well be too much as the problems of excessive recoil may outweigh the benefits of a denser shot pattern at 45 metres. 32 grams probably is more than efficient, but once again if you were offered one shotshell to chose between a 36 gram and a 32 gram shell to break one target or shoot one duck that may save you from starving to death what would your choice be? A 36 gram shotshell for sure. I will suffer the pain over hunger any day.

There has always been the argument thrown around that less lead shot is better for the environment and I guess its valid to a point. If everyone uses 4 grams less of lead per shot over a long period of time then it will of course add up, but I doubt our friends from “The Greens” would even debate this point. After reading some of their latest firearm’s policies I don’t think you can reason with them on any level.

I hope this helps, but remember to know the rules of your competition before you are tempted to use a “bigger” shotshell.