Can a HD shotgun be too accurate?

[mrkam]

I was discussing HD with a friend, and right now my cyl Mossberg is loaded with some standard low-recoil 00. However, I plan on getting some Federal low-recoil 00 with Flitecontrol (missed out on the stash at SGAmmo ). My friend didn't think that would be a good round for HD, because of the ranges.

My house does have a good 20 yard stretch (large hallway/living room/staircase area) so I could put the tightness of the Flitecontrol's spread to use, but odds are an HD encounter is going to be much closer. IIRC, the Flitecontrol doesn't even leave it's shot cup until 7 yards (and any tight-ish choke on a shotgun mostly applies here too) so essentially within 7 yards, it would almost be a slug.

He initially preferred a standard cyl spread, so that the buckshot fully dispersed and hit over a wide range on the body. By the end of the night, I think I changed his mind because of the value of extending the effective range of your shotgun, but it was an interesting question. So, this isn't really anything I've seen discussed before.


THE QUESTIONS:

Is it better for buckshot to be spread out to give the higher chances for different vital or CNS hits, but reduce the accurate range?

OR is it better that the buckshot is clustered together for centralized damage on one area, but rely on accuracy?

OR does it not really matter, since it's going to do significant damage either way, and it's worth the extension of range? (my opinion)

[BigDogatPlay]

No such thing as too much accuracy, IMO. The goal should be to put the shot on the target at or close to center mass.

You are correct in that loads with controlled dispersion wads are going to essentially make one large hole when they hit at anything less than 5-7 yards. Where those pellets go once inside a body is another story entirely. they can and most likely will each go off in their own direction, creating very messy wounds internally.

That said, even the run of the mill buckshot loads, like the Winchester Mil-Spec as example, which have the pellets just stacked in the shell and buffered with some type of granular material and fired out of a Cylinder or Improved Cylinder choked gun aren't going to spread all that much from point blank out to maybe 5 or 7 yards. Once you get past 7-10 yards the patterns will open up appreciably.

My recommendation is to take your gun and pattern it with the load you think you want to shoot at all those various distances. That's the only way you're going to know for sure.

[negolien]

Most encounters are within 7 yards so....I would use something your comfortable with as far as over penatration. Just remember the most important rule of HD.. DON'T GO LOOKING FOR THE BAD GUY!!!! Do a recon in advance and decide where your Alamo is going to be. Wether it's at your kids door or in your bedroom it's important IMHO to have an advanced plan for HD.

[DannyInSoCal]

Go shoot your shotgun at 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, and 25 yards yourself -

Test different ammo patterns and pick the one you like the best.

Yes - It really is that easy...

Mine is HPslug/slug/00buck/HP slug/slug/00buck/HP slug/slug -

Combat reload if required...

[voiceofreason]

I'm not an expert or professional.

I do believe that even if the rounds are grouped very tightly at close range, they still create separate wound channels in the human body.

You must know where every single pellet will land. I prefer a very tight spread myself. I want to hit what I'm aiming at, not aim and hope that the spread covers my lack of marksmanship. Spend some time shooting slugs at targets and you'll see how easy it is to be accurate with a shotgun. Buckshot is not much different; it just spreads out.

Me & my guns group best with the Federal LE Tactical 00 buck w/ Flite wad in 8 pellet low recoil configuration. Nothing else comes close.

I've run over 300 rounds through my guns with NO issues whatsoever, so I trust my life to this round in MY guns.

I have 00 buck in other brands/flavors that don't group nearly as well. Unless you plan on firing at zombies, mobs, or just have no faith in your marksmanship, I would recommend sticking with a tighter grouping round that functions reliably in YOUR guns.

Federal is coming out with a new load at SHOT this year that will use #1 buckshot for greater number of pellets/more damage with slightly less penetration (it'll go at least 12"; some people consider 00 buck to penetrate too much).

It should be a VERY effective round based on solid theory. #1 is .30 compared to 00 which is .33, but you get about 35-40% more pellets in the same shell.

With sufficient penetration, you're getting more damage from one round. I would prefer a lighter recoiling load with fewer pellets (that penetrate deep enough) over a heavier recoiling round that delivers a greater payload. But then, I also shoot 9mm as a pistol round.

I personally feel shot placement, follow up shots, and follow through are more important that outright power/damage at a certain power level (finding that apex right before the point of diminishing returns).

I love the idea of a low recoil #1 buck round with the Flite Control wad.

But like the 870, the Glock 19, and the Honda vehicles, I prefer to run with tried and true over the latest and greatest.

In 7 or 8 years, I do believe that #1 will be as common as 00 buck in the LE community as a duty load, but I'll wait until then before switching over.

[NOTARPilot]

Like the others said, Pattern your shotgun with the ammo you like and stick with that ammo. You should be comfortable knowing the ranges your gun will deliver all pellets in the 10, 9, and 8 rings and at what range you will start getting flyers. Flyers are bad for liability purposes. I have personally seen pellets intended for a pit bull skip off of the street travel about 30 yards and penetrate an exterior stucco wall, an interior wall and embed into a refrigerator. That was Fed Flight Control 00 buck from an 870. Luckily no one was home but it could have been bad.

Slugs and 00 buck are absolutely devastating on soft tissue. Tightly grouped 00 buck at close range packs a serious punch and most center mass hits will not be survivable. There was an OIS in the LA area a couple years ago where the offender got hit with Federal Flight Control 00 buck at less than 10 yards. The wad didnt have time to release and was partially sticking out of the suspect from the entrance wound in the lower torso. He did not survive. Like I said, it's a devastating round. Just know its limitations by patterning out to 25.

[ocabj]

HD shotgun isn't about spread. It's about energy on target.