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There is no good reason to load any shotgun shells at over 1450 fps.


For 1-1/8 oz lead loads in 2-3/4" shells 1300 fps loads have much more recoil than 1200 fps lead loads have. If you want targets loads, 1 oz loads at 1200 fps will break targets just fine.


Round shotgun pellets slow down very fast. In fact, the faster they start out the faster they slow down.


From KPY Shotshell Ballistics.

1300 fps lead #8 shot is down to 511 fps at 50 yards away and it has .62 lbs energy at 50 yards away.

1200 fps lead #7-1/2 shot is down to 512 fps at 50 yards away and it has .73 lbs energy at 50 yards.


The lead #8 shot that starts out 100 fps faster is 1 fps slower at 50.0 yards away.

The slower lead #7-1/2 shot gets .84" of gel penetration at 50 yards and the faster lead #8 shot gets .76" of gel penetration.



1550 fps steel #4 shot is down to 584 fps at 50 yards away and it has 1.74 lbs energy at 50 yards away.

1400 fps steel #2 shot is down to 611 fps at 50 yards away and it has 2.92 lbs energy at 50 yards.

The steel #4 shot that starts out 150 fps faster is 27 fps slower at 50 yards away.


The main thing that goes up when you jack up the speed of shotgun shells is the recoil. Going up one size or two sizes in the shot size will give you more speed and penetration down range, than jacking the speed way up on smaller shot will.


Since 2004 I have shot nothing, but 12 ga 7/8 oz and 1 oz lead target loads at Trap, Skeet, 5-Stand and Sporting Clays. Lead 7-1/2 shot will break targets much farther away than lead #8 shot can.


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