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"Harder", Low Recoil Ammo


Nemesis

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Guys,

 

When talking about home defense shells and terminal ballistics, I am a bigger fan of "penetration" versus "expansion." This is because I don't have to worry about "overpenetration issues" and may find myself shooting through barriers.

 

I am looking for the following characteristics in a 12 gauge tactical shotgun shell:

 

1) For shot--00 buck or #1 buck that is harder (i.e., the pellets do not deform as much and penetrate more).

 

2) For slugs--harder 1 oz. rifled slugs that do not deform as much and penetrate more. I have heard that Brennke makes these (i.e., lead alloyed with something harder) but they do not fit characteristic number 3 which is.....

 

3) For both slugs and shot--they MUST be low recoil shells.

 

Does anyone make such ammunition?

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I think most of the low recoil slugs are designed for hunting so they will expand more, and I don't know much about buckshot. If the ammo is strictly for home defense what's wrong with the full power ammo? A few rounds of full power ammo shot during practice shouldn't cause much recoil problems, and in the unfortunate event that you have to defend yourself, recoil will be the last thing on your mind.

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While I agree on using full bore ammo, I actually like the thought of shooting through a wall. I actually built one like a trailer wall and one like a standard house wall to see how the ammo worked. Bottom line is this...I agree with gunner76. I don't know if you have ever been hunting, but when the juice gets flowing you never feel the shot and if I have to defend myself or anyone else, I'm pretty sure I won't feel that either. I'm under 5'5'' and I actually enjoy the pounding of a 3'' full bore 00 buck or slug, it's a good tension breaker. My Benelli is light and has no recoil reducer. If you're thinking too much about how you're going to feel shooting a gun when the chips are down, then you're not concentrating on the bad guy and he'll get the drop on you. I'd also like to think that if a police officer had to protect or cover me that he would be using full bore ammo. Besides, most of the tactical ammo I have ever tried never cycled the Benelli action well except for the loads made by Hornady. They actually have tactical loads made specifically for semi auto shotguns that are slightly heavier than std. tac loads and lighter than full bore. Oh...and the patterns are fantastic. So think about what your life is worth....light and maybe wont cycle ammo when you need it, or full bore that you can depend on.

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Guys,

 

1) Full Power ammo makes follow up shots far more difficult. Try using full power and then tactical in a 3 gun or Action Shooting event and you will see what I mean.

 

2) Low Recoil ammo will destroy a person. A Low Recoil Slug is far more devestating than a pistol (and most rifle) round. Low recoil buckshot is still almost as fast as 9mm bullets (with 8 or 9 pellets). It is all you need.

 

3) Low recoil shot and slugs often penetrate better than full power. Sound crazy? It is because the low recoil shot and slugs deform less on impact. It is the same reason that a 7.62mm bullet penetrates more moving 2400 fps than it does at 2700 fps--less expansion and spalling of the projectile.

 

This is why police agencies are moving to the low recoil or tactical stuff in a big way. My Benelli cycles the low recoil stuff perfectly.

 

Does anyone know of any ammo that fits my criteria specified in the first post above?

 

[ 10-07-2006, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: Nemesis ]

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Training, training, training. I think you don't quite understand everything you think you know about this. Police agencies are moving to this because of lawers, because of crybaby wusses that apply to law enforcement and because it says "TACTICAL". To be a real cop you should be a real man and be able to take a real round to the shoulder. BTW my above post at the end has the highest quality "LAW ENFORCEMENT, TACTICAL, LOW RECOIL" in the post. Hornady.

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I have a M1014 that is the only shotgun I use anymore (except for turkey hunting) and I have spent a lot of money on finding what works the best for me. bottom line is that it can be the best round ever manufactured but that don't mean nothing if you can't hit with it so practice is the key no matter what you decide. below is my personal choices for terminal situations smile.gif

buckshot:

Hornady Tap, for personal defense ...2 3/4 OO buck, has muzzle vel. of 1370fps managed recoil round that works just as great in your auto as a pump. cool thing about these as well in the dark or evening shooting you will find these shells do not have that huge flash you are used to which would be to your advantage if you was in a situation in your home during dark hours.

now for slugs:

Winchester Power point rifled slugs....2 3/4 1oz. at the muzzle is 1700fps I just cant say enough about how impressed I am with these! you just need to buy a box or two and find out for yourself, these are great slugs and provide amazing transfer of energy

now for your sidearm:

Magtech Guardian Gold, you can get in just about any handgun caliber and for popular calibers several options for slug weight in grains. I use the 40s&w 180gr JHP, slug reminds you of the old black talon...makes a nasty mushroom and deep penetration. :D

 

[ 10-11-2006, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: wingbone ]

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Hornady Tap ... cool thing about these as well in the dark or evening shooting you will find these shells do not have that huge flash you are used to which would be to your advantage if you was in a situation in your home during dark hours.

Actually in comparing various 'tactical' or low recoil rounds in my M4, the one that stood out for it's large muzzle flash was the Hornady TAP as shown below on an indoor range.

 

The TAP seems to be mid-level, falling between the other low-recoil police loads (1150-1200 fps) and full power buckshot (1600 fps+). It works 100% and I would trust it completely, but I have always found it to have significantly more flash, blast and recoil than any of the Federal or Remington low recoil loads I've tried.

 

TAP.jpg

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If you can download these vids, they may show what I was referring to with the TAP loads.

 

The first video shows the Federal low recoil 00 buckshot .. I can't remember if these were the 8 or 9 pellet loads. Note the rather gentle ejection.

Federal LR buckshot

 

The next is the Federal low recoil slugs in the blue hulls. A little more umph to them but not bad.

Federal LR slugs

 

The final video is the Hornady TAP 00 buck. Note the more prominent flash, blast and more vigorous ejection.

Hornady TAP 00 buckshot

 

And finally, a few more rounds of Hornady TAP.

Hornady TAP

 

[ 10-12-2006, 05:39 AM: Message edited by: STA ]

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STA:

 

Your movies are great and make illustrate the points I was making above.

 

Look how much more muzzle flash and recoil with the (not even!) full power Hornady rounds. This gets you a couple hundred FPS more in velocity. It is not worth it and that is why law enforcement and the military are moving to Low Recoil rounds (the military obviously don't care about lawyers).

 

To further make my point, check out this shotgun recoil table:

 

http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_recoil_table.htm

 

Full Power shells genetrate 2 to 3 times the recoil of low recoil shells! Their added lethality is not worth the price paid in recoil and muzzle flash.

 

Low recoil tactical shells are the way to go (so long as your shotgun cycles them), despite what our "Real Man" friend would have us think.

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