Best 12 gauge ammo?

[Smitty908]

18.5" bbl.....6 round tube full of Brennekke "Black Magic" 3 inch magnum 1-3/8 ounce slugs....one in the chamber......five more in the side saddle.

I don't choose weapons for psychological effect. That is a dangerous game best left to posturing armies... IMHO....

--------^ +1 I have racked the action on my pump multiple times with friends in the room, and no one lost control of their bowels or fell down sobbing like a schoolgirl.

The point is to stop a threat to my family and home. Guess what stops a threat?....BIG holes. My neighbors aren't that close to me anyway....and all our houses are brick, so I don't have the penetration issue.....also no kids in the house....so if someone in another room gets hit....good. It wasn't my wife or me. And that means they weren't supposed to be there. Just my .02....

-Tim

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[dr_cmg]

I have racked the action on my pump multiple times with friends in the room, and no one lost control of their bowels or fell down sobbing like a schoolgirl.

I don't choose weapons for psychological effect either, nor do rack a pump in the room with friends and expect them to react like the BG would. I did recently experience something a bit more realistic. At a pretty noisy gun show a dealer answered a customers question as to whether there really was any psychological effect to the racking of a 12 ga. pump by clipping the tie wrap on a Remington 870. Then without saying a word he raked it. "No one lost control of their bowels or fell down sobbing like a schoolgirl" there either, but there was moment of silence observed involuntarily. I won't say you could here a pin drop, but you could hear the air being let out of a multitude of lungs when nothing followed the rack.

Back on the subject, I have #4 Buck in my Mossberg Maverick, to be followed by whatever I deem necessary. From .308 to .45 to 10mm on down depending on the need of the moment.

[DizTbone]

Say, George...that kinda reminds me of a gun show in the late '80's that was held in a shopping mall near here. My friends and I were looking at novel and new-to-us gizmo called a laser sight... You should have seen people bob-and-weave down the way when they saw that red dot appear on their person!!!!

Michael

A Good Winter Evening == Hot Soup + Hot Tea

It's a Good Winter Evening.

[Superhouse 15]

Most good ammo seems like it penetrates too much in building materials. Try:
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/theboxotruth.htm
My house shotgun is a Mossberg .410HD, the only one my girlfriend likes. Has 00 buck in it, but I have a planned field of fire for it. Don't plan on leaving the bedroom with it and have a bit of furniture set up for cover. If I had a bigger gun for that purpose, I'd probably use big birdshot. 4 at least, maybe 2 if I could find it. I still have a few boxes of Federal Personal Defense 12 gauge #2 loads and Remington Duplex loads that are 2 and 6 shot if memory serves. I'm a paramedic and I don't have a problem with birdshot at close range.

[Chorizo]

00 buck penetrates less (8 boards) than standard 9mm or 45 acp rounds (all 12 boards). Again, over penetration is a myth. Leasons learned from Box of Truth:

The Box O' Truth #3 - The Shotgun Meets the Box O' Truth -
Lessons learned:
1. Notice that the #4 and #1 Buck penetrated 6 boards. In previous tests, 9mm, .45 ACP, and M-193 out of an AR all penetrated all 12 boards. So, it seems that these loads do not "over-penetrate" as much as some have led us to believe.

The 00 Buck penetrated 8 boards, but was stopped by the 9th. Still not as much penetration as the pistol or rifle loads.

Oh, as for using #4 for defensive rounds, this is what the box of truth had to say:
In fact, tests have shown that even #4 Buckshot lacks the necessary penetration to reach the vital organs. Only 0 Buck, 00 Buck, and 000 Buck penetrate enough to reach the vital organs.

Unless you expect to be attacked by little birds, do not use birdshot. Use 00 Buck. It will do the job.

[pgrass101]

Speaking of psychological effect

I once heard the sound of a pump shotgun racking in a round described as a "Universal Language"

Everyone knows what that means.

[Geezer]

You might consider getting a five-pack of your top choices, and patterning them. Go with what the gun likes.

[SIXTO]

You might consider getting a five-pack of your top choices, and patterning them. Go with what the gun likes.

Thats not a bad idea...

Why is it that 12ga over penetration is always asked and debated about, but nobody seems to think there .40 is going to leave the house?

[DizTbone]

Good question, Sixto...

I guess I'll think about .40 penetration when I get another wep to match that can full of ammo...

OTOH, I do think about where the .45, 9mm, and 38spl might go... I really do like the folks who live on either side of us.

Michael

[Colin]

I have fiochi Tactical loads in 2 3/4" 00 for mine, sounds cool, but all it means is that the charge is reduced from the hunting load. I worry about missed shot hurting the people next door.

[mswdawg]

found this to be helpful,

The Firearms Tactical Institute reports;
"Number 1 buck is the smallest diameter shot that reliably and consistently penetrates more than 12 inches of standard ordnance gelatin when fired at typical shotgun engagement distances. A standard 2 ¾-inch 12 gauge shotshell contains 16 pellets of #1 buck. The total combined cross sectional area of the 16 pellets is 1.13 square inches. Compared to the total combined cross sectional area of the nine pellets in a standard #00 (double-aught) buck shotshell (0.77 square inches), the # 1 buck shotshell has the capacity to produce over 30 percent more potentially effective wound trauma. In all shotshell loads, number 1 buckshot produces more potentially effective wound trauma than either #00 or #000 buck. In addition, number 1 buck is less likely to over-penetrate and exit an attacker's body."

An Indepth Guide to 12 Gauge Shotgun Ammunition

[Mikemgb]

My pump is loaded with Winchester PDX, a 1oz slug with 3 00 buck pellets on top of it, I want something that will do its job. I have no kids in the house and the external walls are brick so over penetration is not an issue.

[aus71383]

Wow.

This thread is almost 6 years old. Another week and it would have made it. A nice, peaceful death of old age. But instead....

Everything patterns differently out of different guns, some people like less penetration for whatever reason. But....1 buck, or 0 buck, is generally best. Something between 4 buck and 000 buck is good - as are slugs.

Austin

[Mikemgb]

Wow.

This thread is almost 6 years old. Another week and it would have made it. A nice, peaceful death of old age. But instead....

Everything patterns differently out of different guns, some people like less penetration for whatever reason. But....1 buck, or 0 buck, is generally best. Something between 4 buck and 000 buck is good - as are slugs.

Austin

Whoops! I didn't notice the age of the thread.

[Brad426]

Whoops! I didn't notice the age of the thread.

If it's relevant it's relevant. If you had posted a new thread somebody would have referred you to the search feature, so shake it off.