12 Gauge Buckshot and Slugs...

[Glock17JHP]

I am betting that your testing, like mine, dispelled a lot of the myth that buckshot and slugs (excluding Breneke, etc.) are great penetrators of cover. I have found OO buckshot penetration to be inferior to almost any handgun round tested by me from 9mm 147gr to .45ACP JHP's in hard targets.

I have found in previous testing that most any 1-ounce 'Foster' slug will penetrate barriers fine... almost as good as the Brennekes, in fact!!! However, in tissue/gelatin, the Brennekes penetrate deeper.

I tested 4 different 9mm 147 grain HP's against the car door, and all 4 penetrated all the way through with no trouble. I did not have them go into gelatin after the door, though. However, the door does have 2 layers...

BTW, what do all of you think of Federal's 'Flight Control' Buckshot loads? I would NOT want them for home defense.

[JimmyB62]

Pics of various shot/buck/slug into Gel

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/view...p?f=7&t=109958

Isn't that link to tacticalshotgun.ca the one in which the gel calibration/testing procedures were suspect and thus the data unreliable?

[Storydude]

It may have been. I just liked the pretty pictures.



Mirrors my thoughts on shotguns.

Birdshot for little birdies
Buckshot for people sized predators
Slugs for livestock sized animals.

Beyond 35 yards, drop the scattergun and grab a rifle.

[WS6]

It may have been. I just liked the pretty pictures.



Mirrors my thoughts on shotguns.

Birdshot for little birdies
Buckshot for people sized predators
Slugs for livestock sized animals.

Beyond 35 yards, drop the scattergun and grab a rifle.

I agree with everything but the 35 yard sentiment. I am still getting 70-90%+ patterns on 14x16" targets with OOO buck and a MOD choke at that distance, not to mention slugs can reach out to 100 yards with ease after a bit of practice.

[RWK]

BTW, what do all of you think of Federal's 'Flight Control' Buckshot loads?

The reduced recoil 9-pellet load is outstanding. The full power 9-pellet loads exhibit a donut pattern at 20+ yds from my 870P.

I would NOT want them for home defense.

And why not?

[WS6]

The reduced recoil 9-pellet load is outstanding. The full power 9-pellet loads exhibit a donut pattern at 20+ yds from my 870P.



And why not?

Very similar to what I observed with Hornady and their version of the FC wad. At 15 yards it produced patterns the size of my fist. At 20 yards, a few stray pellets hit the 14x16" paper.

I don't know if it was a donut pattern or not, but it was a piss poor pattern whatever it was. Had the target been larger maybe I would have been able to tell.

Still, a 00 pellet at 1600FPS sounded cool, so I bought some.

[Storydude]

I agree with everything but the 35 yard sentiment. I am still getting 70-90%+ patterns on 14x16" targets with OOO buck and a MOD choke at that distance, not to mention slugs can reach out to 100 yards with ease after a bit of practice.

Mod choke helps. Greatly.

My Cyl bore is really opening up at that range.

[RWK]

Very similar to what I observed with Hornady and their version of the FC wad. At 15 yards it produced patterns the size of my fist. At 20 yards, a few stray pellets hit the 14x16" paper.

IIRC, Hornady licensed the FliteControl wad from Federal for their TAP brand. The Hornady and Federal loads pattern identically.

I don't know if it was a donut pattern or not, but it was a piss poor pattern whatever it was. Had the target been larger maybe I would have been able to tell.

The "donut" pattern is a dispersion of pellets away from the center of the pattern -- resulting in only a few pellets in the center of the pattern. The size of the patterns are very similar between the full power and the reduced recoil loads. The reduced recoil loads have a very uniform spread within their pattern, though.

[WS6]

IIRC, Hornady licensed the FliteControl wad from Federal for their TAP brand. The Hornady and Federal loads pattern identically.



The "donut" pattern is a dispersion of pellets away from the center of the pattern -- resulting in only a few pellets in the center of the pattern. The size of the patterns are very similar between the full power and the reduced recoil loads. The reduced recoil loads have a very uniform spread within their pattern, though.

I am familiar with donut pattern, but with so few pellets on my target, it was impossible for me to say if it was a donut pattern with a huge hole, or just a total crap pattern. I think it was just total junk. Out to 15 yards it performed as it should though! A few yards apst that, and a lucky hit or 2 on the 14x16 was all I saw.

[Glock17JHP]

Pics of various shot/buck/slug into Gel

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/view...p?f=7&t=109958

I don't trust the data shown... one example is the #4 Buckshot (Federal) that supposedly went 14.5 inches in gelatin (was it properly calibrated?).
#4 Buckshot typically penetrates less than 12 inches...