Any pump/auto shotguns feed the shorty shells?

[braindead0]

I'd like to get a shotgun for shooting 3-gun matches.. my choice would be a mossberg 500 (probably), but my wife can't handle the kick.. at least with the 2 3/4" slugs she was shooting.

I was thinking how nifty it would be if she could shoot those cute little shorty shells ;-).. It's either that or a 20ga, or... Perhaps the problem was just that we were shooting slugs, perhaps someone could suggest bird loads that are much lighter??

TIA...

 

[ChristopherG]

Oh, yeah, bird loads are gonna be a lot lighter. I don't know what your rules are for 3-gun (or perhaps your wife doesn't care about the 3-gun?), but if you can shoot 7.5 or 8 shot, you can use the light target loads from Remington or Winchester (I think at least one of these companies specifies 2 3/4 dram equivalence, 1 oz. or even 7/8 oz. of shot). They make shotgunnin fun again. Let her try those out before you bail on the 12. I think I've heard about problems with the shorty shells, but haven't ever tried 'em for myself.

CG

 

[TarpleyG]

Winchesters are the only ones that will feed/eject the Aguila mini shells from what I understand.

GT

 

[braindead0]

Thanks, I've never really shot much shotgun..and never could keep all the different loads straight. They have loaners shotguns at our matches (usually) and they only allow 7/8 shot remington or winchester ammo, perhaps that's what they mean (target ammo).

Next match I'll get some and have my wife try it out..she'll probably get hooked. I know that we were looking at a mossberg 500 a while back and she said...Oooh.. you gonna buy one of those? ;-)

 

[jthuang]

1. I also have heard that the Winchester shotgun will accept the Aguila mini-shells but the best way is to call and ask. I think they will work with other pump guns with some modification to the gun. I do not believe any autos will work with the mini-shells.

2. You say your wife does not enjoy the kick of a 12 gauge 2.75" slug. Maybe you can find 3 gun matches in your area that use birdshot only?

Around my area the 3 gun matches generally use combinations of birdshot and slugs. More birdshot than anything else these days ... is less damaging to steel targets and resetting the targets is easier.

One local club uses IPSC cardboard targets with a big circle cut out in the middle. They use wire hangers to hang a clay bird in the middle of the big circle. The stage is run using birdshot only -- you break the bird, you get full score on the target. Much easier to score too, as you don't have to account for A/B zone hits.

Justin

 

[braindead0]

She's never shot at the 3-gun, we went out shooting the day after our wedding (full-auto fun with a friend of my brothers) and he had a couple of shotguns there. That's the first (and last) time she shot a shotgun, so not much experience.

As far as I know our local 3-gun is all bird shot, unless you really wanna shoot buck/3' magnums..or what have you.

Thanks for the help on this, next 3-gun I'll get her to give it a go.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

on the buck end, there are federal/winchester/PMC low recoil or "tactical" buck loads. These recoil rather lightly- about as much as a trap load.


there are also low recoil slugs. i've not fired any of these so I don't know how grim they are.



on the bird end of things, there are trap loads, which are also low recoil.


as for 3 gun matches, www.wc3gun.com is a good one.

they require buckshot.

 

[CWL]

Don't even consider a Aguilar minishell in the same lethality department as a regular 2.75" 12ga shell.

Don't undergun your SG just because you want to hold more shells.

Reliable feeding of minishells is just one of the problems of the minishell.

 

[Dave McCracken]

IMO, starting her off with light but standard shells AND lessons from a qualified instructor is the best way for her to get shotgun proficient.

12 gauge loads down to 7/8 oz are now available, and as she progresses, she can use the more powerful loads. Walk before running.

 

[jimcon]

3 gun choice

I just got a Remington 1100 Competition Master. I only have a case through it so far. One thing that has impressed me is how soft it shoots. Using Federal tactical 00 buck and slugs, it has less recoil than my 20 ga Ruger Red label. I am impressed. I have found a stotgun the is not punishing to shoot and is fun to boot

 

[blackhawk2000]

Birdshot recoils far less than slugs, or buckshot. In fact I can hold my 1300 like a pistol, and shoot it no problems with birdshot. I wouldn't even think about trying it with a slug, or buck!

 

[JerryN]

Prior to the 2 3/4" chambering standard, pretty much all shotguns had 2.5" chambers. In fact, lots of old shootable shotguns around today are chambered 2.5".

I shoot an old BSA twin tube in that chambering. I only shoot 2.5" RST Ltd. low pressure loads. You might see if you can find some of these rounds. I don't think you'd have any problem shooting 2.5" shells in a 2 3/4" chambered gun. You can shoot 2 3/4" shells in a 3.5" chamber, after all.

These RSTs are low pressure, low recoil. Might be just the thing. They are a little pricey, however.

 

[Robby from Long Island]

I believe the only shotgun that handles the mini-shells is the Winchester 1300 defender.

Other manufacturers SG's can be modified to handle them, but the catchword is "modified".

 

[SDC]

At the SHOT show this year, they had a "mini" pump-action that was designed just for these shells, but I'll be damned if I can remember the name of it; "Phoenix", "PM-7", something like that. Anyway, this thing was extaordinarily ugly, with a pistol-grip and a box magazine that ran up through the pistol-grip, so you'd need BIG hands to hold it comfortably. Imagine something like a pump-action Uzi, with a 16" barrel, and that'd be fairly close.

 

[JerryN]

Forget the "shorty" shells. Have her shoot the RST low pressure 2 1/2" loads. They'll solve the problem.

 

[106rr]

I have used the mini shells. They feed and fire in my 870 Express. They will not easily extract. The slugs are inaccurate.
The buckshot loads use two sizes of buck. The patterns are terrible. They are a great idea whose time has not yet come.

 

[CWL]

These were originally invented in Mexico for rat & pest control, sometimes indoors.

They were meant to be bought by farmers with old single-shots, the cheapness of this minishell v. a standard 2.75" was the marketing feature. Not the ability to hold more in a feed-tube.

Buyer beware unless you have rats in your adobe granary.