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It is not much more than a year since we tested all the competition fibre wad cartridges we could lay our hands on. Since then though three new fibre versions of successful cartridges have been introduced, all pitched at the same sector of the market. Time to bring you up to date ... Love them or hate them (and those who hate them usually haven't tried them for a long time), fibre wads are here to stay. More and more clubs are taking the fibre option, either through choice or to comply with landlords' demands. Sales figures from the industry, as we reported last year, prove the point. Which is why every successful competition cartridge soon spawns a fibre alternative. The three rivals assembled here are doing just that job.

VICTORY 480

The latest arrival is a fibre version of the Victory 480 we first tested in November last year. Regular readers will remember that the plastic wad original impressed then as a load built for comfort rather than speed. Given that the majority of fibre wad cartridges will be used by club shooters, it is a recipe which would seem ideally suited to this market.
 
Victory certainly haven't skimped on the presentation. A transparent case differentiates it from its colour-coded plastic wad siblings, but it retains the 15mm brass head for that visual 'pulling power'. Inside the PSB5 powder is the same, matched to a one piece wad of conventional type with no over powder card or obturating device. It works well in practice, reproducing the smooth appeal of the original and throwing some very effective patterns, as you might expect from the moderate speeds (1079fps, 329mps observed). Pressure averaged out at 470 bars, only slightly up on the standard load. I liked the plastic version and I like this one too and can see it becoming a very popular part of the Victory line up.

GAMEBORE BLUE DIAMOND

In just over a year the Blue Diamond has become one of Gamebore's best selling lines and deservedly so. It is an excellent value for money package, combining the company's exclusive 'Diamond' hardened shot, with a Gordon system case, all at a price below the vital £100 per thousand barrier. The launch of a fibre version will add to the Blue Diamond's appeal. With the exception of the wad, the fibre Blue Diamond is identical to the original we tested in May last year.
 
A little quicker on paper than the Victory 480, perceived differences are minimal in practice. I shot a mixed and random pocketful of all three cartridges tested here and could not put a pin between them on clay breaking performance. I have shot a lot of these Blue Diamonds in recent weeks at a local 'fibre only' club and find them very effective, very easy on the shoulder and hard to fault at the price.

ELEY BULLDOG SPORTING

Eley included a fibre version in the Bulldog range from the outset, so it has been around the longest of the three. Eley make much of their exclusive fibre wad, which they claim as the most effective yet in a competition cartridge. In truth it looks little different to any other, although Eley use a combination of two short wads plus an over powder card compared to Victory's wad only and Gamebore's long wad plus card. Theoretically I suppose the smaller (and therefore lighter) wads should drop away from the shot cloud sooner. Whatever, it works and, like all the cartridges featured, was free of the irritating 'shower of confetti' effect you get with some brands. Recoil was marginally highest of the three, for me at least, but by no means objectionable. Once again a convincing alternative to the plastic wad shells.
 
Tests like these demonstrate more than anything just how difficult it is to find fault with modern ammunition - plastic or fibre. When doing comparative tests you are looking for differences, but we were left only with similarities. All three companies have used totally different recipes but have managed to produce very similar results.
 
Clay shooters have become used to being spoilt for choice where cartridges are concerned in recent years. Whatever your budget there are manufacturers queuing up to sell you their product and, in truth, all will do a better job than most shooters. That same breadth of choice is now extended into the fibre wad market. Good news for us, but who would be a cartridge salesman?!

For information:

• Victory Cartridges (Adept UK) 01457 877170 
• Gamebore Cartridge Co. 01482 223707 
• Eley Hawk Ltd. 0121 344 3939 

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