Ammo Question

Tactical, combat, military, law enforcement and home defense use of a Remington 870 shotgun.
Mt_Walt
Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:48 pm

Ammo Question

Post by Mt_Walt » Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:56 pm

I am a new 870 owner and wanted to see what everyone suggests for home defense ammo. I have 00 buckshot in it now, and have a box of slugs handy. I am considering changing to a buck, slug, buck, slug, buck set, but wanted some opinions on that.

Does anyone have a suggestion on a good buttstock extra shell pouch?

Thanks!

User avatar
Banshee
Guru Shotgunner
Posts: 400
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:35 pm
Location: Lost State of Franklin

Re: Ammo Question

Post by Banshee » Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:46 am

Mine is loaded with Federal LE127 00buck
The devil danced as he went down, in the hail of arrows comin' Out on the wild Montana ground, Custer died a-runnin'.

Mt_Walt
Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:48 pm

Re: Ammo Question

Post by Mt_Walt » Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:33 pm

Do you ever have jams, etc?

User avatar
Synchronizor
Elite Shotgunner
Posts: 3022
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 8:04 am
Location: The Inland Northwest
Contact:

Re: Ammo Question

Post by Synchronizor » Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:13 pm

You're never going to keep track of alternating shells in an actual life-or-death shooting. Stick with one load that best suits your application. For HD, that's almost always buckshot. Slugs can be useful if you think you might need to reach out further; but that's something you can keep handy and switch to if needed.

00 buckshot works, but I think there are benefits to smaller buckshot sizes like #1B and #4B for a lot of HD situations. Higher pellet counts mean more wound channels and a greater chance of hitting something really critical in a bad guy, and the reduced range and penetration isn't as big of a trade-off in close-range, unobstructed/lightly-obstructed shots.

faustus
Shotgunner
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 11:24 pm

Re: Ammo Question

Post by faustus » Wed Oct 25, 2017 11:02 pm

What about a hand loaded buck'n ball load .... you get a slug and buckshot in one round ..... :D
No need to alternate ..... :D

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... Once-again

Image

DaveC
Addict Shotgunner
Posts: 306
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 1:53 pm

Re: Ammo Question

Post by DaveC » Thu Oct 26, 2017 11:36 am

Don't know about the particulars of your environment.

In my case, living in a city with lots of foot traffic and a parking lot outside my window, I have four Federal 2-3/4" No. 4 buckshot shells in the tube, and an additional four in the side-saddle ammo carrier on the receiver.

My other 12-gauge, an S&W/Howa 3000 is loaded with Remington No. 1 buck.

I do have a lot of 00 buck on hand, much of it the low-recoil variety.

I'd counsel that you pattern the gun with the particular ammunition you intend to use after your assessment of your particular perceived threat.
Also, get some inert "snap caps" so you can do various drills and so on.

If I thought I might need a slug, I'd probably try to find an ammo carrier for the belt of some kind that I could put in the waistband or whatever, and practice switch-to-slug drills. Synchronizor had a pretty efficient method for doing that posted hereabouts on another thread.
Alle Kunst ist umsonst, wenn ein Engel in das Zündloch prunst.

Mt_Walt
Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:48 pm

Re: Ammo Question

Post by Mt_Walt » Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:30 pm

Synchronizor wrote:
Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:13 pm
You're never going to keep track of alternating shells in an actual life-or-death shooting. Stick with one load that best suits your application. For HD, that's almost always buckshot. Slugs can be useful if you think you might need to reach out further; but that's something you can keep handy and switch to if needed.

00 buckshot works, but I think there are benefits to smaller buckshot sizes like #1B and #4B for a lot of HD situations. Higher pellet counts mean more wound channels and a greater chance of hitting something really critical in a bad guy, and the reduced range and penetration isn't as big of a trade-off in close-range, unobstructed/lightly-obstructed shots.
Good thoughts! Thanks

User avatar
Banshee
Guru Shotgunner
Posts: 400
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:35 pm
Location: Lost State of Franklin

Re: Ammo Question

Post by Banshee » Sat Oct 28, 2017 1:46 pm

Mt_Walt wrote:
Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:33 pm
Do you ever have jams, etc?
nothing that i didn't create
The devil danced as he went down, in the hail of arrows comin' Out on the wild Montana ground, Custer died a-runnin'.

User avatar
John A.
Super Shotgunner
Posts: 152
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:57 pm

Re: Ammo Question

Post by John A. » Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:42 pm

Personally, I tend to keep the slugs on standby for large dangerous game. Bears, big cats, etc.

For HD, I typically use 00 or 000 Buckshot that I handload, and I do so at slightly reduced velocity at around 1150-1200 fps territory.

For most, HD distances are well within 35 feet, and down to only a few feet away. That's plenty of power still hitting the bad guy, is easier for you to do a followup shot (if necessary), is more user friendly for smaller adults and the women in our lives, slightly less over-penetration. In short, I think there are more advantages than disadvantages.

Most commercial manufacturers call them reduced recoil or managed recoil loads.

I really don't feel that anyone is going to walk away from being hit with every, or nearly all 9 pellets of 00Buck at 1175 fps. That's going to shut down the central nervous system of even drug crazed assailants at close distances and would be like getting hit with eight or nine 357 mag bullets simultaneously.

I do not want to fathom firing a full house slug in my hallway, stairs or within a bathroom or bedroom closet or something. That would even be disorientating to you.
When people ignorant of guns make gun laws, you have ignorant gun laws.
-John A.

DaveC
Addict Shotgunner
Posts: 306
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 1:53 pm

Re: Ammo Question

Post by DaveC » Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:30 pm

John A. wrote:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:42 pm
That's going to shut down the central nervous system of even drug crazed assailants at close distances and would be like getting hit with eight or nine 357 mag bullets simultaneously.
Not exactly... While shotgun buckshot at close range does put paid to any and all "stopping power" debates, the round lead shot pellets are not directly analogous to rifled handgun bullets. A .357 magnum bullet can be anywhere from 110gr to 158gr, and the JHP can be pretty much any shape since it does not depend on a feed ramp to chamber. The 00 buck pellet is about 54 grains each, so the total load of a typical 2-3/4" shell is 9x54 grains, or something on the order of 480 grains. Devastating, certainly, and the saturation and separate wound tracks of each pellet... Well, let's just say it would be very, very grim.
The 000 pellet would be about .36 cal. and 70 grains each, 560 grains of lead.

My HD load of No. 4 buck might be thought of as 27 .22 shorts. The trade-off is that one is legally liable for every projectile, and there are more pellets by far in the No. 4 buck load, but they will not penetrate nearly as much as the "aught" buckshot sizes. If I thought I'd be around a lot of automobiles and so on, the 00 option would exert a great appeal. But there are those who argue for No. 1 buck (16x.30 cal. pellets @ 40 grains apiece) as being an "ideal" defensive load. My defensive shotgun instructor basically was of the opinion to use 000 buck, and 00 if that couldn't be found.
Alle Kunst ist umsonst, wenn ein Engel in das Zündloch prunst.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests