Decent shotgun ammo brands

**AGreeff** · 13-09-2012, 23:14

Hi Gents

My Remi 870 12GA is finally home and I'd to start using it in IDPA.

I bought 2 boxes of shotgun ammo with mixed results.

1. Imperial Trap Load. 70mm 7.5 shot 24 & 28gr, 2.37in length

The 28gr was crappy, extraction was shit. The 24gr was even worse, every second cartridge failed to extracted to the point of me having to pull it out from the receiver with my fingers.

2. Imperial Buck Load. 70mm, contains 12 lead shot, 28gr, 2.75 in length

Fed fastastic. Worked like a charm but k@k expensive. (R70/10).

Which brands do you guys use. How much, where ect.

How does the length work. I notices the 870 is marked for cartridges of 2.75 (2 2/3) or 3 in. Now the second batch matched that criteria but the first ones was a little shorter. Did that cause the extraction problems?

Thanks

**ikor** · 14-09-2012, 05:21

Use 2 3/4in or 3in only in your 870. The Winchester 1300 will usually run the 'mini shells' offered by Aguila (which are shorter than the slightly too short shells you used) but not the 870. |You should be able to find some birdshot that meet the 2 3/4in length requirement. (?)

**BigT** · 14-09-2012, 07:51

I prefer GB of the easily available brands. Works well and pattens well.

**KK20** · 14-09-2012, 07:59

No two guns will pattern identical even with same ammo.

**BigT** · 14-09-2012, 08:09

Originally Posted by KK20

No two guns will pattern identical even with same ammo.

Nope. But find the better stuff patterns well across a variety of guns. Where the nastier stuff doesn't.

I prefer to pattern buckshot at 20 or 25m for the best idea of performance. Some stuff will pattern well at 10m but blows patterns at 25m.

**KK20** · 14-09-2012, 08:20

I tend to push buck further for that ( twice)

**BigT** · 14-09-2012, 08:23

50m is outside the realistic range of all but the flite control buck. Once it can't keep all the pellets on target I want to go to slugs.

**Krokodil** · 14-09-2012, 08:50

Ammo brand should not have an effect on extraction with pump shotties. Is your extractor in good shape? Also you mention that 870s can fire magnum shells as well. No all of them. Only those barrels marked as such.

Or am I missing something here?

**BigT** · 14-09-2012, 08:54

Ammo brand can definately have an effect. Fits with the rule of some guns don't like some ammo.

**AGreeff** · 14-09-2012, 09:02

On my barrel its marked it can either accept 2 3/4 or 3".

Those first rounds were specified on the shells ad 2.37.

Did the size perhaps cause the extraction problems? The latter ammo in size 2 3/4 fed and its both imperial branded.