General purpose load

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Confucius

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Ok, I've been thinking about this for some time.

Not that we don't have choices in the shotgun world, but if you had to go with one load for every occasion, what would it be? I've considered stocking up on various 12 ga. loads, but have yet to come to a definitive conclusion. Taking into consideration hunting, home defense and skeet loads, what would work best for all? If you only had one load available to you, what would it be?


As an interesting aside, list your most common load for each - what do yo hunt with (yeah, this is gonna vary) - home defense? skeet? :)
 
My all around choice would be a 1,200 fps 1 1/8 oz of #6's.

That being said the club I belong to doesn't allow anything larger than 7 1/2's.

I shoot a 1,180 fps 1 oz. of #8's at Five Stand, Skeet and Trap. On the Trap field I switch to an 1 1/8 oz. of 7 1/2's at 1,200 fps when I get to the 25 yard line.

For dove I shoot an 1 1/8 oz. of #8's.
For quail I shoot an 1 oz of #8's.
For pheasants I shoot 1 1/8 oz. of #7 1/2's or #6's.
For rabbits I shoot 1 oz of #6's.
I don't use a shotgun for home defense.
For dear I shoot a 1 oz. rifled 1,400 fps slug.

And that is all I know.
 
there's only two 12ga loads I keep stoked in my Cyl bore guns...#00 during off-season, and AA target during hunting season...the AA being much more useful in running off a coyote or 2-legged jackal than the #00 in bringing down a bird.
 
If I could only have one I guess 1 1/4 oz #6 because pheasants are tasty!you can't do everything with just one.

What I usually prefer.( But I don't know if a quail knows the difference between #7's and #8's ) Usually I just use what I have if its reasonable.

skeet- #9
trap- #7 1/2
quail/ dove- Win Super X low brass game loads 1 1/8 # 8
grouse- #7 1/2 game loads
squirrel - 1 1/4 oz. #5's
pheasant- Fiocchi or Wing Shok 6,5,4
duck - 1 3/8 oz #2 steel
goose- 1 3/4 oz BB or BBB
turkey - 1 3/4 oz. #5 winchester supreme
coyote- lead BB T or #4 buck
Big game- Brenneke Slugs
 
id vote for 1 1/4oz of #4s or 5s depending on the pattern of each gun, little bit bigger for the larger animals
 
I hunt very little anymore, but my "General Purpose" load was 1-1/8 Oz of #6 for MOST things...

Of course, had to use the "Un-Leaded" stuff for waterfowl, & slugs for deer.
 
No such animal.

Shotguns are versatile, and part of that is the ability to tailor the load to the mission.

I use.....

7 1/2s for clays, mostly.

Those or 6s for most birds, squirrels etc.

5s for wild ringnecks.

Hevishot 2s for geese.

00 for defense.

And slugs for deer and some emergency use if it really does hit the fan.
 
It's not a question I've given any thought to. It's like asking, "If you only could have one set of footwear for all activities what would you choose?"

As for the loads on hand I have:

Clay Target Loads

1-1/8 ounce, 1 ounce, 7/8 and 3/4 ounce loads in shotsizes 8, 7-1/2 and 9.

Upland Hunting Loads

1 ounce, 1-1/8 ounce, 1-1/4 ounce, 7/8s ounce in shot sizes 7-1/2, 6 and 4.

Waterfowl Loads

1-3/8 ounce #2 and #4 Tungsten Matrix

Predator Control

#4 Buckshot, 00 Buck, Brenneke Slugs
 
Actually I think that's a valid question - I've you've gotta bug out with the clothes on your back, what shoes are you gonna wear? :)

And really I agree with you - different loads for different purposes. Main reason for the thread is just an exercise. If I need to stock up on 12 ga. cheap or fast, what works best for the most applications?
 
1 1/4 ounce game loads in #5 or #6 would have to get my vote for the single most useful all-around load.

Unless, you plan to get in a gunfight, or go deer hunting, or stop off somewhere and shoot a round of sporting clays, or, --------- Nevermind!

rcmodel
 
Actually I think that's a valid question - I've you've gotta bug out with the clothes on your back, what shoes are you gonna wear?

And really I agree with you - different loads for different purposes. Main reason for the thread is just an exercise. If I need to stock up on 12 ga. cheap or fast, what works best for the most applications?
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Bugging out and one size for all applications isn't quite the same question.

If I'm bugging out in an emergency and am only allowed one shell I'm taking Brenneke slugs. Lousy for targets and bird hunting but first rate for predator control both two and four legged and I want the very best for defending me and mine.
 
I dunno, maybe 1 ounce of 1 (10 .30cal pellets) ..
[Defense and hunting only]
I'm clueless .. just seems like nice round numbers.

I guess if I could get some gaming in whilst bugging out I'd throw in 8's, just from what I've been reading .. but that's cheating :p

So 'tween the two, say 1.25 ounce of 4.
 
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If I could only have one. I guess 1 1/4 oz #6 lead in a 2 3/4 in 12 ga would be my choice. It's light enough for small birds (dove or quail) and heavy enough for large birds (duck, turkey, or a very close goose). It most certainly wouldn't be perfect for all of the above, but it woud be a decent compromise under extraordinary circumstances.

As for what I prefer by species;
Dove - #7 1/2 lead shot all gauges
Duck - #2 steel or #4 Hevi-Shot 12 ga. 2 3/4 in.
Geese - steel T-shot 10 ga.

If I could still hunt waterfowl with lead;
Duck - #4 or 5 all gauges
Geese - #2 or BB in either 3 in. 12ga. or 3 1/2 in. 10ga
 
One of the great things about the shotgun is the ability to match your shell to your task. With that said, #6 shot is what Col. Cooper suggested for Ballistic Wampum in his book Fireworks, A Gunsite Anthology..

I tend to stock six loads; #7 1/2, #6, OOBK, 1 BK, 1oz rifled Slug and a Sabot slug (for my rifled barreled Mossberg 695). # 7 1/2 for Skeet & dove. #6 for small game. OOBK, 1 BK and 1oz slug for defense. 1oz slug and sabot slug for deer or something bigger!
 
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Re: #6 shot

Shotguns and loads are an Art & Science as Brister shared.

There are all sorts of phenomena and "odd going on's" when it comes guns and loads.

One is, #6 shot, tends to do best out of a lot of guns, no matter the gauge, or how choked.

Simple really, if one messes with this shotgun and load bidness much...

The number of pellets in a loading and pellet deformation is the deal basically.

Me?
I gotta be different.
#5 shot and I have a thang going on due to my messing around with all this.

*smile*
 
There is no such thing is a general purpose shotgun shell. It would literally defeat the purpose of owning a shotgun IMO.

I personally use:
#7.5 for dove, skeet, trap, and sporting clays
#5 for turkey and squirrel
#2 Steel for ducks
00 buckshot for defense
Rifled Slugs for defense & deer
 
I agree with Dave. It's a bit like asking:
I enjoy cruising the sand dunes, rock crawling, drag racing, and the occasional street racing. I'm looking for a general-purpose vehicle with which I can do all these things. What do y'all recommend?
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Without sounding like a smartbutt, it simply won't work.

I use:
7.5's and 8's for clays
#5's for turkey
4B for vermin ('coons, possums, etc.)
00B for HD
 
1 1/8 ounce of hard 7.5 or 6 shot at 1420 fps does everything I need a shotgun to do in the field. At home, it's loaded with 3" 000 buck.

Truthfully though, a 1 1/4 ounce 3 1/4 dram equivalent load of #6 is probably a little more versatile.
 
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