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Gamebore’s Velocity+ shotgun cartridges

  • Last updated: 12/11/2024
  • Review
Gamebore’s Velocity+ shotgun cartridges

The Gamebore Velocity+ loading in 12-bore has always been a firm favourite with the clay shooting fraternity, as it offers high velocity, far-reaching performance, and easy on-the-shoulder recoil. It is also a good all-rounder priced keenly, ensuring it does not hit the wallet too hard.
Gamebore takes this entry-level clay shotgun cartridge to another level with high-quality components and precision-made lead shot. Available with a fibre or plastic wad, this 28g loading is offered in No.7.5 and No.8 shot sizes.
However, I have the Velocity+ pigeon cartridge that is only available with a fibre wad and 30g of No.6 shot. Just like Gamebore’s Clear Pigeon loading, it is a great cartridge for decoying, roost shooting, squirrels, and general pest control. It has also been tested in semi-automatic shotguns for effective and reliable functioning, and I can vouch for this.
Price-wise, we are talking £10.25 for 25 or £310 per 1000, so they still remain an economical choice for the shooter and are well worth a look at.

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All the details
It’s an interesting-looking cartridge with its slate grey plastic body and 70mm length, and all the load data is printed in black on and around the main tube. You also have a small 12mm brass head with a very well-defined rim, hence the good semi-auto reliability, as the extractor claw can get a good grip on the case’s rim.
The closure is a well-sealed and very neat six-star crimp that’s designed to prevent water ingress and set up a suitable amount of back pressure for correct powder ignition. In fact, Gamebore uses cases and primers from Cheddite, and they are mostly loaded with CX2000 primers, which have always proven to be a reliable and consistent ignition system. The use of Vectan powder ensures reliable performance and a clean burn, and a quick look inside allows you to see the 23gr of greenish, flake-type, single-base nitrocellulose powder. This will push the pellets out at approximately 1390fps, ensuring a good blend of velocity and lower recoil.
This is a fibre wad cartridge, and Gamebore produces top-quality, single-piece wads that prevent fragmentation in the bore under pressure. They deliver an excellent gas seal for consistent patterning down range, whilst also being environmentally friendly to shoot.
Gamebore is renowned for its 100% British-made precision lead shot, which is crafted from British lead ingots in the only remaining working shot tower in the UK. This tower is capable of producing extremely round shot from a very long drop. While it may not be the graded and polished Diamond shot used in Gamebore’s premium loadings, the shot is still spherical, showing good consistency and weight, with only the odd oxidised and flattened edge. Also of note is the shot does not have a high antimony content, giving it an overall softer construction. Look inside, and the 30g of No.6 shot (2.6mm) equates to 286 pellets per cartridge.

Out and about
Standing 30 yards away from the pattern boards, I used the Velocity+ cartridges in a Browning B525 with both ¼ and ½ choked barrels. Given the ‘Velocity+’ name, and the near as damn it 1400fps velocity, they were not at all snappy to shoot, producing minimal muzzle flip. However, the B525 action does a good job at recoil suppression, ensuring a more comfortable shooting experience that’s easier on the shoulder. Also, the fibre wad achieves not only a tight seal, maximising pressure and velocity down the barrel but also produces some really nice, even patterns. After a couple of boxes, the barrel was also remarkably clean, save for the usual lead streaks from the forcing cones.
With the ½ choke fitted, we had a total of 253 pellet strikes on the board, with a central hit area of 15” containing 76 pellets and the remaining 177 appearing in the outer 30”. The pattern was a bit low, which is the gun, not the cartridge, and showed a good distribution of shot within the different sectors. Overall, a good, dense pattern.
Selecting the barrel with the ¼ choke fitted, I used the same point of aim. This time, the gun and cartridge managed a more centrally placed pattern overall, but the pattern was wider, with more pellets in the outer sectors. There was a total of 201 pellet strikes in total, with 123 outers and 78 inners. Again, these were nicely distributed, with just a few holes where some pellets had clumped together.
It would be nice to try this loading with all the chokes from cylinder to full. I might do that sometime as the Velocity+ has many good attributes, especially in terms of consistent performance and good velocities.

Conclusion
You can either choose the two clay versions with the smaller shot sizes or opt for the heavier No.6 shot as tested. This cartridge gives a really nice blend of speed, pattern density, and knockdown power, and it should be considered for all types of vermin, or even some game shooting too.

Contacts:

Gamebore -
FA Andersons Gunshop –

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