Hull Cartridge Sporting 100 Graphite Edition Cartridge Review

Everyone loves a bargain, but we all still want the highest quality, which can be a tall order these days. However, Hull consistently produces excellent ammunition at a fair price. Their Game and Competition cartridge lines are used by shooters of every kind, and when it comes to clay competition, “the best load” - much like the most accurate rifle round - is coveted and often sparks heated debate. We have tested many good clay cartridges in these pages, yet Hull’s Sporting 100 regularly attracts more than its fair share of praise.

What is the design and build quality like?

It sits within their Sporting Clay range, alongside Super Fast, Comp X and Sovereign. The Sporting 100 Graphite Edition is a mid-priced competition cartridge originally developed with former FITASC champion Ed Solomons. It was designed to shoot consistently even patterns for long-range clays, while still producing low recoil. It is loaded with graphite-rolled shot, which helps maintain uniform patterns and improves ballistics, resulting in greater effectiveness on those tricky, longer targets.

The cartridges are offered with either fibre or plastic wads, in shot sizes No.7.5 or 8, and typically retail at around £319 per thousand.

The cartridge is only available as a 28g loading, housed in a 70mm graphite grey case with lime green lettering and a semi-translucent hue that reveals the wad and shot inside.

You have a high nickel-washed head with a pronounced rim, for flawless operation, extraction and ejection. At the other end, the uniform standard six-star crimp is not sealed but has a very tight closure, and the whole cartridge, as with Hull’s entire range, is very uniform and consistent in its looks and manufacture.

I like the semi-translucent grey casing and lime-green lettering

What are the components and ballistics?

I tested the fibre wad version, which is environmentally friendly for clay shoots, and the wad’s one-piece design cushions the shot, seals efficiently and ensures correct combustion for a soft-shooting round.

Beneath it is a smaller card disc that shields against the fierce powder flames, with the powder sitting below. This vivid lime-green flake has a consistent burn rate, producing a velocity of around 1,400fps, and in combination with the other components, it delivers a remarkably smooth, low-recoiling cartridge.

Graphite shot, uniform fibre wad, and consistent powder combine to deliver 1,400fps, making this a cartridge capable of longer-range shots

Shot-wise, there are only two size options, as previously stated. The No.7.5 (2.3mm) pellets contain 2% antimony, making them competition-grade hardened shot, with an average count of 394 pellets per cartridge. The No.8 size gives 448 pellets in the same 28g loading, allowing you to choose what best suits your shooting.

As the name suggests, the shot is rolled in graphite, which helps maintain a more uniform spread by preserving the integrity of the pattern as the air passes over the pellets. It works rather like improving the ballistic coefficient of a bullet, making the shot more aerodynamic so it flies truer. Hull’s shot is already highly uniform, so the graphite coating is the icing on the cake.

How did it perform on the pattern boards?

I liked this cartridge from the outset. As soon as you pick it up, it not only looks the part but also feels as though it’s built to perform. I used a new Benelli Raffaello Limited Edition in 12-bore for the pattern board tests, and, being a semi-auto, it’s a soft shooter anyway. In combination with the Sporting 100, it was a pussycat to shoot. A second or even third shot in the field produced very little muzzle flip, so the sight line remained largely uninterrupted. Basically, if you are shooting a 100-clay day, these Sporting 100 cartridges will be comfortable to use from start to finish.

 
• With ¼ Choke: At 30 yards, we recorded 255 total pellet strikes from the 394-pellet load. Of these, 89 were in the inner 15” circle and 166 were in the outer 30” circle.
 
• With ½ Choke: The pattern tightened to 294 total pellet strikes, with 109 inner hits and the remaining 185 distributed across the outer circle.

I have to say, these Sporting 100s were a delight to shoot, and the consistent, even way they patterned downrange will be especially appreciated by competition shooters.

Using the ¼ choke, this Benelli Raffaello produced beautifully concentric and even patterns

What is the final conclusion?

This cartridge is designed for a smooth-shooting experience with minimal recoil, allowing for better follow-up shots and comfort during longer shooting sessions. Having tested the Sporting 100, I have to say that’s hard to argue with. Its tight and consistent patterns ensure good density even at longer ranges, which is exactly what this cartridge is designed to achieve, so it is certainly worth a look at a mid-range price point, providing excellent value.

Technical Specifications

 
• Name: Hull Cartridge Sporting 100 Graphite Edition
 
• Load: 28g
 
• Shot Sizes: No. 7.5 or No. 8
 
• Wad: Fibre or Plastic
 
• Case Length: 70mm
 
• Velocity: approx. 1,400fps
 
• Price: Around £319 per thousand
 
• Contact: Hull Cartridge - www.hullcartridge.co.uk