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Maybe that was dumb...looks like 5 in a box based on the picture
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If over-penetration is your main concern, a .223 is a far better option than a shotgun...Comment
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90% of shotgun shells are 2 3/4 inches long. you can buy more powerful 3 inch shells, but there is little need unless you go bear hunting.
the 3 most common shells are
A: 2 3/4 BIRDSHOT or Target loads (many tiny little balls)
these are inexpensive and are also called "low base" shells because the metal base is shorter than other shells, used for shooting birds, and clay pigeons. NOT recommended for home defense, single shot kill on a human would need to be within 5 yards or less, and placed correctly (head, heart, lungs)
B: 2 3/4 00 BUCK (Buckshot, spoken "double ot buck") (A few larger balls with more gunpowder behind them)
this is the most common shotgun round for home defense, the most common 00 Buck will have 9 pellets. you can get more pellets, but "9 pellet 00 Buck" is said to be the optimal amount. 00 Buck will kill out to about 15 yards i believe with a single shot
you will also hear of one or three ot buck (0 buck and 000 buck) but these are way less common, special purpose type rounds
this is also called a "high base" shell because the metal base is twice the length of target shells. aka more gunpowder
C: 2 3/4 1-ounce SLUGS (One single piece of lead)
these are high power, heavy penetration shells, they can kill out to 50-100 yards, inside the house you want 00 Buck, when you step out side you wanna load slugs. these are also "high base"
there are THREE main types of slugs. two will fire out of a smoothbore shotgun (no rifling in the barrel), "Sabot slugs" are meant to fire out of rifled shotgun barrels.
what you want to buy are usually called "1 ounce rifled hollow-point slugs"
with 2 3/4 inch shells.
as far as loading different shells into the magazine, it sounds tacticool and all, but ive been told by a few different police officers, gunsmiths, and wise family members all of which are more knowledgeable than I, NOT to do this. Load ONE type of shell at a time, when under stress, when the fear and adrenaline are pumping, you do NOT want to be guessing which shell you are about to fire. load the whole tube with the same ammo. there is no such thing as "softening the target" either. there is simply "stopping" the target, which 00 buck will certainly do in one or two shots.
if you go camping and are afraid of bears, buy some 3 inch, 1 1/4 ounce slugs. thats what Rangers and hunters in Alaska use to take down bears mainly.
read this post
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=608952
and here is a great wealth of info on shotguns...more than youll even need
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=464149Last edited by Eldraque; 10-04-2012, 5:28 PM.Comment
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Wow great info, thank you my friend! I'll be doing a lot of reading as I wait for my 870 to get out of jail...90% of shotgun shells are 2 3/4 inches long. you can buy more powerful 3 inch shells, but there is little need unless you go bear hunting.
the 3 most common shells are
A: 2 3/4 BIRDSHOT or Target loads (many tiny little balls)
these are inexpensive and are also called "low base" shells because the metal base is shorter than other shells, used for shooting birds, and clay pigeons. NOT recommended for home defense, single shot kill on a human would need to be within 5 yards or less, and placed correctly (head, heart, lungs)
B: 2 3/4 00 BUCK (Buckshot, spoken "double ot buck") (A few larger balls with more gunpowder behind them)
this is the most common shotgun round for home defense, the most common 00 Buck will have 9 pellets. you can get more pellets, but "9 pellet 00 Buck" is said to be the optimal amount. 00 Buck will kill out to about 15 yards i believe with a single shot
you will also hear of one or three ot buck (0 buck and 000 buck) but these are way less common, special purpose type rounds
this is also called a "high base" shell because the metal base is twice the length of target shells. aka more gunpowder
C: 2 3/4 1-ounce SLUGS (One single piece of lead)
these are high power, heavy penetration shells, they can kill out to 50-100 yards, inside the house you want 00 Buck, when you step out side you wanna load slugs. these are also "high base"
there are THREE main types of slugs. two will fire out of a smoothbore shotgun (no rifling in the barrel), "Sabot slugs" are meant to fire out of rifled shotgun barrels.
what you want to buy are usually called "1 ounce rifled hollow-point slugs"
with 2 3/4 inch shells.
as far as loading different shells into the magazine, it sounds tacticool and all, but ive been told by a few different police officers, gunsmiths, and wise family members all of which are more knowledgeable than I, NOT to do this. Load ONE type of shell at a time, when under stress, when the fear and adrenaline are pumping, you do NOT want to be guessing which shell you are about to fire. load the whole tube with the same ammo. there is no such thing as "softening the target" either. there is simply "stopping" the target, which 00 buck will certainly do in one or two shots.
if you go camping and are afraid of bears, buy some 3 inch, 1 1/4 ounce slugs. thats what Rangers and hunters in Alaska use to take down bears mainly.
read this post
and here is a great wealth of info on shotguns...more than youll even need
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=464149Comment
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I use 00 buckshot for HD, birdshot 7.5 for range. Haven't used slugs yet cuz I can't afford them LOL. Make sure the range you go to allows birdshots or buckshots. Some ranges only allow slugs nowadays.Comment
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