20 gauge HD shells

[RJ likeguns]

What would be a good HD shell for a 20 gauge? Thanks!!;)

[Dave McCracken]

Practically any shotgun shell will do the job at typical HD ranges. The load hits as a semi solid mass,oft still in the wad.

I suggest measuring(Not estimating) the longest shot possibility in your home. Add one yard for GPs, then patterning ammo at that distance and see if there's a difference.

For CD ammo, different criteria exist. Pattern buck at 25 yards(Reasonable practical limit) and then see where the tightest grouping slug hits in relation to that.

HTH....

[Mannlicher]

The load that patterns best in my Mossberg 500C, with 18 inch barrel, is the Federal #3 Buck. Longest shot en mi casa is 17 yards.

[Gordon]

I load the 870 20ga. with a rottweil slug,then two #3 buck shot then two #8'fieldloads'. That way I can blow away gophers when I see one(all the time) or dust a 'rat hole ' thru some body who sneaks up while I'm in bed.I have used it to shoot racoons off deck at night and shot all loads(4 shots) but slug at a dog pack that went for my goats about 10 years back. Gun sits in corner next to bed . Note I have no kids and guns get locked up when grand children come over(and they are all trained too). Gun has a 7 shot extension and a rifle sighted 19" barrel with Imp cyl choke tube and youth speed feed stock; it is my wifes gun when I am not here!

[Oleg Volk]

In my cylinder bore 20ga, 12 yards is the far limit of #3 buck. Moreover, at 25 yards, penetration is quite poor. For that reason, when it was a primary home gun, it was loaded with 2-3 rounds of buck and 4-5 slugs. The reasoning was that failure to end a fight with buck meant use of cover.

Recent testing showed that even 20ga slugs don't defeat cover well (compared to rifle rounds). However, they defeat it well enough to make misses a real liability in any house. For that reason, buck seems like a compromise...just know the range limits.

[TooTaxed]

QUITE a few years ago, my Special Forces unit, which had a wide range of guns to play with, ran a test to determine what would be most efficient for house-to-house (city) fighting.

The result...contrary to some of our preconceptions!...a 12-ga shotgun loaded with #1 buckshot. Larger pellets had too much spread for a certain hit across a street, and smaller shot didn't have enough "punch"...but 16 .30 pellets would take out a complete door or window in one shot, more efficiently than a submachinegun. And, the buckshot wouldn't go through a number of walls, which the non-combatants would appreciate.

In addition to that, a sack full of grenades...:evil:

[m14nut]

Actually;

federal produces a "personal defense" 20 ga. shell. It is a buffered low recoil #2 buck high brass. 20 rounds for about $5.00:rolleyes: :neener:

[Al Thompson]

Need to consider your back stop as well. In my house, I have one direction of fire where an artillery piece would work, but the other three directions have houses close to me. I use #2 bird shot in the SG with # 4 buck as back up. Theory is that I may engage someone down my hall way and need the reduced penetration (neighbor's house is downrange), but if they get closer the buck will give more effectiveness.