Fiocchi 3-Gun Match 12GA 1oz #7.5 Shot – Reliable 25 Round Box

Description

Recoil costs time. On a plate rack or a flying clay array, the gun that settles fastest wins the stage, and that is the argument for the Fiocchi 3-Gun Match 12GA 1oz #7.5 shot over its heavier stablemate. One ounce of shot at 1170 feet per second still folds steel, but it lets the muzzle come back down sooner.

• The Case for a Lighter Competition Load
• Fiocchi 3-Gun Match 12GA 1oz #7.5 Shot Specifications
• Honest Notes on the 1 Ounce Load

The Case for a Lighter Competition Load

Fiocchi developed the 3-Gun line with Jerry Miculek, and the two birdshot loads in it exist for different shooters rather than different targets. The heavier 1-1/8 ounce version leans on payload; this one leans on speed of recovery. Dropping an eighth of an ounce and thirty feet per second takes a noticeable bite out of the recoil impulse without giving up much on the target.

Practically, that means the Fiocchi 3-Gun Match 12GA 1oz #7.5 shot suits a shooter running a lighter gun, a shooter working through a long field course with a lot of shotgun targets, or anyone who has noticed their splits opening up after the first ten rounds of a stage. It also suits shooters who are still building shotgun endurance and do not want to develop a flinch paying for it.

Fiocchi loads this in Ozark, Missouri, under the Shooting Dynamics banner, part number 12DL3G75. That L in the part number is the only visible difference from the heavier 12DH3G75, so read it carefully when you order by the case.

Fiocchi 3-Gun Match 12GA 1oz #7.5 Shot Specifications

One ounce of #7.5 lead runs about 350 pellets. Against a standard 3-gun steel popper inside twenty yards that is plenty, and against clays it is the same pellet count most registered trap shooters use. Where you notice the difference is on hardened or distant steel, where the heavier load has a real margin.

The 1170 feet per second figure deserves a caveat, and it is the main one for this shell. Some gas-operated shotguns tuned for heavy field loads will not cycle a light 1 ounce target load reliably, especially when the action is dirty. If your gun has a heavy recoil spring or an adjustable gas system set for buckshot, test a box of the Fiocchi 3-Gun Match 12GA 1oz #7.5 shot before you buy a case.

Inertia guns are more sensitive still. A Benelli-pattern action needs a certain recoil impulse to unlock, and the lightest target loads sit near that threshold. Most run this shell without complaint, but most is not all.

• Gauge: 12 gauge
• Shell length: 2-3/4 inch
• Shot size: #7.5 lead
• Shot charge: 1 ounce
• Muzzle velocity: 1170 feet per second
• Primer: 209
• Hull: plastic
• Rounds per box: 25
• Boxes per case: 10
• Manufacturer part number: 12DL3G75
• UPC: 762344711430

Honest Notes on the 1 Ounce Load

Buy the Fiocchi 3-Gun Match 12GA 1oz #7.5 shot if your shotgun cycles light target loads without complaint and you want faster recovery between shots. It is the better choice for high round-count stages and for shooters who are recoil sensitive.

Skip it if your gun is picky about light loads, or if your match uses hardened steel and longer shotgun distances. In both of those cases the 1-1/8 ounce version is the safer purchase.

Skip it entirely for waterfowl. This is lead shot, which is prohibited for migratory bird hunting in the United States, and it is a target load in any case.

Not sure your gun will run it? The Fiocchi 3-Gun Match 1-1/8oz #7.5 is the heavier option, and the 3-Gun Match Slug covers slug arrays. Fiocchi lists the complete Shooting Dynamics 3-Gun specification on its own site.

MAG5 Firearms carries both weights of this load. If you are unsure which one your shotgun prefers, buy a box of each before committing to a case.