Tell me how you like Aquila 12 gauge Mini-Shells?

[Sir Galahad]

It just so happens my local shop is going to start carrying the Aquila 12 gauge mini-shells. It just so happens I have a couple Winchester 1300 Defenders which are the shotguns this round feeds reliably in. So, I've never tried them. Any thoughts on this round? I seem to have heard one person say he could stuff 12 of them into a 1300 Defender. Is that so, I wonder? That could be, how shall one say it, advantageous, I think? I'm curious about them, to say the least. Your thoughts on the buck and slug loads?

 

[Hand_Rifle_Guy]

I've convinced a few of 'em to run through my old '97. They aren't too reliable in that gun, but they pattered ok through it's full choke. I like the concept of the dedicated semi-auto that some-one built around 'em. Lots an' lots o' 12-guage shells ain't such a bad thing.

Actually, those stubby little fireplugs scare me because they're actually short enough to chamber in a 12-guage marine flare gun that has a PLASTIC barrel.

I gotta get some more.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

they're crap. i'd rather trust my life to my 20 gauge. i know it'll function.

 

[Sir Galahad]

I'm not neccessarily going to use them only for defense. But explain why they're crap. Have you used them? As I recall, you have a Mossberg. They only function well in a Defender which I have.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

the slugs are unrifled, and exhibit poor accuracy, and they won't extract in any of our shotguns.


the buckshot load is also sub par, as it patterns poorly in all of our shotguns.

 

[cordex]

the slugs are unrifled, and exhibit poor accuracy

Did you try 'em in a rifled barrel?

 

[Navy joe]

The slugs are pretty poor accuracy wise as they are very sub-caliber and don't appear to expand at the base to fix that when fired. They're fun, and they work in my 870 just fine. Fun only.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

Did you try 'em in a rifled barrel?

I don't have any rifled shotgun barrels.

 

[Cameron Lamont]

Andrew wyatt they're crap. i'd rather trust my life to my 20 gauge. i know it'll function.

Another well reasoned and explained response...

I tried 2 (just 2 is all a friend had left), we cycled them through my Winchester 1300 a few times without incident but they failed to cycle through his 870 Wingmaster so he offered them to me to pattern through the Winchester.

With only two shots at in-house ranges, one at 10 paces the other at 20 paces, they both patterned reasonably well. Similar to the 2 3/4" magnum 00 buck I keep in the gun.

Obviously they don't have the same number of pellets, and more importantly they didn't have the same size/weight of pellets. So I have stuck with the 2 3/4" load. I figure that 1 or 2 'hits' with 12 pellet 00 buck should take the fight right out of most people...

The Aguila 1 3/4" Mini 12-ga shotgun shells. Minibuck shot loads with 7 pellets of 4Buck and 4 pellets of 1Buck at 1200 fps. Low-recoil and a great choice for home defense.

BTW Andrew I am not 100% sure but I believe that the attached wad is the 'rifled' part of the slug.
1 3/4" Minislug 12-ga shotgun shells. 7/8-oz (386-gr) slugs at 1250 fps. Low-recoil, a great choice for home defense.

I hope this info helps.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

the slugs i fired had no attached wad, and yes, they were aquila mini slugs.

The rounds failed to extract in all of the guns i tested them in, and exhibited poor accuracy, in addition to the center of the slug group being about two feet low at 50 yards in relation to the buckshot pattern.


if someone came out with a shotgun designed around these, i'd consider it, but untill then, these are a non starter.

 

[Sir Galahad]

Well, I'm going to try them just for fun. I won't expect much, so if I get results worth noticing, I'll be pleasantly surprised.