Low recoil 12 gauge ammo

[VoodooMountain]

I am looking for low recoil 12 gauge ammo for a youth to shoot clays.
I don't want to start reloading shells if possible.

Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[rabid wombat]

Look for low gram / oz lead weight and low dram / speed….Winchester has some 1180 fps and 980 fps loads…pricey, but works. I am guessing others (Rio, Federal, Fiocchi, etc…) have similar.

https://winchester.com/Products/Ammunition/Shotshell?compare={"ids":["#AA12FL8"]}&filters={"ids":["#g-1","#b-2","#b-70"]}#page-3

https://www.federalpremium.com/shotshell/federal-target/

 

[Mars5l]

Ive been seeing a lot of Sterling branded 7/8th oz loads. Fired some outta my A300 felt light. Depending what you are using you can use mini shells. I have some Aguila 5/8ths oz loads that I will single shot. They feel like nothing

 

[entropy]

24 g. Olympic loads in factory (Rio, Nobel Sport, etc.) . The low weights in 12 ga. ( 3/4, 7/8, and 1 oz.) are where reloading is a real benefit. I switched to 7/8 and 1 oz. reloads from 1 1/8, for all but meat and jackpot shoots.

 

[RealGun]

Fiocchi "Trainer"
1200
7/8
#8
Item 1278OZ8 (not a zero)
Barely worth reloading but a good price, when I bought mine for SASS.

 

[MEHavey]

Normally I'd say bite the bullet, get a MEC600Jr off of ebay and load 3/4 oz/pink CB0175-12 wads& 700x
....if we could only get primers.

 

[dfariswheel]

I've had good luck with Winchester Low Noise/Low Recoil shells.
These are about as non-pounding as you can get.

The last time I bought some was at Walmart.

 

[entropy]

They've been a little scarce on the shelves lately.....

 

[Lo-Profile]

I've shot the Winchester AA's before, very little recoil.

I had to shoot them before my neck surgery, now I shoot anything without it hurting.

 

[Scribner]

Or you could increase the weight of the gun.

 

[RealGun]

Look for low gram / oz lead weight and low dram / speed….Winchester has some 1180 fps and 980 fps loads…pricey, but works. I am guessing others (Rio, Federal, Fiocchi, etc…) have similar.

https://winchester.com/Products/Ammunition/Shotshell?compare={"ids":["#AA12FL8"]}&filters={"ids":["#g-1","#b-2","#b-70"]}#page-3

https://www.federalpremium.com/shotshell/federal-target/

Winchester low recoil is beyond popular, but I think the velocity numbers give the wrong impression to those wanting to copy the load. 26 grams is nearly an ounce of shot, so yes, the velocity will be lower than 7/8 oz hand loads at around 1200.

26 grams= .92 ounces
7/8 ounces = .875 ounces = 24.8 grams
1 ounce = 28.3 grams

Something at 980 fps would be a heavier shot load and possibly more felt recoil.

 

[Bill M.]

The Win low recoil loads are good if you can find them. I do not know of anything else that is close to them. The problem with commercial low shot weight ammo is that they jack up the velocity to make autos work.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Winchester low recoil is beyond popular, but I think the velocity numbers give the wrong impression to those wanting to copy the load. 26 grams is nearly an ounce of shot, so yes, the velocity will be lower than 7/8 oz hand loads at around 1200.

26 grams= .92 ounces
7/8 ounces = .875 ounces = 24.8 grams
1 ounce = 28.3 grams

Something at 980 fps would be a heavier shot load and possibly more felt recoil.

26 grams is closer to 7/8 oz than 1 oz. The recoil of a 1200 fps 7/8 oz load is noticeably higher than a 26 gr at 980 fps.

 

[RealGun]

26 grams is closer to 7/8 oz than 1 oz. The recoil of a 1200 fps 7/8 oz load is noticeably higher than a 26 gr at 980 fps.

Looks like I recalled incorrectly that Win AA Low Recoil Target was 1180 fps. I know of no published load data that comes close to reloading at 980 fps with #8 shot. I shoot both new and reloaded Win AA loads and haven't noticed any difference in the few seconds we shoot a couple in SASS. I also shoot Fiocchi Trainer, and they are easy going too. I guess it is a question of what is light enough for a 20" double shooting steel at a stone's throw.

 

[RealGun]

26 grams is closer to 7/8 oz than 1 oz. The recoil of a 1200 fps 7/8 oz load is noticeably higher than a 26 gr at 980 fps.

The difference between whether 26 grams is closer to 7/8 oz than 1 ounce is 15 pellets of #8 chilled lead shot. I am not sure who would feel the difference.

 

[.455_Hunter]

The difference between whether 26 grams is closer to 7/8 oz or 1 ounce is 14 pellets of #8 chilled lead shot. I am not sure who would feel the difference.

You brought up the discussion. The shooter will, however, definitely will feel 1180 fps vs 980 fps, regardless of 7/8 oz, 26 gr, or 1 oz.

 

[RealGun]

You brought up the discussion. The shooter will, however, definitely will feel 1180 fps vs 980 fps, regardless of 7/8 oz, 26 gr, or 1 oz.

Certainly in small revolvers, a light weight bullet is faster yet with less recoil. I don't see a difference in physics with the shotgun. Bottom line, the same result as Win AA in reloads is elusive, while our reloading is bound to minimum published loads that hang around 1200 fps.

 

[GE-Mini-Gun]

Normally I'd say bite the bullet, get a MEC600Jr off of ebay and load 3/4 oz/pink CB0175-12 wads& 700x
....if we could only get primers.

Ballistic Products gets Cheddite's in every month or so. When they show up they normally last a couple days...yes, hazmat fee, but they are available

 

[webrx]

My first thought was the little federal and Aquila mini shells but they may not work for trap or skeet. I don’t shoot either so don’t know. But I have shot the minis and they are lower recoil.

 

[herrwalther]

My first thought was the little federal and Aquila mini shells but they may not work for trap or skeet. I don’t shoot either so don’t know. But I have shot the minis and they are lower recoil.

That is what I was thinking too. For skeet, there is no reason to use the buckshot or slug minis. Aguila makes a 7 1/2 birdshot load and Federal makes an 8. The most important part of making minis work is using an Opsol mini adapter in a Mossberg pattern shotgun. Otherwise, they are unreliable for home defense and clay shooting. Adapters are not currently made for other shotguns that I am aware of.

https://www.opsolmini-clip.com/product/opsol-mini-clip-2-0-flex/

 

[Jack Ryan]

I am looking for low recoil 12 gauge ammo for a youth to shoot clays.
I don't want to start reloading shells if possible.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Look for a 20 or 28 gauge.

 

[webrx]

That is what I was thinking too. For skeet, there is no reason to use the buckshot or slug minis. Aguila makes a 7 1/2 birdshot load and Federal makes an 8. The most important part of making minis work is using an Opsol mini adapter in a Mossberg pattern shotgun. Otherwise, they are unreliable for home defense and clay shooting. Adapters are not currently made for other shotguns that I am aware of.

https://www.opsolmini-clip.com/product/opsol-mini-clip-2-0-flex/

They work in a single, O/U or SxS.

 

[shoobe01]

Remington and Federal reduced recoil slugs and shot are great. The 8 pellet shot even patterns better than the 9 in most every gun I've seen.

But despite lots of things getting more reasonable on price, and being available, tactical shotshells are scarce. Had to do a tactical shotgun match just a few weeks ago and it was less fun than expected from that and my low inventory.

Sterling is some of what I ordered — and others used as well — I was not super impressed. Slugs were okay accuracy but full power, shot patterned not great and was likewise pretty stout. Also knocked stuff down well, so I for one managed ammo to use them on the difficult plate rack course where ranges increased.