If you could only have one shot size?

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thesolidus

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If you had to pick one shot size, for any conceivable situation, what would it be?

I'm wanting something big enough for large animal, enough pattern for turkey or other fowl, cheap enough to buy in bulk (and of course magically accurate and doubles as breakfast cereal but i'll try to stay reasonable...)

Right now my sidesaddle looks like a candy cane with varied color coded shot-shells from little to big progressively. No problem there. Just want to lay in a couple boxes at the cabin for me or one of the other few guys (each with different shotguns/ chokes) when we stay up there. Area has deer, bear, coyote, turkey, skunk, and meth-heads and is poop-in the woods rustic so having a scatter gun at hand is SOP.

Thinking about B or BB size steel waterfowl shells. They're cheaper than buck, come in box of 24 and seem the balance between pattern and penetration. Too small for larger critters though?
 
Maybe BB or #1 buckshot. If you are close enough with a 12 guage, it isn't going to much matter what you are firing.
 
probably impossible.

yeah, that's what i'm thinking.

That's why my detachable sidesaddle has the variety.

Probably no such thing as a "universal shotshell" for hunting. Can always stack the tube, but that doesn't account for choke tubes...

I'm kind of liking the BB size for the 'middle of the night, rustle at the trash can, could be anything critter' but sure ain't tryin to hunt dove with a goose load!

(You know why the Dove is "the bird of peace"? Cause they don't shoot back!)
 
Area has deer, bear, coyote, turkey, skunk, and meth-heads and is poop-in the woods rustic so having a scatter gun at hand is SOP.
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That sounds like my area although meth-heads are replaced by dope growers.

My side-saddle looked like a candy cane until I found myself in a somewhat awkward situation and wasn't entirely sure what was in my gun. After the situation resolved itself without the need to fire I reconsidered my choices.

The only shot I use now is #4 Buck and it's for small critters. For everything else I have Brenneke slugs.
 
Area has deer, bear, coyote, turkey, skunk, and meth-heads and is poop-in the woods rustic so having a scatter gun at hand is SOP.
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Especially with the meth-head situation, it would seem better to be having an AR handy
 
There are plenty of druggies here, but none I need to worry about unless they decide they need something I own. I just leave the shotgun in the bedroom loaded with Number 3 buck, 20 gauge 2 3/4" along with one of my .38s and .357s and whatever I'm carrying that day at night. The shotgun is a SxS coach gun that I bought for dove hunting. When I go hunting, the butt cuff comes off (messes up the gun's balance and is un-necessary in the field), a shell belt pouch goes on with the load of choice for the day. If I'm duck hunting (do that a lot) I use a big fanny pack for a cartridge carrier and tuck it under my waders to keep water from getting on it. Shell "brass" rusts up rather quickly when salt water gets on it. Steel shot is too expensive to just go throwing away.

So, I only keep buck shot and one slug on the gun in the bedroom and pull the butt cuff off when I'm going to use the gun in the field. I usually shoot 15 or so rounds in a good morning duck hunting, a few rounds less in the coach gun, actually. My auto and pump can eat ammo a little more, LOL. If the doves are really flying, it's a 12 bird limit and I usually average 2.5 to 3.5 shots per bird, so I'm going to use WAY more rounds than any sort of butt cuff or side saddle would carry. If you could put 2 boxes on a gun some how, it'd attenuate the recoil, I guess, but it'd be hell for slow to swing. LOL!

So, anyway, I don't really get this question. I'm not sure why I'd want a 7.5 shot round in a side saddle on a home defense gun. Number 3 buck can kill raccoons, too. And, when I'm dove hunting, I normally use my 20 gauge. I'll use the 10 gauge for hog or geese. I'll use my 12s in the marsh duck hunting and occasionally on dove and I'll occasionally use the 20 loaded with number 4 steel 3" on a duck/teal hunt. Just depends on my mood each day. I keep the 20 handy in the house, so it's the only one I hunt with that I also use for safe room defense. So, since I have other gauges anyway, what's the big deal with buying different shot sizes, too? Can't shoot a 20 gauge in a 10 gauge gun and vice versa after all. :D
 
The best all-around load is ... HA, thought you'd got me on that one. I hate "If you could only have one" threads because, uh, that's an unreasonable requirement. I, frankly, only use two loads... but then again I need two loads. Either it's a bird/rabbit gun or it's a deer/human gun. Don't shoot turkeys, geese, or ducks, but then I'd need three or four loads. Thats' why you love the shotgun for its versatility.
 
Do you practice with 00? Shoot skeet with 00? Anyone can hit a piece of static paper with a shotgun. If you wanna really know your shotgun.....I'm just sayin'. Seems like even a guy that don't hunt would want some small shot loads around for practice. Also, a box of dove loads is a whole lot cheaper than a box of 00. Well, they're about the same, but you get five times more rounds in the box. :D
 
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Do you practice with 00? Shoot skeet with 00? Anyone can hit a piece of static paper with a shotgun. If you wanna really know your shotgun.....I'm just sayin'. Seems like even a guy that don't hunt would want some small shot loads around for practice. Also, a box of dove loads is a whole lot cheaper than a box of 00. Well, they're about the same, but you get five times more rounds in the box.
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I cant speak for the individual that your response was meant for, but Ill chime in on this one anyway.

Personally, I DO practice with 00 Buck. Why? Because I firmly believe in practicing (for the most part) with the same loads as one would be inclined to use for HD. Now, Im no ammo expert, so maybe practicing with birdshot would be just the same (distance, pattern, recoil, etc.) as with 9 pellet 00 Buck..I dont know at this point.

Im certainly open to suggestions as (you mentioned earlier) 00 Buck can get quite expensive. But, Im sure that once Ive reached say 150-200 reliable feeds/fires/extractions using my current HD ammo, I will probably go with other less costly rounds. Until then, its all about proving ammo/shotgun compatability (and reliability).

But, to answer the OP's question: 00 Buckshot is what I would choose. After all, it perfectly addresses the need as to why I bought a shotgun in the first place. Of course, based on your original post, HD isnt really of primary concern here so....cant help you there.
 
When I "practice" with a shotgun, I'm shooting up in the air off a trap or in the field at a bird. I'm not shooting 00. I rarely shoot at static paper, such a bore, can do it in my sleep. That's much more fun with a handgun. Swing, follow through, lead, hey, thems shotgun skillz. But, if running around playing army and shooting bad paper guys is practice, fine. I still think it'd be cheaper with dove loads. I am plenty used to heavy recoil, though. Try putting 21 rounds of 10 gauge 3.5" T shot in the air in a morning of goose hunting. :D 12 gauge slugs from a light gun rival it, I reckon.

I keep the 20 gauge with 3 buck loaded in the bedroom. Recoil really isn't an issue for HD. I'm so used to shotguns after 47 years of wing shooting, shooting 3 buck for practice just really isn't an issue. I still have to concentrate on swing and follow through or them little doves will eat me up, though, LOL! They do have a way of making an old shotgunner look foolish sometimes.

I look upon shotguns similar to recurve bows, best shot instinctively and the way to learn to be one with the gun is to shoot it a lot at what it was designed to shoot, small moving objects. Tactical strategy is another subject, but pure shotgun marksmanship is what I'm talking about. My tactical strategy is quite simple, hide behind the locked bedroom door and point at it with the shotgun while calling 911. Neat thing, I didn't have to get a BS degree in the arts of war to learn it.
 
When I "practice" with a shotgun, I'm shooting up in the air off a trap or in the field at a bird. I'm not shooting 00. I rarely shoot at static paper, such a bore, can do it in my sleep. That's much more fun with a handgun. Swing, follow through, lead, hey, thems shotgun skillz. But, if running around playing army and shooting bad paper guys is practice, fine. I still think it'd be cheaper with dove loads. I am plenty used to heavy recoil, though. Try putting 21 rounds of 10 gauge 3.5" T shot in the air in a morning of goose hunting. 12 gauge slugs from a light gun rival it, I reckon.

I keep the 20 gauge with 3 buck loaded in the bedroom. Recoil really isn't an issue for HD. I'm so used to shotguns after 47 years of wing shooting, shooting 3 buck for practice just really isn't an issue. I still have to concentrate on swing and follow through or them little doves will eat me up, though, LOL! They do have a way of making an old shotgunner look foolish sometimes.

I look upon shotguns similar to recurve bows, best shot instinctively and the way to learn to be one with the gun is to shoot it a lot at what it was designed to shoot, small moving objects. Tactical strategy is another subject, but pure shotgun marksmanship is what I'm talking about. My tactical strategy is quite simple, hide behind the locked bedroom door and point at it with the shotgun while calling 911. Neat thing, I didn't have to get a BS degree in the arts of war to learn it.
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You have made some good points. I guess I cant claim (as of yet) "true shotgun skills" then as I tend to use 00 Buck, shoot at paper (but have yet to play army commando) and have yet to experience "swing' while chasing live or inanimate game. But, for some reason, I still feel confident that I can hit a BG within 15 yards of me. Now, if this BG starts flying through the air..then Im certainly out of my element. ;)

I do not hunt and do not have ready access to "outdoor" type ranges. Hence, I only have three things I can rely on at this point: Familiarity with my shotgun/ammo of choice, familiarity with its pattern/range and familiarity/confidence in my approach to "tactics." I can only hope that, at this point, this would prove enough to save my life one day...should it become necessary. If I felt that shooting game, trap/skeet, whatever, was necessary for me to survive an HD encounter when weilding a shotgun...well, I would sell all of them and stick with handguns from this point forward.

I applaud your experience..what more can I say? Oh, and you are right in that shooting at paper can become quite boring.
 
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#4 HeviShot used within the right limitations would probably do it. With big game keep it under 5 yds.

I like actually answering the OPs questions in my posts.
 
Yep. #4 high-brass if you're for some hypothetical reason limited to only one.

Les
 
I like actually answering the OPs questions in my posts.
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Seems to me like every post here has essentially pertained to the OP's original request. Backhanded comments such as this are not really necessary, are they?
 
Seems to me like every post here has essentially pertained to the OP's original request. Backhanded comments such as this are not really necessary, are they?
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I'm not offended. I answered honestly - I don't know. I almost said #4 but then realized I would be talking out my butt. I used to plink a lot with #7 and may even have some around (around 20 years ago some of it missed some doves), but I do practice with buck and slugs. I have no real interest in wing shooting and regard my shotguns as weapons. So I really can't speak to an "all around" shot size, if there is such a thing. But I do admire people that have worked hard enough to become good wing shots.
 
Check your local regulations. In some places BB is the largest shot size legal for hunting. Throw in a hat-full of slugs and call it good.

If buckshot is an option, I am rather partial to #1 buck in the short magnum [21 pellet] or 3" [24 pellet] if your gun is so chambered.
 
Closest I could come would be #6 and slugs.

In fact, in times past, I've actually loaded a bug-out bag or two with just that.
 
The operative word here being "Shot" I would pick # 6 lead or Hevi-Shot. And as Mr Shirley suggested, throw in a cache of "Slugs" (not shot) and you would be set for most anything.
 
Hey, chas08, you don't need the slugs, for that matter. Well, I don't know if I'd ever try this with heavy shot or steel, but you can "ring" a shell in a pinch, like the old farts did during the depression, to take out a deer at 40 yards with number six lead shot. I fired a few in my miss-spent youth and they were actually amazingly accurate to short range. I do not make a habit of doing this and ain't even going to describe it here as I don't recommend it, but it's something I'd do if I had to in a survival situation. I've done it with a single shot full choked 16 gauge with no ill effects to gun or shooter. I might have been a lucky idiot, though, don't know. LOL
 
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