20 ga defensive loads

[Malamute]

In regards to the concerns brought up by JLW about available 20 ga buckshot loads, what are the preferred available 20 ga loads? The gun doesnt have nor is easily adaptable to changeable chokes, its a shortened bird barrel in cyl bore. Are the soft Foster type slugs as bad about potential barrier/background penetration or overpenetration of intended target as the Brennekes would likely be? This is strictly about civilized areas, in towns, not bears or hunting deer.

Geezer/gimp limitations have visited me earlier in life than I expected, a Remington model 11 20 ga is available for use as a house gun and is fairly soft shooting. What loads seem practical for the use described in such a case?

[OlongJohnson]

I took a break from the other thread to search YT for 20ga foster slugs and drywall. Came up with nothing. Seems like most of the interest in ballistics with 20ga slugs is breaking stuff and killing deer.

You could be the first. Drywall is cheap before they start attaching it to houses.

[Baldanders]

This sounds like a question for Paul Harrell.

[Malamute]

I took a break from the other thread to search YT for 20ga foster slugs and drywall. Came up with nothing. Seems like most of the interest in ballistics with 20ga slugs is breaking stuff and killing deer.

You could be the first. Drywall is cheap before they start attaching it to houses.

Im not really up to shooting much shotgun, even 20 ga in the model 11. That task will have to fall to someone else.


Im not enthused about shooting foster slugs, but if the available buck loads dont tend to pattern decently it would be nice to have an option for more reach without the concern something like Brennekes would entail.

A look at SGs site shows 3, 2 and 1 buck available, from various makers. Do any makers or loads stand out as above average in pattering in cyl bore guns

[Duelist]

In regards to the concerns brought up by JLW about available 20 ga buckshot loads, what are the preferred available 20 ga loads? The gun doesnt have nor is easily adaptable to changeable chokes, its a shortened bird barrel in cyl bore. Are the soft Foster type slugs as bad about potential barrier/background penetration or overpenetration of intended target as the Brennekes would likely be? This is strictly about civilized areas, in towns, not bears or hunting deer.

Geezer/gimp limitations have visited me earlier in life than I expected, a Remington model 11 20 ga is available for use as a house gun and is fairly soft shooting. What loads seem practical for the use described in such a case?

When you asked this, I was remembering that the Box ‘O Truth (tm) has done some testing with various 20 gauge loads against water jugs and drywall. Sure enough, those shoot’em up penetration tests are still online. Here’s a link to the water jugs: https://www.theboxotruth.com/the-box...gauge-shotgun/

I think the Box ‘O Truth is, at best, an interesting place to start. There’s some more 20 gauge stuff on there.

[willie]

http://www.nitrocompany.com

The above company offers custom 20 ga ammo.

[RevolverRob]

A look at SGs site shows 3, 2 and 1 buck available, from various makers. Do any makers or loads stand out as above average in pattering in cyl bore guns

Yes/No. Get some of each and pattern them all. Pick the best.

Look for the Federal Vital-Shok #3 (P256 3B) - if the #1 or #2 loads don’t pattern well. It is both buffered and copper plated. This load does seem better, but it’s not a given. Be aware there is a #2 Vital-Shok load, that is a 3” shell.

Slug-wise, Brennekes or Federal has Tru-Balls in 20 now with a 328 grain slug at 1600 fps from a 2 3/4” shell.

[TCinVA]

In regards to the concerns brought up by JLW about available 20 ga buckshot loads, what are the preferred available 20 ga loads?

If it will pattern well in your gun, maybe give this a look:

http://wolfhillammo.com/20gaugetacti...ckshot234.aspx

Just be aware that loading is pretty stout. Physics doesn't take a day off, so pushing more than an ounce of payload at ~ 1,200 FPS through the lighter 20 gauge is going to give a little more recoil impulse than average.

20 gauge flight control isn't a thing. Yet. So find whatever #1, 0, or 00 load you can that will pattern reasonably in the gun of your choice.

Are the soft Foster type slugs as bad about potential barrier/background penetration or overpenetration of intended target as the Brennekes would likely be?

Soft fosters tend to pancake and break apart when they hit something hard-ish where Brenneke style slugs stay together and don't really deform. In use against humans either will just blow a big damn hole through the dude and keep right on truckin' into whatever is behind him.

This is strictly about civilized areas, in towns, not bears or hunting deer.

Both are going to give you the overpenetration problem in an urban/suburban area. If your house is concrete and brick you probably don't have too much to worry about except maybe fixing your walls after you blast big holes in dude. If you have a more typical wood and drywall construction keeping the slug inside your house is going to be more about what you've got beyond the bad guy. Book cases full of books, for example, do a pretty good job of stopping bullets.

Geezer/gimp limitations have visited me earlier in life than I expected, a Remington model 11 20 ga is available for use as a house gun and is fairly soft shooting. What loads seem practical for the use described in such a case?

The problem with 20 gauge is ammo. There are not as many good choices for defensive use of the 20 as there are for the 12.

The lighter weight of the 20 gauge shotgun is nice, but that lighter weight combined with a load you might use for defense can actually give you more recoil impulse to deal with than a 12 gauge (heavier) loaded with low-recoil ammo. I use Federal Flight Control low-recoil LE loads in my shotguns and they shoot very, very nicely with it. And from what I have been able to determine, the FFC low recoil loads are doing splendid work on bad guys out on the street...so you aren't sacrificing anything in terms of effectiveness by going to a low recoil buckshot load for defensive purposes.

It might also be worth your while to talk to Vang Comp and see if they can do their splendid barrel work on your shotgun. If they can, it will allow you to shoot pretty common buckshot with a good pattern.

[GJM]

For years, a combat shotgun in the form of the Remington 870 or 11-87 was very heavy. The Benelli predecessors to the M2 were around, but they seemed to function on pain, despite the manufacturer’s inertial description, making them also unattractive to smaller shooters. The 20 gauge alternative was attractive due to weight and handiness, and that came at the cost of poorer choices in buck.

I can still remember the first time I picked up a 1301 and it felt like a feather. Now you have something that weighs like a 20 gauge, but that launches the best buck loads. I feel that the 1301 obsoletes the 20 gauge for buck, although the 20 gauge still has a role as a dedicated Brenneke launcher.

[TCinVA]

I ordered 50 rounds of the Wolf Hill buckshot ammo to run through my 20 gauges and see how she do. I'll report back when I have some data.