Shooting head weights

[bluefishercat]

Are shooting heads the same weight as the first 30 feet of the same size AFTMA line? Why don't they just label them as (350 grain) ST-9-S for example. Maybe that would be too simple.

[bigbonita]

Are shooting heads the same weight as the first 30 feet of the same size AFTMA line? Why don't they just label them as (350 grain) ST-9-S for example. Maybe that would be too simple.

i know that for the fast sinking heads, they are similar to the head section of a sink tip line like teeny, depth charge from orvis and others that are similar. the intermediates are similar as well. i can't speak for the floating heads as i rarely use a floating line in saltwater. the diameter of the running lines can affect the sink rate and castability of a line as well. with shooting heads, you can by a thinner type of running line that improves both casting and in water performance of this heads. so, just because you might find that the first 30 ft of a fly line matches closely with a shooting head, it doesn't nessesarily mean that the two will perform identically. on the other hand, alot of the newer full length wt foward lines are being made with what amounts to a thinner running line section.