Later today I will rejoin the ranks of the shotgun owners. Picking up a police trade-in 870 with 18" barrel and rifle sights.
What are the current thoughts on what ammo I need to keep in stock for this? Obviously I want the “best” defensive loads (some buck and some slugs I assume?), some training loads, and some “gaming” loads for 3-gun and/or shotgun matches (understanding that this is not a competitive gun, I just need to know what kind of ammo to have for it when I do go to a match). Having not paid any attention to scatterguns in the last 5 years and little attention even before that I’m unsure where to start.
If you have links on where to buy online that would be helpful as well.
Rob,
last I checked, and what I have for my lone “gauge” is Federal, 00BK, with flite control LE132, I think I have both the standard and Reduced Recoil versions.
Doc recommends the Brenneke slugs. I have those and the Federal Tru-ball and standard LE slugs.
For practice, I use whatever wal-mart has in bulk. Don’t shoot any games, so can’t help you there.
Also, I’m not a shotgun guy, so shooting it is a rarity.
For buckshot, based on recommendations here & other forums, I also use Federal LE Tactical Flitecontrol 00 Buckshot. I still amazed how tight the pattern is.
3-gun is mainly birdshot, some may have slug targets.
I have about the same need for tiny patterns with buck as I do for a 1911 that shoots tiny groups at 25yds. LE that are stuck with a shotgun is an exception but if I need FC buck I probably should have brought a carbine.
I’d pick up a box of several different types of 00 buck, I prefer low recoil and… go shoot the gun. You will want to check the pattern and decide what range different loads are effective to in your shotgun. Then decide if FC is worth the extra for your needs.
I’m going to rummage around and see what I have left from the old gun so I can go shoot it just to check function. I was hoping a few different loads of buck, bird, and slug would crop up as maybe the top two or three in each category and I could get samples of each to try out.
Don’t really think I need to put much back other than game stuff. If I take a class with it I will just stock up at that time, and it won’t be for awhile.
Last year we changed over from the Remington Tac 8 to the Federal FC low recoil 00 (9 pellet) AKA LE132 00. While the Tac 8 could keep all the pellets in a man sized target at 25 yards, the FC is amazing. I can get another 10 yards out of it before I need to think amout other options. Within about 10 yards, the hole looks like a slug. Federal also puts out a home defense round called the PD132 00. It is the exact same thing as the LE132 00 except for the packaging and the hull . Others have spoken well about the TAP ammo also but I have never tried it. For slugs I have always had good luck the Brenneke and Federal Tru Ball slugs. Good luck and have fun.
Federal tactical 9-pellet 00B w/ FCW, reduced recoil.
Federal tactical LE slugs, reduced recoil. Tru-ball, IIRC.
Whichever low-base 7+ birdshot is cheapest.
Hornady TAP SG is GTG as well.
I like the tighter patterning buckshot. Not because I have a compelling need for small patterns, but rather the smaller patterns extend the range that I may be able to use the SG with greater POI control if needed.
While.I don’t keep shotgun for HD, if I did the Federal 00 Buck would be my choice for ammo. Shoots very tight from my 14" 590. As in all still in the body of a B27 at 15 yards. My 20" 590 they are all in the body at 25 yards. Remington 00 Buck is good too, just shoots a lot looser through the SBS, through the 20" it’s fine.
I buy either Remington or Federal slugs. They are more for fun & destruction then anything. 1 oz of lead is just fun to watch destroy stuff. I usually stock up on them during hunting season.
Echoing the same sentiments. I keep a fluffed up Saiga-12 around the house, plus an old 870 for clays and hunting. Not really a shotgun guy, but I’ll vouch for the quality and good pattern from Federal Flite Control buckshot! Reduced recoil will work fine in an 870 and most likely pattern even more consistently than the heavy loads.
For slugs: yep, Brennekes retain more mass and penetrates better than any Foster style shuttlecock slug. I figure if I ever really need to shoot a slug, it will be to make a big, deep hole in something, so I stick with Brennekes. Got no problem with other slugs for training, though.
Edit: oh, for birdshot… whatever is on sale, even if it’s filthy. I don’t compete, just clays for fun and training. Usually it’s Estate, Remington, Kent or the like. If I played shotgun sports seriously I’d no doubt pony up for better birdshot.
Seems like I need whatever birdshot is cheap for games, and then the buck and slugs I choose for serious use will be the same as what I use for training? Or are there lower-cost training facsimiles available? I first thought I needed 5 basic types:
[ol]
[li]serious slugs
[/li][li]training/gaming slugs
[/li][li]serious buck
[/li][li]training/gaming buck
[/li][li]gaming bird
[/li][/ol]
Fed 00 buck with flight control
Slugs whatever you gun and wallet like
Birdshot anything but the Winchester Universal 7.5 & 8 from Walmart
The cheap Fed shotshells from Wally World work fine, under $20 for 100. Value Pak of 100 is $23’ish around these parts.
The cost difference between the serious buck and slugs is minimal enough that I keep just the good stuff around. You can get some low end slugs and buck loads, but they are unlikely to duplicate the felt recoil and POI of the better.
As you well know, it depends on how much you’re going to shoot them as you weigh pricing, and what you’re willing to compromise.
The birdshot loads don’t require serious thought until you look at running them in a semi-auto.
Keep in mind that in certain situations you can use high base birdshot loads with a full choke or an extra full turkey choke (unless of course you have a fixed choked barrel) to train for buckshot scenarios. Under 20 yards a full/extra full choke will make a fairly tight pattern on a target. High base will provide more recoil to better replicate buckshot. And, its generally $3-4 cheaper per 25 rounds.
In my experience it works well, especially if using cardboard targets, as paper will usually wear out faster. Well, it does with buckshot too.
As said, flight control wads work very well. I use Federal’s Black Cloud steel ammo which uses the wad for waterfowl hunting. I shoot around 300-400 rounds per season and have shot it exclusivly for the past 2 years. Excellent paterning.
I keep mine loaded with #1, its the smallest shot that reliably penetrates over 12" in ballistics gel, and the combined surface area of 15 .30 cal #1 pellets exceed that of 9 .33 cal 00 pellets. Admittedly it won’t pattern as well as a flight control round, but the longest shot I could possibly take inside my house is less than 15 yds.
