During WW2 the only shotshells my father could get were #9 skeet loads. They proved deadly on waterfowl.

9's were all I shot when i was in a skeet league ( Long, long ago in a galaxy far far away ) :corn:

9's often ride in the right tube for woodcock (with 8's in the left)

and have shot a lot of them on small bore clays courses

they make a very effective target load

I shoot 9 shot in my 28 gauge for doodles and quail. I find it effective.

Okay, I'll be the black sheep. I don't like it for anything except clay birds at 25 yards or less.

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums...698#Post600698

As can be read in the link I posted above I use 8s and 7 1/2s on quail. My hunting buddy uses 9s. Every instance I can remember of biting into a pellet in a quail breast is a 9. This is anecdotal, but is based on years of quail shooting. Anyone who understands basic physics should be able to understand that a 9 is much less likely to pass through a quail breast than an 8, or a 7 1/2, all else being equal.

SRH

When I was big in the REAL clay target games (skeet and trap) I kept 9’s , 8’s and 7 1/2’s at all times . Chilled 9’s for 12 and 20 skeet , chilled 8’s for 12 and 20 skeet doubles at all stations as well as 16 yard trap . Magnum 9’s for 28 and 410 skeet . Magnum 8’s for 28 and 410 doubles at all stations and finally magnum 7 1/2’s for handicap trap and trap doubles . When I quit the real games I went to 8’s almost exclusively for what little skeet/trap/sporting I shot . Now I shoot 7 1/2’s at sporting in all but the 28 and 410 I still use 8’s in the two little ones . And yes I now again keep 9’s , 8’s and 7 1/2’s but they’re all magnum shot now . FWIW when I started loading chilled shot was $9@ bag and magnum $1 more . Now it all seems to be pretty much the same price .

Number 9 is great on snipe as well even at distance.One pellet will usually take them down.

Craig I couldn't even keep track of that : (

Austin going back to your post concerning the use of 3/4 ounce loads and spreaders at 35 yards in clay target games, I would think that would be no place for a spreader load with that 3/4 Oz load. At 35 yards with a 3/4 Oz load I'm wanting some choke in my gun, not a spreader. On the topic of 9's vs other sizes of shot at that distance I have no experience.

I’ve never fired spreader loads that I was aware of in anything . Matter of fact my little 28 that’s my number one quail gun is choked full and full . Not that I have a problem with more open , but that’s my only Parker 28 and I’m darn sure not opening the chokes . Besides it does fair to middling at sporting .

Not hard after as many shells as I’ve loaded in the last 35+ years .