thoughts on minishells

[sigstroker]

What they're for is something like the Shockwave, that has a 4 shell tube.

[crufflers]

What they're for is something like the Shockwave, that has a 4 shell tube.

Anything that would feed them really... 8-shot tube is more like 12-13 right?

Anyone try the Federal version? Supposedly more affordable.

They have #4, #8, HP SLUG.

SH129 4B, SH129 8, SH129 RS

https://www.federalpremium.com/shotshell/federal-target/shorty-shotshell/

[plumbum]

Personally I really like mini shells. I got hooked on the idea from the Centurion 2 1/4" shells that are loaded with 6 pellets of '00' buck. Would they be enough in a normal house? Yes, from what I have seen down range, and I get an extra round in the magazine, even in my Stevens that only holds 5 "normal" shells.
I got the OpSol for my Maverick 88 Security, and it holds like 13 of the minis - cycles them just fine. If I really wanted to burn some money I'd get the new 590S and just be happy with heaps of the little mini buckshot loads.

[sigstroker]

Anything that would feed them really... 8-shot tube is more like 12-13 right?

I suppose, but tbh I'm just loading 8 shells into my 8 shot tube.

[nickrdz]

One pro for me is I get two shots in my side by side shotguns!

The con is I only get two shots in my side by side shotguns

�� Haha

[eaglemike]

I know 1100's are not the current cool gun, but we were running shorties back when 3 gun was getting started. It's been a long time, but I think they were 2 1/4. I don't remember any issues once the load was worked out.
More fun and lots cheaper to roll your own, also riskier if one isn't careful and experienced.
Good luck!

[crufflers]

I suppose, but tbh I'm just loading 8 shells into my 8 shot tube.

Yeah... I load regular shells too. Probably have one box of mini-slugs left. Nothing I own feeds them AFAIK. I've loaded them one at a time and blasted stuff years ago in a 500, but I have cans of regular slugs. I'm not obsessing over hicap shotguns these days either, but I want a Beretta 1301.

[sigstroker]

I know 1100's are not the current cool gun, but we were running shorties back when 3 gun was getting started. It's been a long time, but I think they were 2 1/4. I don't remember any issues once the load was worked out.
More fun and lots cheaper to roll your own, also riskier if one isn't careful and experienced.
Good luck!

Super long tubes were made somewhat obsolete by limiting shooters to 3 shells in the tube at the start. They made you load loose shells so the speedloader tubes disappeared too. The box mag guns also don't show up. Not all the restrictive rules are always in place, but they often are.

[Angrysnarf]

I have a few boxes but never tried

[SandHill]

I've played around with the Aguila mini shells in a Winchester Defender and 1300. They cycle fine. I would not use Aguila for home defense due to reports I have see of hard primers failing to ignite. I haven not personally experienced this, but why take a chance?

I currently load Federal No. 1 Buck with Flite Control wad for HD. 100% confident in that load. Lots of experts recommend No. 1 buck over 00 in the belief that 15 holes > 9 holes. I find that logic persuasive. This round was never easy to find, even pre-panic, and I'm nto sure if it is still being produced.

I would not hesitate to use No. 4 Buck for HD. The Federal Shorties load 15 No. 4 pellets and I would be comfortable using those for HD. Getting 11 of them into the Defender tube would be pretty cool. I managed to buy some of these during the pandemic but have not tested in my shotgun yet. Toying with the idea of making them the HD round due to extra capacity, but think I will wait until supplies are more readily availabe so I can test lots of rounds first.

[FalconLair]

**SHOOTING UPDATE**

took my Maverick 88 to a little spot i like to shoot at near the Dry Lake and shot 100 rounds of the Aguila Minishells - i have a OPSol adapter that i used in the Maverick

i shot 20 rounds of 1-3/4" Mini-slug shells with no FTF and no cycling issues - fed perfectly

i shot 20 rounds of #4 Mini-buck shot, not #4 birdshot, with no FTF and no cycling issues - once again it fed perfectly - the #4 buck is loaded with 7 pellets versus the 11 you find in a 2-3/4" shell

i shot 40 rounds of 7-1/2 Mini birdshot, all rounds cycled with no problem and there were no FTF's with the rounds - one cartridge didn't eject all the way but i think that was on my end, didn't cycle it good, kind of a soft cycle

i finished up with #00 Mini buckshot loads and all rounds cycled with no problem and no FTF's - i believe the #00 is loaded with 2 different sized pellets, 4 of the #00 sized and 7 smaller pellets

the first thing i noticed was the difference in recoil - i won't be nursing a sore shoulder tomorrow (hopefully), even the buckshot rounds had much less recoil - going out to the desert to shoot these shells was a joy to fire out of my shotgun - obviously the fps is less depending on the cartridge but that wouldn't stop me from using these mini rounds

i did use the OPSol adapter and that thing isn't going anywhere - it fits really snugly i did a cycling test 100 times and that attachment kept it's fit and never budged - for the Maverick 88 you need that adapter or you're guaranteed to have cycling issues - there are shotguns that will cycle the rounds without need for the adapter, i believe the Remington 870 is one of them

personally i can't really see a reason why these shells shouldn't be used as HD rounds - i would definitely use the #4 and #00 buck shells in a HD situation at my house

i enjoyed going out and shooting those shells today and im going to be ordering some more to keep in my safe - i have 2 Mavericks 88's so i'll probably keep the OPSol adapter in one and leave the other as is

i'd 100% recommend these minishells when you want to just go out and have a nice time shooting your shotgun - more rounds in the chamber, (my shotgun is 5+1 and 8+1 minishells) and less kick

i think use for HD is a personal preference but i wouldn't see a problem if it came down to it - im more of a handgun HD guy versus sporting a shotgun but it doesn't mean i won't YMMV

[Capybara]

Thanks for the report! Good real world information about the adapter and shells.

[SandHill]

**SHOOTING UPDATE**

i shot 20 rounds of #4 Mini-buck shot, not #4 birdshot, with no FTF and no cycling issues - once again it fed perfectly - the #4 buck is loaded with 7 pellets versus the 11 you find in a 2-3/4" shell

[Snip]

i finished up with #00 Mini buckshot loads and all rounds cycled with no problem and no FTF's - i believe the #00 is loaded with 2 different sized pellets, 4 of the #00 sized and 7 smaller pellets

FalconLair, thanks for range report. I think you must have mixed up the brands, however. Aguila doesn't make an all #4 buckshot load. Federal does. Is that what you were shooting in #4? Federal's #4 load has 15 pellets: https://www.federalpremium.com/shots...-SH129+4B.html

"the #4 buck is loaded with 7 pellets versus the 11 you find in a 2-3/4" shell" both numbers are low. As linked above, Federal's shorty in #4 has 15 pellets, and you can get a whole lot more than 11 in a 2 3/4 inch shell. For example 27: https://www.federalpremium.com/shots...1-F127+4B.html

And Aguila's only mini buckshot load doesn't have any #00. it is four pellets of #1 and seven pellets of #4: https://drive.google.com/file/d/109p...ew?usp=sharing

[FalconLair]

FalconLair, thanks for range report. I think you must have mixed up the brands, however. Aguila doesn't make an all #4 buckshot load. Federal does. Is that what you were shooting in #4? Federal's #4 load has 15 pellets: https://www.federalpremium.com/shots...-SH129+4B.html

"the #4 buck is loaded with 7 pellets versus the 11 you find in a 2-3/4" shell" both numbers are low. As linked above, Federal's shorty in #4 has 15 pellets, and you can get a whole lot more than 11 in a 2 3/4 inch shell. For example 27: https://www.federalpremium.com/shots...1-F127+4B.html

And Aguila's only mini buckshot load doesn't have any #00. it is four pellets of #1 and seven pellets of #4: https://drive.google.com/file/d/109p...ew?usp=sharing

thank you for correcting me, this is what happens when you take multitudes of ammo with you into the desert

what i thought was #00 buck is actually called out as 4B(7) 1B(4) Buckshot, i just never really checked what they call it

as far as the #4 buck it must've been my Federal boxes and i got the load information online which was apparently wrong - i relied on what i read and never cracked one open to see for myself, once again, my bad

fortunately my main emphasis was centered around how well the Maverick 88 cycled and handled the mini cartridges and how the adapter held up, which didn't seem to be a problem at all no matter what minishells we were using

i observed a lot and let my son handle the bulk of the loading and shooting and we were switching back and forth between both Mavericks, one with the adapter and one we were using with 2-3/4" shells

i would say we shot off close to 600 rounds between the two of us, we made an afternoon out of it, had a lot of fun and most of the shooting results with the minishells was coming from the top of my head, should've wrote stuff down - i do know we had ZERO failures with the shells

anyway, it doesn't change my opinion of the minishells or the adapter - i would trust using minishells pretty much in any type of situation

[Socal_Jack]

What they're for is something like the Shockwave, that has a 4 shell tube.

I can also imagine it reduces the kick for something like the shockwave as well.

With less power, it would be less likely to overpenetrate walls, especially as its neither round nor gun are intended to be shot at anything past 10-20 meters.