Beretta 1301 With Crom and RMR: Patterning Federal Flite Control and Slugs

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

I installed my Crom mount (with Haught mod) and a 6.5 MOA RMR I got for cheap. I got it zeroed at 50 Yards with Ranger Low Recoil Slugs and it patterned perfectly at 30 feet and still sub paper plate and dead on at 25 yards. This thing is DEFINITELY my favorite shotgun ever (finally, my old 870 has slipped to second). I actually had a previous version of this shotgun about 10 years ago and a benelli super 90 but this thing is amazing. Not only is it super fast, if feeds everything from fancy Buckshot to Wal Mart garbage gauge.

Be forewarned. I probably should edit this down but I am too lazy tonight. LOL

[gaijin]

Good for you. Shooting a hard recoiling long arm from bench or prone is NOT enjoyable.
At least your Beretta is a gas gun.

My 1301 shoots the 00 Flight Control best with an IC choke. I was surprised how tight it was at 25 yds. Rio garbage 00 Buck was 5X the spread at same distance.

[B Cart]

Love my 1301, and mine also like the Federal Flight Control 00 loads. Beretta hit it out of the park with these shotguns.

[Pappabear]

My buddy juts bought one of these 1301's and they are supposed to be very nice. That Federal Flight control is good stuff.

PB

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

Good for you. Shooting a hard recoiling long arm from bench or prone is NOT enjoyable.
At least your Beretta is a gas gun.

My 1301 shoots the 00 Flight Control best with an IC choke. I was surprised how tight it was at 25 yds. Rio garbage 00 Buck was 5X the spread at same distance.

I actually just fired 5 shots of Rio 00 Buck "reduced recoil" and I can confirm it is nowhere near as good as the flite control. At 30 foot it took up the whole bottom half of the paper plate. Not quite 5x, but much worse. Still wouldn't want to get shot at with it, and it was cheap as hell.

[Ron3]

I actually just fired 5 shots of Rio 00 Buck "reduced recoil" and I can confirm it is nowhere near as good as the flite control. At 30 foot it took up the whole bottom half of the paper plate. Not quite 5x, but much worse. Still wouldn't want to get shot at with it, and it was cheap as hell.

It didn't feel "low recoil" to me.

Seemed like regular ol' buckshot with "low recoil" on the box.

[gaijin]

^^Same experience with Rio “Low Recoil”.

And at 25 yds I had 2 pellets completely off a full size IPSC target.
The flight control load was 7” to 8” at that distance with same choke (IC).

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

It didn't feel "low recoil" to me.

Seemed like regular ol' buckshot with "low recoil" on the box.

LOL. Totally agree.

[WS6]

My only critique is that you should fire at least 5 shot groups, better yet 10, to get an idea of what's actually going on. I have ALSO discovered that shotguns need muscle. You do not gently squeeze the trigger while stabilizing the gun. You deliberately pull the trigger while holding the gun like you're trying to give a bobcat a pill. This is because shotguns have low velocity ammunition, and long (relatively) barrels. They will actually move about 1/2" during the time the slug is in the barrel, under recoil. Muscle the gun hard, and it will be more consistent and shoot tighter groups by a notable amount. This is part of why I prefer to zero a shotgun while standing, holding it aggressively, at 50 yards. This will allow the most consistent compromise for a zero that will be as close as possible across all shooting positions.

[Ron3]

I will start a new thread if there is not a simple answer to this. I see a lot of talk of reduced recoil and very tight buckshot patterning. If extra tight patterns are desired why not use slugs, or a rifle? If full power 12 gauge shells are undesirable why not use a 20 gauge, or a gun modified for 12ga mini shells for extra capacity? I am not a shotgunner and I am not questioning the choices of those who are. I just want to understand.

It's a good question.

The "problem" with standard shells is the pellets can strike less vital, peripheral areas of the target or miss completely beyond about 15 yds.

IMO that performance is fine for in the home self defense but some may disagree.

Firing at ranges beyond that starts getting irresponsible when you know some of your pellets will miss. If your backstop is a feild or woods or something very solid fine but if not or unknown you could be liable in many ways for those stray pellets.

Tight patterns help reduce this.

Slugs work to, you're right. But then you have a hard kicking not very accurate "rifle". May as well use an actual rifle. "Just because you can do a thing..."

I like using low-recoil slugs for shotgun practice because I can really see the center of where I aimed and they tear up targets much less.