Boat/marine shotgun ammunition question?

[Estela216]

Just wondering, for those of you who have shotguns on your pleasure crafts, what kind of ammunition you keep on board. I just ordered a Marine Magnum and it should be in this coming week just in time for striper season. I plan on having some 12 gauge flares, OO buckshot and slugs. However, I'd like to add some waterproof/weatherproof bird shot and mix up my inventory. What kind of ammunition do you suggest, how much and how should it be carried?

 

[sm]

I know you know this, but it bears repeating for folks that don't. I don't care if the Shotgun has "Marine" written on the side of it - they do NOT float, I checked twice to make sure.

Pleasure Crafts...

14ft flatbottom: I used slugs, various buckshot, 1 1/4 oz loads of # 5 hard shot,and some Skeet loads with #8 shot.
This was dealing with Beaver Dams, snakes, alligator gar, snakes, explosives, snakes, Beavers, snakes and beavers...did I mention the snakes?

Ranger Bass Boat: Striper fishing, Slugs, #1 buckshot ( gun patterned these best) more slugs, and the 1 1/4 oz of #5 hard shot.

Chris Craft : Slugs, flares, slugs, 00 buckshot, slugs and a couple cases cases of AA Target loads, Target thrower, and White Flyer Targets. *ahem* undisclosed part of waterway, around some islands, where supposedly resides deer, bear, panthers and other critters...well I guess shooting targets off the stern worked - we never were attacked, raided, boarded or whatever it is happens to folks in big fancy boats.

Pelican water resistant cases are great for ammo storage in 'wet enviroments'.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Mixed bag of 6s, 7.5s, 00 and slugs.

Re flares, there's testimonial evidence that shooting flares from a standard barrel is bad juju. They get stuck behind the choke and burn. The barrel gets red hot and the strength of the metal is compromised. One of the little red plastic launchers is less than $20, a better choice.

 

[357wheelgunner]

If they market the Marine Magnum for use on a boat, maybe they could design some sort of stock that would allow the weapon to float if it were ever dropped overboard? Does anyone make something like that?

 

[sm]

Excellent point on using a Flare gun for Flares.

I never cared for all the "exotic" shotgun loadings, including Mini-shells. Reliability means too much to me.

Yes I have shot some "exotic" loads, for education purposes and thru someone else's gun that was teaching such.

IN the event of an emergency , the OPTION of using the shotgun to fire a flare was there. Murphy's Law being such a Flare gun just might not work when needed, so have more that one , Murphy again...have a backup plan - hence the shotgun.

Slings that come on the Marine 870 work very well. As do slings that were put on the lever action 30-30s and the laynards used on the 1911s and Revos used on this boat. I know others with large boats that use slings and laynards for their weapons as well.