12 Gauge 2 3/4" Ammunition for Defense/ Hunting

00 Buck for HD.

No problems with neighbors and over penetration so just go heavy and let it rip!

For hunting I've used:

8 shot for quail
6 for rabbit/ duck
4/6 duplex for turkey

For HD I use #1 ATM but its pretty old stuff and I am replacing it with 0 buck ,because its availabe, as I go through the #1.

I would use buckshot from 00 on down a couple of sizes for SD.

I would not use buckshot of any size for any kind of hunting, unless required to by law in public hunting areas or something for deer & hogs.

SD range and hunting range are two very different things.

Buckshot is worthless for hunting small game or flying game birds because the pattern is to sketchy to hit them with more then a pellet or two, if you are lucky.

Birdshot suitable for most small game & bird hunting is not suitable for SD because the pellets are too small to give adequate penetration on a BG target.

rc

For defensive use, 00 in the magazine and Brenneke KO slugs in the Sidesaddle ...

Brenneke Classic Magnum Slugs.

490 Grains @ 1500 ft/s

I hunt deer with slugs because buckshot is illegal but #4 buck for HD, this poll is too vague.

If I had to use one 12ga shell for both? #4 Buck.

I couldn't hunt deer or hogs, but it would take smaller game (messily) while still being large enough for SD use.

Ideally, though, 00 or 000 for SD and rimfire/ centerfire rifle as appropriate for fur-bearing edibles ... I mean, mammals.

I don't hunt.

For HD I use a Kel Tec KSG loaded with Federal 00 FliteControl buckshot.

With a full choke it gives a 13.5 inch spread at 35 yards.

Federal XM127 00 Buck for home defense, Brenneke slugs for any other defense and hunting.

M2, have you tried it through a CYL or IC choke? I believe I recall reading that Federal designed it to work best in IC chokes.

^ Ok I just assumed by hunting you meant big game because that and varmint are about all I can think of that I'd use buck or slug.

I'm not sure why my state chooses to ban buckshot but some of the area I hunt is thick and shots are close and quick so I believe buck would be a better fit but because of the law I switch to a handgun for that type of deer hunting.

Slugs for hunting are Brenneke classic mags, Sluggers for HD and plinking, I roll my own buck.

I can not answer this as it is a Public Poll and the NSA is watching.

Different loads for hunting and defense

I couldn't really use your poll. I run different loads for self defense than I do for hunting, mainly because we don't use slugs or 00 for big game out here. So for wing shooting it's either 2-3/4" hulls with #6 or #7-1/2, for dove and quail. For turkey it's usually a 3" hull and either #4 buck or BB at full magnum velocities, but I have been known to use 2-3/4" at times.

For self defense I stagger 2-3/4" and, or 3" hulls, some 00 buck, #4 buck, and a slug or two. All of course are at magnum pressures / velocities that vary accordingly.

So you can see I was unable to vote in your poll, being that my choices don't really fit the poll options accurately.

GS

For Defense: Federal Flitecontrol LE132 00 and Federal Low Recoil Truball Slugs

For Hunting Deer and Hogs: Remington 3 Inch Magnum 000 in conjunction with a Remington Factory Extra Full Extended Choke and/or Brenneke Classic Magnums depending on the location and range of possible shots.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

#4 buckshot and slugs for SD/HD
When I shot at birds and water fowl the loads depend on the game.
4 shot thru 8 shot.

Federal Flitecontrol LE132 00 in the gun and Fiocchi Low Recoil slugs in the side saddle here for HD.

HD-Federal 2.75" 00 Buck
Waterfowl 2's or 4's in 3"
Upland and small game-6's in 2.75"
Big Game-Federal Fusion 300gr 2.75" sabot

Yeah I have my M12 Riot loaded to the hilt with 2 & 3/4 in. max load BB`s................

I picked 00, but at 10 to 15 feet it doesn't really matter. At that range #9 is as deadly as a 00.

I picked 00, but at 10 to 15 feet it doesn't really matter. At that range #9 is as deadly as a 00.

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I disagree. Numerous testing has shown that many commercially available birdshot rounds do not penetrate well enough to be considered adequate for defensive uses in my opinion.

I suppose one could use the same load for hunting and defense depending on your quarry and the max shot range where one is hunting said quarry. I assume the poll is to spark discussion on a single all purpose HD / big game load? OP, if I'm wrong please clarify for me.

I picked 00, but at 10 to 15 feet it doesn't really matter. At that range #9 is as deadly as a 00.

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Do you have a source for that assertion? I've yet to see a single ballistic test that supports such a claim.

I've got some Winchester 12ga 00 buck, SB1200. 9 pellets copper plated. Unfortunately, it does not pattern very well out of my gun (20" bbl cylinder bore) at even 15yd. Helluva kick though, and it comes trucking at 1450 fps - a good 200+ over most other 00 buck shells on the market. Note that that's the claimed velocity, I have not tested it through a trap yet.

748 said:

I picked 00, but at 10 to 15 feet it doesn't really matter. At that range #9 is as deadly as a 00.

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Not really. Might look cool on paper, or might blow a hole through drywall, but it's not going any further. You would get 1"-3" penetration with such a load.