Product Review: Rio Target Load 12 gauge shotshells--1 1/8oz. loads

Product Review

Rio Target Load 12 gauge shotshells--1 1/8oz. loads

DESCRIPTION OF ITEM

Rio Target Load shotshells are a variety of lead-shot shells designed to perform on the skeet, trap, and sporting clays ranges.

PURPOSE OF ITEM

These Rios appear to be designed to be a cost-effective practice and club-level competition shell for the clay shooting sports.  Rio markets them as competition-grade shells on their website.

RETAIL COST

Available through select Gander Mountain stores for as little as $5.78/box or online via Natchez Shooting Supplies starting around $7.50/box.  Both stores offer case-quantity discounts.

TEST/USES

I shot 1 1/8 oz. loads in both #7.5 and #8 shot extensively for practice and in club-level competitions in both skeet and trap for close to a year, and it remains my local club's favorite load for trap with more people shooting Rios than any other manufacturer.

IMPRESSION

Performance-wise, Rio's are excellent.  They have fairly standard and consistent velocities, they pattern exceptionally well through 3 different shotguns for me, and I have never had a quality-control complaint.  They break clays with the same reliability as the competition-level industry favorites (Winchester AA and Remington STS) and I firmly believe they live up to the label on the box:  "Competition Cartridges"  

I have only 2 complaints with these shells:  

   1.  They KICK.  This is in part due to the structure of the hull (European straight-wall) requiring more powder for the same velocities, but they do kick noticeably harder than comparably constructed shells (Federal Top Target and Fiocchi Game & Target).  

   2.  They are a 6-point crimp, which I realize for factory ammo changes nothing in their performance but I prefer the look and feel of 8-point crimps.

RELOADABILITY

Rio shotshells are a European/Import style straight-walled, separate-basewad hull and load using generic Import or Fiocchi load data.  Like most metric-based shotshell companies the primer pockets are sized for European/Metric 209 primers (approximately 0.001" larger) and as such may have loose pockets should a reloader try to use Remington, Federal, or Winchester 209 primers.  The base is brass-plated steel that tends to tarnish instead of rust, but still takes more force in the resizing station than a brass-based hull.  Hundreds of reloaders like these hulls because they use easy-to-find components and can be found for free at most clays ranges, but I have not had great luck reloading these or any other European-style hull.

RECOMMENDATION

Rio's 1 1/8oz. target loads are a bargain for me locally, and if you can get them for comparable prices they make excellent loads for all disciplines of clay target shooting.  I wouldn't bother to reload them, but for shooters who don't reload they are one of the best deals around.  Just mind the kick.

OVERALL RATING

These shells earn a respectable 7/10 overall, with performance being a 10/10,  pleasure to shoot being a 8/10, and reloadability being a 4/10.

RELATED PRODUCTS

Rio makes bargain-priced, high-quality shotshells in multiple shot sizes and charge weights for the 12 and 20 gauge, as well as offering several options for the 28 and .410 shotguns in their Target line.  Rio is also starting to offer higher "grades" of shotshell for serious competition use according to their website, but I have not seen them for sale yet.