Selecting the Right 12-Gauge Ammo

Shotguns are one of the most versatile firearms. The 12-gauge is the most popular gun in this category. It’s used for hunting, home defense, and recreation nine times out of 10. The wide range of 12-gauge ammunition available today is a blessing and curse. There’s likely to be a load that suits your needs, no matter how specific. How do you choose from the hundreds of options available? The shells required by a dove hunter are different from those used by LEOs to break into doors. It can also pose a danger to yourself and others. One wouldn’t try to stop a home invasion with birdshot and the other with buckshot. The latter may result in a more aggressive intruder and a puff of red and feathers. Because shotguns can fire so many different projectiles, they are only as versatile. It is important to choose the right 12-gauge ammunition based on the gun’s physical characteristics. Other factors, such as local laws and regulations, also play a role. California, for example, requires that lead-free ammunition is used for hunting because of environmental concerns. California law requires that hunters use lead-free ammunition when hunting. There are many 12-gauge ammunition options that will work for you. It is important to know how to choose the right 12-gauge ammunition for your hunting needs. The best way to kill birds and varmints is to use birdshot. Medium to large game can be killed with buckshot or slugs. While the two types of loads are both good for self-defense, they achieve their performance in very different ways.BuckshotBuckshot loadings create dynamic wound channels and energy transfer by firing multiple pellets. Buckshot pellets are smaller than birdshot, but they are much larger in diameter. For example, 2 3/4-inch shells of 00 bucks are usually loaded with eight.330 inch projectiles. Each shot weighs 54 grains. This makes each projectile approximately equal to a.32 ACP cartridge in terms of weight and caliber. Screenshot from a Brassfetcher video demonstrating 12-gauge buckshot performance using ballistic gelatin. The projectiles in this image are still in motion. However, there may be more pellets than usual when multiple projectiles play in buckshot. Buckhot patterns are generally very tight within a range of 30 yards. Certain loadings have wad technology and plated pellets that help to keep the pattern tight during flight. A barrel’s choke can also influence the tightness of buckshot projectiles. Buckshot is a great weapon for self-defense. Each projectile will create its own dynamic wound channels upon impact, transferring energy in a high level. This results in a higher velocity than buckshot, and a greater effective range. While this is true in home defense, it is unlikely that one would need to fire at long ranges. The benefit of slugs’ higher velocity is evident in their effect on the target and in their fight-stopping abilities. Slugs have a high velocity and powerful terminal ballistics. Another advantage to slugs is that you are only responsible one projectile, as opposed to multiple. Screenshot taken from a Brassfetcher video. This image shows the projectile in motion. This is important to remember when choosing home defense 12-gauge ammunition. You are legally and morally responsible each projectile you send out. Bullets can behave in strange ways, and 00 bucks provides eight to nine times more chances that one of those lead balls will end up where it shouldn’t. This is why you are legally and morally responsible for every projectile that you send out the barrel. It doesn’t matter what 12-gauge ammunition you choose, it is important to practice and become familiar with how your firearm behaves with it. This includes the effects chokes and bore tightness have upon the patterning of projectiles. Many shotguns have barrels that can accommodate multiple chokes. This allows the user to adjust the gun to suit their needs. Other shotguns, especially base-model defensive shotguns, have bores that are set to a specific choke size. A Mossberg 590A1 has a fixed-cylinder bore, while a Benelli Montfeltro has a Crio improved, modified and full chokes. The result is a spread size for various 12-gauge ammunition. You can also influence the patterns by changing the choke. There are many chokes available on the market, some for common and some for specialized purposes. There are four types of chokes that you will see when shopping for a shotgun: cylinder, modified cylinder, full choke, and cylinder. The bore diameter is not restricted in any way so a cylinder choke will produce the best dispersion. An improved cylinder choke tightens a bore to produce a tighter pattern than a standard cylinder bore. Full chokes have the smallest bore diameter. This allows for projectiles to maintain a concentrated pattern during flight. Modified chokes provide a middle ground between full chokes and improved cylinders. This allows projectiles to maintain a tight pattern during flight. The most common 12-gauge shell size is 2 3/4 inches, but you can also find 3-inch and 3 1/2-inch shells. The larger the shell size, the more powerful it can be. A standard 2.75-inch 12-gauge Shell (left) and a 3-inch 12-gauge Shell (right). Photo: Wikipedia. Most 12-gauge shotguns have a minimum of a 3-inch chamber. However, it is a good idea to double-check before you try to load any larger than a standard 2 3/4-inch shell. A shotgun that can fire 3 1/2-inch shells will need to be found. It may be worth looking for the best 12-gauge ammunition for a specific purpose, such as self defense in grizzly country. There are ten rounds in each box. Most people can fill their gun’s magazine with these rounds and still have enough shells to either pattern or to throw in a side-saddle. This loading uses Hornady’s Versatite wad technology. It helps to send a consistent pattern down range. This Critical Defense option works in both semi-automatic and pump action shotguns. This load is reliable in autoloading shotguns like the Beretta 1301 or Benelli M4, making it a good choice for home defense. The FLITECONTROL wad provides tight patterns that allow for the efficient use of this load by short-barreled shotguns. The projectiles are plated with copper, which allows for a tight spread. This load combines the best 12-gauge self defense ammo with a single package. The 00 Buck projectiles provide some insurance when it comes down to hitting your target. The 00 Buck projectiles will provide effective fight-stopping capabilities at both close and extended shotgun ranges. The load can penetrate beyond 50 yards, which allows hunters to effectively dispatch upland game further away. Shot-Lok technology helps to keep the pattern in flight, enhancing the load’s extended range. This Winchester offering is a great choice if you are looking for a reliable upland hunting load. Federal’s FLITECONTROL FLEX wad helps projectiles fly in a consistent and tight pattern when used with standard or ported waterfowl chops. This Black Cloud loading’s payload is 40 percent FLITESTOPPER and 60 percent premium steel pellets. This combination of pellets increases the lethality and creates a dense pattern. The Remington American Clay & Field load is versatile enough to suit the needs of a wide range of shooters. This load is ideal for recreational shooting and vaporizing sporting clays. This Remington load is an option if you need birdshot for field usage. This Remington load is suitable for all types of shooting, including field use. It contains 25 rounds with consistent patterning and velocity. Granulated polymer is used to pack the case to prevent the pellets from deforming during flight. It also ensures that the pattern remains tight as it moves downrange. This Remington magnum load is a great choice for medium game. This load is designed to be used with rifled shotgun barrels. Federal claims that this load can achieve sub-4-inch groups at 200 yds when fired through a rifled barrel. The projectile’s sabot properties and the velocity of the load make it a precise and hard-hitting load. This load is ideal for hunters who plan to use a rifled shotgun to hunt a variety medium-sized and larger game over extended distances. These Hornady slugs come with a 325-grain InterLock projectile. It is a hollow-point, serrated projectile. This allows for consistent expansion and a good effect on target. This load’s projectile also benefits from a high velocity because it has a compression-style wad. Hornady claims this 1,600 fps slug is capable of a range of 200 yards or greater, making it an attractive option for long-range shotgun hunting. This load is a good choice for whitetail hunting, as the round’s branding indicates. Shotshell Length 2 3/4 InchesVelocity 1 600 fpsShot Size 1 Ozce SlugShells per Box: 5Draw A bead on shotguns. Next Step: Download your Storm Tactical Printable Target pack62 Printable MOA Targets with Drills – Rifle range in YARDSThis amazing target pack is from Storm Tactical and contains62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range usage. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. This is a great option for long-range shooting. Enter your email address below.