Shotgun loads/shells
- Thread starter Rjeezie
- Start date
Typically, HD ammo discussions center around two factors: Will the load stop the BD guy, and will the load pose dangers from over-penetration. Obviously, your particular environment has a great deal to do with your ammo selection. Do you live in a city apartment with children in adjacent bedrooms, or are you an empty nester living in an isolated country home? Should you develop a HD response scenario before you decide upon the appropriate HD gun and ammo? I suspect, there are folks who purchase a tact-cool shotgun for HD before they've really determined if it's appropriate to their environment.
oneounceload
Moderator
You'll get responses from birdshot to buckshot, with the majority consensus being to use one of the flavors of buckshot for penetration
Since you seem to be in a buck shot HD environment, most folks get a typical Mil/LE OO-Buck antipersonnel load. They don't seem to worry about the weight and velocity. However, some prefer the newer light recoil OO-Buck loads.
With OO-Buck loads, you'll find they typically state the number of individual pellets (or balls); but, with smaller bird shot, it will be listed as the shot charge in ounces. To get an idea of the various shot-shell loadings and their typical uses, check out any of the web sites of the major shot-shell manufacturers.
OZ shot is how much shot in a weight measure the shell has.
Shot size is the diameter of the shot 8 is smaller than 6, 6 is smaller than 4 etc.
Velocity is how fast the shot will travel.
For instance, I used 12 ga 3in mag sabot slugs, 400 grain (shot size) and 1850 FPS (velocity)
I also like to use a 3 in mag with 1 1/4 oz (oz shot) of copper plated number 2 it knocks geese out of the air and at 10 ft or so it will put a hurtin on anything I shoot with it.
Shot size is the diameter of the shot 8 is smaller than 6, 6 is smaller than 4 etc.
Velocity is how fast the shot will travel.
For instance, I used 12 ga 3in mag sabot slugs, 400 grain (shot size) and 1850 FPS (velocity)
I also like to use a 3 in mag with 1 1/4 oz (oz shot) of copper plated number 2 it knocks geese out of the air and at 10 ft or so it will put a hurtin on anything I shoot with it.
oneounceload
Moderator
I shoot 99% targets and birds, so MY preferred shot size is either 7-1/2 or 8 - both small. For HD, buck shot is much larger - as mentioned, the larger the number, the smaller the shot. Small pellets give you massive surface wounds but may not penetrate like larger buckshot.
Velocity is nice, but the difference at HD ranges between 1100 and 1400 fps isn't that much; however the recoil CAN be somewhat distracting in a high-stress situation.
Velocity is nice, but the difference at HD ranges between 1100 and 1400 fps isn't that much; however the recoil CAN be somewhat distracting in a high-stress situation.
Stevie-Ray
New member
Looks like I'll be using 00 Buck for my new SPX, as it can be had in standard Win or Rem. Just bought a bunch of different loads to see what works well with it and I'll find out after Christmas. Got Rem and Win 2.75" 00 buck, Rem #4 buck, and Fed Game and Target #7.5, just because it was cheap and I wanted to see if it would work. Looked in vain for some #1 buck.
Maybe some day.
Maybe some day.