What is the best type of shotgun ammo for recreational shooting?

I want to use a remington 870 12 gauge shotgun for home defense and for target/rec. shooting eventually, and I understand that some sort of buckshot is necessary for defense by its more powerful nature. What are the different types of buckshot available, and how do they differ from each other? Also, what kind of affordable shots are good for just recreational or target shooting? Thanks!|||Buckshot is usually used for defensive purposes but its not always the best choice. The best choice depends on your environment. We carry 00 buck loads in the shotguns in our police cars because we don't know what our engagements will be like or what distance they will be at. We might be a few feet from the bad guy or we might be 50 yards away. He may be standing out in the open or he may be behind a car or other barricade. We use 00 buck because it can go through many light barricades and still take out the bad guy at close ranges. This is an advantage for us but is usually a drawback in a home defense situation.





For home defense you have the luxury of knowing what your engagement ranges will be in that it won't be any longer than the longest room in your house and you probably don't have to worry about the bad guy being barricaded. At the 10-20 foot range of most rooms any of the larger birdshot sizes (about #6 or larger) will be as effective as a 00 buck load without the danger of any pellets being able to penetrate a wall and injure or kill somebody in another room. Remember, you are liable for every projectile that you launch. This may not be a concern if you live alone in the country with no nearby neighbors but it is a huge risk if you live in an apartment building. The largest shot size we recommend for home defense is #4 buck. Its a good compromise between range, stopping power, and not too much over-penetration risk.





For recreational or target shooting I just buy whatever is on sale at WalMart or Dick's or Sports Authority. Usually a mid-powered "game load" or target load with size 7-9 shot goes on sale at least once a month and that's what I use.




















.|||the tradition of using 00 buck for home defence is at least to some extent derived from the preference of police and military for the load. But their tactical needs are often very different from the average citizen in his residence. BTW the 3" shell holds 15 pellets of 00, the "short magnum" 2 3/4" holds 12, a considerable improvement over the regular shell that holds 9, without the seriously distracting recoil of the 3" shell which also reduces magazine capacity. I always recommend the short-mag shells for any buckshot size but prefer the #1 loading for a denser pattern than 00. Bigger pellets don't matter if the pattern doesnt hold tight %26amp; maximise hits. If you're relying on a lucky strike with one big ball, you may as well move up to slugs, which are lethal for defence but not recommended if you have anyone living close by. And if you have people in the same house or building, small birdshot in a low-brass, non-magnum load is plenty powerful at close quarters without putting the non-combatants at risk. Tests have shown that individual pellets of #4 birdshot can still penetrate some interior walls. But the same 1 oz. of 7 1/2 shot that you would use on rabbit or squirrel, will certainly stop an assailant if you put it right in his face or solar plexus.|||00 Buck shot is most recommended for self defense. The 2 3/4" 00 buck has 9 pellets, and the 3" 00 buck has 12 pellets which is 1 lb of lead you're shooting. Either will do just fine for self-defense. I recommend 2 3/4" since it's slightly cheaper than 3" for obvious reasons. 0 buck will work too, but most recommend 00 buck, which is what I use. I believe birdshot is used for trap %26amp; skeet shooting and is probably cheaper than 00 buck. Just ask your local gun counter when you pick up your shotgun. Shotguns I recommend for your needs are linked below. The tactical barrel is necessary for home defense and takes only a few minutes to change out. The mossberg is a combo that comes with a tactical and field barrel, perfect for your needs. It's the Mossberg 930 Home Security/Field Combo - 5 Shot (Item #85325) You'll have to navigate on the mossberg site to find it, due to their website setup, but it's under *930 special purpose* models, and it's semi-auto, so I hope that's okay, but it's perfect for home defense %26amp; recreation.





http://www.remington.com/products/firear鈥?/a>





http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/SHT600-1.鈥?/a>





http://www.mossberg.com/products/default鈥?/a>|||For recreational shooting ( I assume you mean shooting clay targets), go with #7.5 or #8 shot. They will do the job on the targets and won't leave your shoulder bruised after shooting.





For home defense, go with 00 buckshot every time.


Birdshot WILL NOT stop the threat. It is designed to penetrate small birds, not human bodies. That is why police and military use buckshot instead of cheaper birdshot. See the link below for info on penetration. Scroll down to the 'Birdshot as a Defense Load' section.|||Buckshot isn't really a must for home defense, bird shot will still kill someone.. but if your going to get buckshot go with 00 its what the military and police use and most popular.

Different types of buckshot are 000 (triple aught), 00 (double aught), 0 (single aught), #4 -- in order from biggest to smallest

For recreational shooting I'd say Federal Field/Target loads 7 1/2 shot, 2 3/4 inch.. that's what i use. Just look for the cheapest stuff its really all the same if your just doing recreational shooting.



This is how buckshot differs:



Size ------- Nominal diameter --------- Pellets/oz

0000 ------ .38" (9.7 mm) ---------------- 5

000 ------- .36" (9.1 mm) ----------------- 6

00 ------- .33" (8.4 mm) ------------------- 8

0 ---------- .32" (8.1 mm) ------------------ 9

1 -------- .30" (7.6 mm) ------------------ 10

2 ---------- .27" (6.9 mm) ------------------ 15

3 ----------- .25" (6.4 mm) ------------------ 18

4 ------------- .24" (6 mm) ------------------ 21



Table from Wikipedia--- buckshot size 0000,1 , 2 and 3 are all very rare|||The best kind for recreational shooting is the cheapest that you can find. I don't really know anything about buck shot. I would probably use what ever is near the shotgun if I used one for self defense. Back during the Great Depression (not the recent one) a guy that lived near where I live caught a chicken thief in his hen house and hit him full in the face with a load of bird shot. The guy hit the ground dead.