Any differences between cheap and regular price 00 and Slug?

[M1A Rifleman]

In researching prices for 12 gauge slugs and 00 I see there can be a large difference in price even between products of the same manufacturer. I know magnum (3") and low recoil stuff will be more costly per round. What I have not figured out is what is the difference between $3 Winchester Walmart slugs and $10+ Federal or other. Save for 00. Cabella's has Estate 00 or Rio 00 for a low price, yet other 00 is twice as much. What is the difference in product?

[sargenv]

Mostly it's like asking if there is any difference between the inexpensive blasting 223 rem available from Wolf and the ultra premium hunting and target stuff available from Federal and other manufacturers that have a premium line. If all you are going to do is plink with it and you are not looking for groups smaller than about 2 moa, the cheap stuff works fine. If you are looking for 1/2 moa or better, the more expensive stuff or you loading your own to find what your gun likes, will likely shoot better.

In a shotgun, cheap shells usualy use inferior components. When it comes to buck and slugs, it might mean that your pattern in buck may be erratic as opposed to the harder or even copper and nickel plated buffered stuff that costs more to make. Generally the higher end stuff is for a specific application as opposed to general plinking.

The all copper hollow point Sabot slugs are really only good in a rifle barreled shotgun. If you are shooting a smoothbore, the Sabot rounds are usually a waste of money.

I know competitors that swear by a certain brand slug in their gun. Having tested several types, they settled on one kind that delivers what they want, consistency and the ability to have a small group out to 75 yards and maybe a bit farther out.

If you are shooting watermelons at 20 yards, the cheapy stuff likely will do. If you are shooting in a match that you spend $1500 to go to with travel expenses, room, food, etc.. all of a sudden the higher cost of ammo is reduced to a small percentage of your outlay.. and may win you the match.. so cost is usually something that is fairly minor..

So the question I have is, what are you expecting to do with the ammo? If you are just plinking for fun.. cheapy ammo is likely good enough. If competing... well, find what your gun likes and try to find THAT ammo as cheap as possible and get a lot of it..

Clear as mud?

[M1A Rifleman]

Thanks. I did not think of how 00 may pattern as being a possible difference. As for slugs, Wally World Winchester are $3.17 per 5, Federal are 7.57 per 10 and they appear to be the same.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

The thing with shotguns is that they aren't noted for their sub MOA accuracy. Unless you are planning on shooting a match, or going for that trophy buck at 100+ yards, you probably won't see much difference in performance between the cheap stuff and the premium stuff. I used to get the premium copper plated buck shot for home defense. But after patterning it against the cheap unplated wallyworld special 00 buckshot, I don't bother anymore. The difference in my patterns at the ranges I would be using it at didn't justify spending the extra money. Besides, I prefer to practice with what I plan on shooting in an emergency. It is WAY cheaper to practice with the cheap stuff. I am sure with the extra practice I have gotten in will more than counterbalance any marginal difference that I would have gained with the premium stuff. As for slugs, I have my gun zeroed in with the plain-jane pumpkin balls that you get at wallyworld. It ain't sexy, but I can get headshots on a standard sized target at 25 yards every time. I might be able to get slightly better groups with premium ammunition, but at shotgun range, that is a moot point. If I need to shoot at something farther away than 25 yards, I have obviously brought the wrong gun. I don't plan on getting into a counter-sniper duel with a shotgun. Shotguns are for 0-40 yard engagements, and the occassional 50-75 yard deer. That's it.

[M1A Rifleman]

.

Hey, what are you paying for 00 at your Wally? I checked out Tracy's on Saturday and all they had were either 3" mag at $9+ for 5 rnds, or Federal at $5.49 for 5 rounds. This seems high when slugs are cheaper and Cabelas has 00 for much less.

[aippi]

Perfect response by the guys above. Dead on. The only thing I can add is that the basic Remington Sluggers will do all you need done with a slug out of a smooth bore. They will also not require a Home Equity Loan to buy a case of. I use them and have found nothing better in that price range.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

I haven't checked lately, as they have been sold out of everything but birdshot for months. Before the craziness started, I was getting the 15 round packs for under $11. The 5 round packs for between $4.50-6, depending on which brand and size (3", 2.75", 00, 000, etc...) I was also getting the Seller and Bellot #4 buckshot 10 packs for around $8 at the local gun store. All of those were unplated lead. Based on the reports on terminal performance I have read, unplated is the way to go for home defense anyway. Since you aren't as concerned with penetrating car doors and other such things like the police and military, soft lead balls that flatten out and travel erratically through tissue are a good thing. You are looking for an energy dump, not overpenetration.

-Mb

[Sheepdog1968]

I've shot plenty of Estate brand OO buck and it has worked fine for practice. For slugs, Cabela's (at least a year ago) used to have one of the Federal 5 packs for like $4. They have worked just fine.

I haven't hunted so I've never been too concerned about an animal. For close distance situations, an ounce of lead from a slug is gonna do major damage no matter how it's designed.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

A quick update. The wallyworld I went to last night had 00 buck, unplated, by Winchester for $4.49/ box of 5. I grabbed 5 boxes. Not because I need them, but because it is so dang hard to find at the moment.

-Mb

[bombadillo]

Thanks. I did not think of how 00 may pattern as being a possible difference. As for slugs, Wally World Winchester are $3.17 per 5, Federal are 7.57 per 10 and they appear to be the same.

They appear to be only a dollar and change different too if you do the math. I'm not sure on the confusion on this one

[tamalpias]

Couple misconception I want to dispel:

1) cheap does not mean less accurate. Accuracy can be found in the cheapest bulets although it is less common, but you got to find what your gun likes to shoot.

2) In general the more expensive ammo usually have tighter manufacturing tolerances and are ran at smaller batches than the cheap stuff. Hence the repeatability factor is usually higher. (ie shooting the same pattern)

3) Alot of similar ammo made by the same manufacture offer identical products but in a generic brand. The same 22lr plinkers in the federal bulk packs are offered in 550 count configurations only for the huge chain stores where as you can buy them in 350 or 500 count in the mom and pop stores usually for a higher amount. So sometimes the same identical product can be sold cheaper depending upon who the vendor is and how much they buy from the manufacturer.

[sargenv]

The thing with shotguns is that they aren't noted for their sub MOA accuracy.

Something else I thought about.. It really does matter but only if your gun is up to snuff.

Case in point. A competitor friend that had for years used an older modified Rem 1100, had to try to figure out which slug load it liked. He did ok with it, getting about a 6" group at the distance he wanted to shoot.

He recently retired that shotgun and picked up a new Benelli. He then proceeded to find the ammo that it likes. Now using the same ammo that would group to 6" at distance, he is now getting a one hole group with it.

So the ammo can make a difference, but in most cases it also depends on the gun firing said ammo. If all you have is an inexpensive blaster, it may not make a difference in the ammo you burn. Likely your forcing cone is not machined all that well, well enough to be safe, but on the more expensive guns the forcing cone is longer, allowing for better patterns, and better groups for slugs. Generally a more quality (read more expensive) gun is going to give you better patterns, and more consistent performance.

I have a Mossberg 500 that does ok with what I expect it to.. but the gun that is my go to for everything is a Browning Gold.

You won't get Ferrari performance from a Hyundai.. don't expect your $200 cheapie shotgun to do the same thing as an $1100 Benelli.. they are not the same animal. Can you hunt with your Mossy or express model 870? Sure you can.. will you do as well, likely yes.. can getting a more specialized gun improve your performance.. well, in the case of the shooter in question, yes it can.

Just because your gun can't tell the difference in the premium ammo dept, doesn't mean it won't do so in other guns.. it's just that it may be the gun you have may have other things that make it not able to take advantage of all of the work put into those specialty shells. Performance may be enhanced by using a different gun. That's what makes all of this stuff so fascinating (and sometimes frustrating) to me.