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Favorite Ammo?

9833 Views 41 Replies 27 Participants Last post by  Blitzkrieg
What's your favorite Shotgun ammo for hunting, skeet and home defense?
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Federal 00 buck with FliteControl reside in my 870. For home defense.
Federal #6 high brass or Remington #6 high brass.
Hunting...well, that would depend on what, now, wouldn't it?

General, around the farm pest control--whatever's cheapest--Fed, Win, Rem #6, 7 1/2 or 8 shot. Good for pigeons, or any other vermin--furred or feathered. Use them on clays, as well.

Pheasant--a good #4 or #5, 2-3/4 high-brass field load. Been using Winchester Super-X the past few years, works good; can't justify the extra cost for Prairie Storm or any other "premium" loads.

Deer--2-3/4, 1 oz slug. Fed, Rem, Win, Wolf, Brenneke...whatever I got cheap last year on sale after the end of season. Out of a 28", smoothbore barrel, offhand (like it will be in the field)...same practical accuracy as $2/per sabots out of a much heavier, rifled barrel.

Defense--low recoil 00. I've gotten good patterns with Federal Flightcontrol, and Winchester Ranger.
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12 Gauge DDupleks 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz Expanding Shotgun Ammo <--- Hunt <--- Dirty but it packs a WALLUP! Some Slugs will go thru a hog.. these for the most part stay in. Bernake is GREAT! if you want to drill a hole.. but if you want all the energy going into the animal, then I say give these a try. Besides! its support a Commie Day! didnt chya know?

12 Gauge NobelSport LE 2 3/4 12 pellet 00 Buckshot <---- Zombies?

12 Ga. Federal Ultra-Shok 3" 1 1/8oz. "#T" HV Steel Shot <---- Home
For Trap I've loaded 1-1/8th ounce of #8's in a WW-AA12 wad, or the Claybuster equivalent over 17.5 grains of Clays powder in either a Winchester AA, or Remington STS case. That's right around 1,150 FPS, and is a legal ATA load. For home defense I go with both Federal 3" 000 Buck, or else 3" 1 ounce Foster Type slugs. Recently I tried some Estate, (Federal), 2 3/4" #4 Buck and it also performed favorably.
I seem to have the best luck with this:

FEDERAL 12 GA TOPGUN AMMUNITION - Brownells

Plus the shells are Red, White, and Blue. Makes you feel patriotic too!
Favorite loads

Fro defense, Federall LE 133 12 guage. Trap and skeet, Winchester AA. As for hunting any good slug.
Where we live (in the boonies) the one gun shop and the two hardware stores carry Winchester and Remington brands.
I don't hunt, but for general farm use it's Winchester #4 or #6 shot.
My defense gun is loaded with Winchester 2 3/4" OO buck.
For woods walking it's a two trigger SXS double loaded with #6 birdshot in one pipe and #4 buck in the other. Couple that with a single action revolver in 45 Colt and it don't get much better for spending some quiet time in the pines.:)
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:eek:
What's your favorite Shotgun ammo for hunting, skeet and home defense?
You're trying a little hard to start a discussion. Ammo choices have a huge variance depending on what the intended target might be. I can't even start to answer this question until its narrowed. Nice launch on the Forum though.
I agree with Snakedriver about hunting ammo. For the house I load my 870 with Remington #8 shot low-recoil handicap Nitro 27.At 15 feet , it'll do.
Home defense---- Federal, Winchester, or Remington 00 buck 2 3/4". Clays---- low brass 7 1/2 or whatever is on sale. Hunting----- depends on what. Small game including birds--- 6,7,71/2, or 8. Always shot deer with rifles. Hogs--- used to use sabot slugs in my rifled slug barrel. Have shot some of the Dupleks slugs. Awesome energy in those. Mainly hunt hog now with .44 mag lever gun.
For HD I have Remington 15 pellet 00, for hunting #4 or #6.
These look like fun :)

What the heck are they?
What the heck are they?
Something you want to avoid being shot with... :eek:
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I just got a good deal at a local shop on some low recoil Rio Royal 00 buck. I got it for the wife, but after shooting a few boxes, I really like it. It patterns well out of my 18 inch barrel and is pretty clean.
I may have to go buy him out, can never have too much buckshot!
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Lately I've been partial to 3" Nitro Turkey in the Wingmaster as it has that old "don't feed me cheap ammo or I'll lock up tighter than a frog's @$$". Nitro seems to have enough charge to it for the pump to consistently run and the shells don't swell and lock the breech shut.

Been looking at making my own loads, but, at this point haven't gotten any further than mounting the presses to my bench.
When I'm feeling flush Hevi-Shot is my favorite duck load....but flush dosent happen much so most of the time for waterfowl anyway its Hevi- Steel.

For uplands one can not beat the federal high velocity (1500 fps I think) any size from 4 to 7 1/2.

Dont use a shotgun for HD.
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