doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com No 9 lead shot usefulness

Indeed, when it comes to choke choices, barrel lengths, stock dimensions, etc. For example, the last day I had on woodcock was with my friend/mentor Gil and his two Brittanys. We had a super day finding birds. I was using, for the first time on woodcock, my 28 ga. FAIR Verona O/U. I had in it a skeet choke (btm bl) and IC (top bl). It has 30" barrels. Thirty inch barrels are not exactly considered the proper length for woodcock in thick cover, but it worked quite well. Both Gil and I got our limits. And, I guess how much lead pellets in your meat bothers you is a personal thing, too. Bothers me a lot, so I do what I can to prevent it. However, lack of energy at range is NOT a personal issue, or shouldn't be. Having been shot numerous times in my life by careless people on dove fields I can testify to the punch a 7 1/2 or 8 has at 35+ yards. Never been shot with a #9 (and hope I never will be, for that matter I hope to never be shot with anything again). That's all anecdotal I know, but the ballistics charts don't lie, and I carry with me a reminder. Got shot by a careless shooter several seasons ago. I didn't think it had even penetrated the skin but, at my last dental checkup they took x-rays and showed them to me. That no. 8 had penetrated my upper lip at roughly 45 yards. My stand was farther then that from the shooter, but I was walking out in his general direction to pick up a dove I had just shot when he swung, carelessly, on a low dove and one pellet nailed me. It still had so much punch that it deformed the lead pellet upon hitting the bone structure above my upper front teeth.