F.I.E. 12 gauge single shot

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Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum, I have an F.I.E 12 guage shotgun I bought new in 1983, and its been a reliable gun to use when I need it, my question is, is it safe to use double odd buck 2/34 shot gun shells in, or should I stay with the standard bird shot, the reason I ask is when I purchased this gun the salesman had said he wouldn't trust it for the loads I'm asking about, much appreciated for any response by anyone who has used this gun over the years
 
The gun SHOULD be capable of firing those. That said, if these are running 1500+ fps, it might accelerate some wear. Secondly, depending on the choke it has, your patterns may or may not be to your liking, so hit the pattern board with a few varieties to see what your gun likes.
 
Thank you, much appreciated, the gun is stock with a full choke barrel, I haven't used it in years but I was going to take it out and run a few rounds through it and planned on getting a box of the double odd, just for home defense, as back up to my Ruger P90 45
 
00 Buckshot through a full Choke?
Thats kinda painfull to even think about.
I remember as a kid my first 12GA was a old Stevens long tom with extra full choke, I grabbed a couple my Fathers Goose rounds T-Shot Nitro Mags.
I wanted to hunt squirrels.
Stupid kid, 12 ga stoked with heavy recoiling rounds and a oak tree full of squirrel.
I missed the squirrel, shot off a branch and damn near broke my nose when the recoiling shotgun came up and smacked me.
Yup the Good Old Days!:rofl:
 
Ouch, yes it does have a heck of a kick, so I guess that I shouldn't use that ammo on this gun, I was just hoping in an emergency situation It would be more effective in that shot, then a bird shot, Great story thank you for sharing
 
Id go with #6 duck and phesant loads.
At 25 feet the shot wont have had a chance of spreading out yet.
So its like getting hit with a light slug
With all the pellets still bunched.
Id try it on plywood to test it though.

I do know when shooting 1oz brennike slugs, that the plastic slug wad will punch a hole through 1/4" plywood target backing at 15 yds & 20 yds.

As I recall #9 up to #5 is called birdshot and #4 on the the 000 is Buckshot.
 
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As I recall #9 up to #5 is called birdshot and #4 on the the 000 is Buckshot.
Sorry but that is wrong, bird shot goes from 9's right on down to BB, BBB, there is #4 shot size and #4 buck, large difference.

Here is a chart showing most sizes to understand the numbers. https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Shot-Information-Data-Tables/products/595/

Donald, welcome to The High Road. A reduced recoil buckshot load should be fine in your shotgun, but I wouldn't feed it a steady diet of those loads. Full choke may make the pattern open up pretty quickly, but inside 15 yards should be fine.
 
Thank you for all the info, haven't used this gun in about 20 years so I forgotten a lot of what I used to use. Very much appreciated
 
Thank you for all the info, haven't used this gun in about 20 years so I forgotten a lot of what I used to use. Very much appreciated
If I were you, and assuming your P90 is reliable, I wouldn't put much effort into finding a buckshot load for your single shot. Keep that for hunting, that's what it's for. :thumbup:
 
Had one years ago that would breech when using high brass shells. Didn't matter if it was buck or #9.
 
Your full choke is the tightest of the 3 standard chokes ( improved, modified and full). The restriction at the muzzle is the smallest. A dime will not fit into the barrel at the muzzle of a full choke though a modified choke is open enough to admit a dime. This is one of the typical ways to determine the choke of a shotgun if you you think its either a full or modified.

0-0 buckshot is the largest shot size commonly used and is a .33" diameter lead sphere. A 2-3/4" shell usually holds 9 pellets of double aught buck and the tight full choke will deform the large pellets being forced through it which is why double aught doesn't pattern well from a full choke gun and will usually produce a better and tighter pattern from a modified choke or other more open choke.

If you want to use buck shot for home defense from your full choke shotgun I would suggest you get some number 4 buck. Number 4 buck has a nominal diameter of .24" and the typical 2-3/4" 12 ga shell holds 27 pellets. These should perform much better from your full choke than the much larger double aught buck. shot. Unless you live in a very large house the range you will be shooting at a potential threat will usually be well under 15 yards so the spread of shot will be minimal and the gun will have to be shouldered and aimed to ensure a hit.
 
I realize that the thread has been up for ten days and has received numerous replies..... but they vary a lot. For clarity: Your FIE should be safe to shoot any 12 gauge shotshell for which it is chambered. (The pressure standards are no different for Slugs and Buckshot than birdshot.) 00 buck is perfectly safe through a full choke. It may pattern very tightly or not so much..... the only way to know is pattern testing. (However, almost any shot size through any choke is likely to be a one big hole load at inside the house distances). A standard buckshot load will likely recoil heavily in a lightweight single shot. This is NOT going to harm the gun but it may bruise your shoulder.
 
Thank you for all the great info, I used to use this gun all the time and is a blast to shoot, Love the kick, but you know how life gets in the way, and before I knew it, 20 years went by, I have a Ruger simi auto 45, that's a great gun for the defence, but they way the world is going it's always good to have a great back up, hence why the question, sounds like the number 4 shot is the best choice, and all your answers are much appreciated, Merry Christmas everyone and thank you for everything
 
Id go with #6 duck and phesant loads.
At 25 feet the shot wont have had a chance of spreading out yet.
So its like getting hit with a light slug
With all the pellets still bunched.
Id try it on plywood to test it though.

I do know when shooting 1oz brennike slugs, that the plastic slug wad will punch a hole through 1/4" plywood target backing at 15 yds & 20 yds.

As I recall #9 up to #5 is called birdshot and #4 on the the 000 is Buckshot.
NO, NO, NO, and NO! And you recall wrong: #4 birdshot is quite different from #4 Buck. (.130" vs 240') https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun_shell
Donald, find some reduced recoil Federal 00 Buck, I recommend this load here;
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002097846
Birdshot is not consistently effective for Home Defense.
 
I have one of these. It’s a modified fixed choke and it doesn’t have the ornate markings on the receiver. They seem well made for the cost. From what I’ve read most were imported in the 80s. Mine has shot every type of shell without issue.
 
Thank you so much, I bought mine in 1983 and have only used 2 3/4 high based number 6 and 7 bird shot, that's why I was wondering if it was safe to use the other shells I had asked about
 
My uncle was a homicide cop on the Ft Worth PD and saw several people shot with bird shot loads. It happened because the homeowner owned a shotgun used for dove and duck hunting and had #4 or #6 birdshot on hand when a burglar broke in. So thats what they used. I asked him if the small shot worked. He said everyone shot with it was dead when he got to them. So yes, across the room the larger bird shot sizes will work.

I keep my 12ga with some of the Sellier & Bellot #4 Buck like mentioned earlier. Thats a great round round and when I bought them they were very reasonable on price and came in a 10 round box.
 
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