What to stoke up as the leadoff shell in a Shockwave or other short shotgun?

Which shell would you choose for the first shot in the chamber?


  • Total voters
    142
How about a tracer? If you set him on fire , the buckshot will put it out.


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Hickok 45 does a cool video, but as we can see from the bandage on his hand there are out takes. The slug shots were all practiced ahead of time. The gong targets are also quite large at the extended distances. This is not meant to say that the individual doesn't have shooting ability, just to highlight that there is some practice going on in the background.

There are all very solid loads in the poll. It would be really cool if the guys that had Shockwaves could post their test pattern data and maybe we could find out what works best and gives the most useful range.
The list of interest is growing for me:
Winchester PDX Defender 3xOO Buck and Slug
Federal Flitecontrol OOB 12 pellet 3"
Federal Flitecontrol #1 Buck 15 pellet 2¾"
NSI multi defense 6x#1 Buck 1x.650 round ball
 
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My house is rather small. Longest distance is probably no more than 5 yards. At that range almost anything out of a 12 GA. is devastating to a human threat.

No, I'm not saying I use the lightest #9 trap load on the market... but yes, at 5 yds that choice is most certainly lethal.

I have 000 BK right now but wouldn't feel defenseless with 00, 0, 4 BK, #6 turkey or whatever.

Any difference between the loads is overshadowed by how much (or little) training and proficiency we have with our guns anyway.
 
Don't have a shockwave, but have an 18" 500 and a 6" super shorty. I've tried the good stuff with flite control wads and the cheap Walmart stuff, all 00 buck. The 18" gets cheap stuff cause it patterns better at my realistic distances. The super shorty gets flite control cause it actuall spreads while the cheap stuff doesn't at those distances from that gun. My advice is try it where you'll most likely use it (hopefully never) and use what works for you.
 

It is, but I immediately discount the author's intelligence due to this unfortunate mistake:

First, he/she cites this:

Sawed-off firearm means a shotgun with a barrel less than eighteen inches long, or a rifle with a barrel less than sixteen inches long, or a shotgun or rifle less than twenty-six inches long overall." Emphasis added.


Then, he/she cites this:

The Mossberg Shockwave has a barrel length of 14". Accordingly, with a barrel of less than 16" long, it is considered a "Sawed-off firearm" under Ohio Law. In Ohio, there is no barrel length exception, even with an overall length of 26" or greater.


Stopped paying attention after that misstatement, which constituted the first two paragraphs of Sean's legal opinion. Thanks for trying . . .
 
It is, but I immediately discount the author's intelligence due to this unfortunate mistake:

First, he/she cites this:

Sawed-off firearm means a shotgun with a barrel less than eighteen inches long, or a rifle with a barrel less than sixteen inches long, or a shotgun or rifle less than twenty-six inches long overall." Emphasis added.


Then, he/she cites this:

The Mossberg Shockwave has a barrel length of 14". Accordingly, with a barrel of less than 16" long, it is considered a "Sawed-off firearm" under Ohio Law. In Ohio, there is no barrel length exception, even with an overall length of 26" or greater.


Stopped paying attention after that misstatement, which constituted the first two paragraphs of Sean's legal opinion. Thanks for trying . . .

I saw the "supposed error" in the interpretation also, BUT since the gun is not an SBS or AOW under BATFE rulings this week he's trying to revert to the 16" for the firearm. Then he has the whole phrase in about the law not being interpreted to an absurd result and taking common accepted definitions so that puts it right back in the shotgun category as far the state is concerned. Finally, we have all the OR's which pretty much turn the whole thing into a nope show catch all. Two out of three nopes is bad.
 
Don't have a shockwave, but have an 18" 500 and a 6" super shorty. I've tried the good stuff with flite control wads and the cheap Walmart stuff, all 00 buck. The 18" gets cheap stuff cause it patterns better at my realistic distances. The super shorty gets flite control cause it actuall spreads while the cheap stuff doesn't at those distances from that gun. My advice is try it where you'll most likely use it (hopefully never) and use what works for you.

Am I reading this correctly that you are trying to tell us that the Flitecontrol makes even bigger patterns than the cheap buffered buckshot from Walmart?

In other news, I watched some videos of folks patterning their Shockwaves​. First up is "long beard" who single loads OO Buck from the box, but somehow he found a magic load from Speer Lawman of OO Buck that is either glued or magnetized together out to fifteen yards. Or that goofball shot over the target with the patterns at the closer ranges and only the shot cup hit paper. The follow up with Winchester OO Buck clearly shows he didn't miss the target, but he gives cause to wonder.
For your viewing pleasure:Mossberg 590 Shockwave Review - YouTube
A better video where a guy does two tests of #4 Buck one Fiocchi and one Remington followed by Federal Classic OOB. This video is a lot better with someone who is at least comfortable with the pump shotgun:Patterning Buckshot With The Mossberg 590 Shockwave - YouTube
ETA: Speer Lawman OO Buck was/is an eight pellet Flitecontrol offering...no wonder it was super tight.
 
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I saw the "supposed error" in the interpretation also, BUT since the gun is not an SBS or AOW under BATFE rulings this week he's trying to revert to the 16" for the firearm. Then he has the whole phrase in about the law not being interpreted to an absurd result and taking common accepted definitions so that puts it right back in the shotgun category as far the state is concerned. Finally, we have all the OR's which pretty much turn the whole thing into a nope show catch all. Two out of three nopes is bad.

I have no idea how to relate what you typed to the law at hand . . .
 
This depends on what my precived threat level is... Large bear? Griz? Or Meth fueled doper kicking in my door... Literally, a loaded question.. Bear? Gets the slug, garbage gets triple odd buckshot.. Kyle

Dumb and/or drunk teenager, rubber pellets. :)
 
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147 grain HST if I'm not going to be using a proper long gun. If using a shotgun then all of the shells in it would be either 2.75" #1 or 00 buckshot or slugs.

Does anyone continue to seriously question the value of low brass target loads at close range after watching that video?
Me. Nothing in Hickock45's video showed birdshot demonstrating adequate penetration. His video did demonstrate how awkward, slow, and inaccurate pistol-grip only shotguns are.
 
Just got back from the club's Plinking range. Shot 25ea birdshot and 00.

I followed the advice/techniques from the Thunder Ranch video. I found everything he said and along with what others here have echoed to be true. Easy to put lead on target and not terribly punishing to shoot. There was a couple others guys at the Plinking range who were of course curious and wandered over to see. Naturally, I handed the Shockwave to them and told them to give it a try. Afterward, both had identical grins and said they were buying one. And both commented that it was less punishing to shoot than they imagined. The verdict is in... happy Shockwave camper. :)

18in Winchester for comparison.

 
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Well today I went shopping for buckshot to pattern my gadget. I went to Greentop Sporting Goods and picked up a few boxes. I balked at the cost of the PDX Defender shells and felt like the 000 Buck will actually do more damage than the those guys which were super slow. It was an eye opening experience as to how slow some buckshot offerings are. Pay particular attention​ to the #1 and #4 which really shocked me in the 3" offerings​. I will take my time patterning both Shockwaves and see which patterns best with the offerings I was able to procure. ZERO Flitecontrol offerings were in stock. I did pick up an interesting high velocity 12 pellet load from Winchester. Almost 1500 feet per second. I'm sort of pulling for it, but will try to remain objective.
 

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