8 1/2 shot
 

Just opened a flat of .410 shells which had been sitting in my basement for a couple of years. Was surprised to find that they are Sporting Clays load with 8 1/2 size shot. Have never seen that size shot in a modern shell. Others?

Whoops - sorry about the rotation

Quite a few of the guys I know that shoot 410s use 8.5 shot for clays.

I’ve never heard of 8 1/2 shot before this. Must have been some kind of gimmick. Why when we have #8 and #9 shot sizes, would we ever need 8 1/2 ???





.

I have seen this loading in the past. That shot size has been available for reloading for quite some time. It only makes a difference in the users head and with my shooting not much there either.

Bingo!





.

I use it for early season doves in small gauges with open chokes. It gives more pellets than 8s when only shooting 3/4 oz. in 28 and 1/2 ounce in .410. As the birds get wiser, faster, and bigger I stop using it. But I loaded it in 16 and used it this season and noticed almost every dove I brought down with it was still living. So I quit using it this year for doves in 16. Went to 8s and 7 1/2s.

I’ve used it when nothing else was available. I works fine.

I've loaded my 410 skeet loads with it and it works fine on quail.

I shot 8 1/2’s almost exclusively in my 410 and 28 back when I loaded my own, and shot targets more, although i used the same load for dove and quail. I got hooked on it from using a Federal sporting clays load back then that used 8 1/2’s in those gauges. I know that it is splitting hairs, but they always did well at least “in my head”!!

I’m sure 8 1/2 shot works fine for those who use it - heck, why wouldn’t it if sizes 8 and 9 work well.
I bet the first shotshell company that offered 8 1/2 shot only did so to gain a leg-up on the other companys - to offer something nobody else did... not because there was a need for it.

What I’d really like to see some shotshell company come out with is 9 3/4 for woodcock. I’d like something finer than 9’s but 10’s just seem too ‘faddish’ to me...






.