Whats the difference between different kinds of shotgun ammo.?

Question

whats buck shot or slug shot mean? Whats are the different kinds and what do you recommend? Thanks..

I just bought a Remington 870 Express Super Magnum that can shoot 3 1/2 shells.. nice huh

Answer 1

shot size/number is size of pellets ie #1 buck is about .25 caliber,#7 birdshot is like bb's- triple ought(000) is biggest.then you choose shell length ,this is usally 2 3/4 in or 3in in 12 guage shotguns,biggest variable is barrell size or GUAGE ,lower is bigger.I have seen 8,10,12,16,20,28 and .410 commonlly reffered to as four-ten.a slug is like 1 big bullet inside the shell rather than lots of little bb's.best is a tough one as shotguns are so flexable but #7 is best for home defense as it won't go through walls and kill friendlies and noncombatants as rifle and hi cal. handguns will

Answer 2

Yep, that Remington is a nice gun. What shells to use depends on what you are hunting. Geese require steel shot in at least BB size. BB is a size between regular shot sizes and buck shot. Squirrel and other small game usually require something in a number 6 shot. Most people who shoot clay targets like number 9 shot. Incidentally, the bigger the number the smaller the shot size. Buck shot very large shot and is so called because it is usually used to hunt deer. Buck shot is not legal in all states for deer hunting, though. Some states require that you use slugs when hunting deer with a shotgun. A slug is just what the name implies, it is a single slug of lead which is the same size as the bore of your shotgun. In other words, it is just a great big bullet.

By the way, what do you plan to hunt with that new Remington now that you have it? It was made primarily for hunting geese or deer where you need the extra oomph that the 3 1/2 inch shells give you. I sure hope you don't have plans of shooting clay targets with 3 1/2 inch shells or even doves 'cause your poor shoulder is going to take a beating. If I remember correctly it will also shoot the shorter shells as well as the 3 1/2 inchers. They are cheaper to buy and don't kick so hard that you end up with a bruised shoulder after a day of hunting or target shooting. Hope you have LOTS of fun with it.

Answer 3

To get read of a few myths that were stated:

1. #7 shot is not that great for home defense. You will be at close range, and the shot will not spread out. You can still miss easily, and buckshot would be a better choice. #7 won't penetrate very good compared to buckshot.

2. A rifled slug doesn't spin. The rifling is there so if the slug has to go through a choke the little grooves can be crushed smaller to fit through.

3. Most slugs aren't accurate to 100 yards without a rifled barrel. The cheapo ones at Wal-mart probably aren't going to group very good. If you plan on hunting with it, make sure you see how well they group to know your makimum humane range where you know you can put the animal down.

4. The 3 1/2" shells won't put you on your butt, but they do kick very very hard. About 60 ft lbs, which is the same as a .458 Winchester, which is commonly used for elephant and african game. I suggest you work up to 3 1/2" loads, or at least be ready for a brusied shoulder and busted lip when you don't hold on tight enough and it smacks you in the face.

Answer 4

Buck shot consists of a number of pellets the higher the number, the smaller the pellets. for ex. a #8 shot would have more than 100 tiny pellets all smaller than a b.b. this is good for small birds.
A #00 buck shot would have only 8 or 9 pellets all about .32 cal. This would be good for home defense. A slug is a single piece of lead like that from a normal gun. The lead is large and the distance is limited but, it can make a large hole in something!!! Good for large game no more than 100 yds. Leaves a hole the size of a Mack truck. look at the boxes of shells they usually say bird, duck/ pheasant, rabbit/varmint and so on.

Answer 5

Shotgun shells have several kinds of lead in them. The most common in use is a whole bunch of little lead b-b's (pronounced be-be's). When the gun is fired, the b-b's spread out a little as they progress toward the target. This makes a slightly larger thing to hit the target.

The larger the b-b's are, the harder they will hit.

If they are great big balls, so only a few will fit in the shell, they are called Buckshot, and those can really harm a person or other creature.

Shotguns with buckshot are very effective urban weapons, and as an example, are commonly used by police in large cities such as Mexico City. The buckshot will not go through a house wall or car and kill people on the other side, nor will they fly a mile or two and kill a kid in the playground like rifle bullets will.

The military uses shotguns for close-in fighting, such as in urban war, or tunnel clean-up or hand-to-hand combat.

Slugs are large pieces of lead, usually one per shell. Their size and shape make them fly faster and farther. The only practical use that I know of, is for deer hunting in places like Iowa that totally prohibit rifle hunting for deer, partly because rifle bullets fly so far, and there are few places with no houses within one mile. Slugs do spin a bit, thus are more accurate, but only out maybe 100 yards or so.

On my father's farm when he was alive, it was not rare to take 3 or 4 deer in a 3 day season, just on his 240 acre farm, with slugs.

Answer 6

I want to be there when you shoot a 3.5" slug for the 1st time.After I finish laughing I'll help you up.

Answer 7

yeah its nice but the difference is the size and amount of the BBS

Answer 8

3 and a half buckshot will hurt on both ends.