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' Had the old "upland game bird shotgun" out this weekend while contemplatin' a dove hunt. While gathering up and packinng a few boxes of 8's, I came across several boxes of Winchester "Ranger" "Low Recoil" 00 buckshot that I'd picked up at TSRA gun show back in February (March?).

Anyhoo, a buddy had given me a box of the stuff a year or so ago and it patterned tighter from 870 than anything I'd tested before. (Federal low Recoil "Tactical" was prior champ.)

I ran three quick rounds of the "Low Recoil" (which is actually "high brass") Ranger loads through old Winchester semi-auto 12 gauge today - to function test (for proper cycling) as much as anything. First two rounds were on B-27 target at 15 yards with third round on same type target at 7 yards.

At 7 yards (with screw-in modified choke tube), the load obliterated the X ring with a 2 1/2" hole. One of the 9 shot groups at 15 yards measured right at 6", the other just under 7". Not too shabby.

Greybeard wrote:' At 7 yards (with screw-in modified choke tube), the load obliterated the X ring with a 2 1/2" hole. One of the 9 shot groups at 15 yards measured right at 6", the other just under 7". Not too shabby.

Not only is that "Not too shabby", that's downright impressive in my experience.

Gonna have to try some of that stuff myself.....if I can find a range in my neck of the woods that will allow shotguns with anything other than 7 1/2 bird shot.

"downright impressive in my experience."

Yep, the tightest I've tested. My son has digital camera or I'd post a pix of the shot cup - which I suspect is a primary part of the ticket. It's got about a 1 /4" tall base, then about a 3/8" (slimmer) slotted "neck" attached to 4 quite stiff "fingers".

Seems like I read that Hornady's "TAP" loads are supposedly "the best", but have not yet tried a box of 'em ...

Yep, it's getting more and more difficult to find shotgun shootin' places. Since Backwoods (east of Denton) closed a year or two ago, lots of folks up here hurtin' too. I bend a rule every now and then with shotgun at our place, but stationary targets just ain't the same ...

Greybeard wrote:' At 7 yards (with screw-in modified choke tube), the load obliterated the X ring with a 2 1/2" hole.

One of the 9 shot groups at 15 yards measured right at 6", the other just under 7". Not too shabby.

A good reminder that shotguns when used for "in home" defensive purposes are not just "point that way" and shoot weapons. They still need to be aimed.

Even with a "cylinder" barrel the shot does not spread much at normal room distances (10-20 ft.).


Good post!

Quote: "A good reminder that shotguns when used for "in home" defensive purposes are not just "point that way" and shoot weapons. They still need to be aimed."

For sure.

With prior similar testing with 20 gauge Ithica featherweight (with chopped "cylinder" barrel), if not aiming carefully, it's been common to have one or two pellets (of 20) of standard #2 buck off the 24" wide paper at 50' (max distance in our range).

As a general rule, what we teach in hunter ed classes is that with a modified choke, generic birdshot loads spread roughly 1" for every yard of travel ... But one never knows for sure with a particular load and choke until it's put on paper ...