Shotgun Observations from the ProAm

[warpspeed]

what is the benefit of fancier birdshot, besides having a nicer crimp?

My experience has been a lack of consistency. Most notably, low shot weight.

[ShootfastRunfaster]

I find it funny that people take shooting guatymotto cheap junk wally world ammo as some kind of

badge of honor.

Cheap ammo for practice..fine, as a test of your guns ability to run with less than optimal ammo sure, cheap

out at 3 more bucks a box when you just spent 6 or 8 or 12 hundred bucks on the match itself is....FOOLISH!

If not now...when. It will bite you. And that's the others guys cue to pass you!

Patrick

+1

I used to run Remington Heavy Dove in all my guns until the 870 I set up for HM refused to digest it. I found that it only ran reliably (without sticky exraction) when I ran premium birdshot in it. I tried Remington STS and Winchester AA's, and the Remingtons patterned better.

The extra cost is a moot point. The STS only runs 14 dollars more per case, so why not run it?

This has carried over to my M2 also. I have no problem paying a little more for ammo that I know will run better. I don't want to drive 9 hours to a match to have my gun choke on the ammo I am trying to feed it. (Even though that is what I did with my rifle this year at RM3G . )

Edited September 2, 2011 by ShootfastRunfaster

[Fullauto_Shooter]

I find it funny that people take shooting guatymotto cheap junk wally world ammo as some kind of

badge of honor.

Cheap ammo for practice..fine, as a test of your guns ability to run with less than optimal ammo sure, cheap

out at 3 more bucks a box when you just spent 6 or 8 or 12 hundred bucks on the match itself is....FOOLISH!

If not now...when. It will bite you. And that's the others guys cue to pass you!

Patrick

+1

I used to run Remington Heavy Dove in all my guns until the 870 I set up for HM refused to digest it. I found that it only ran reliably (without sticky exraction) when I ran premium birdshot in it. I tried Remington STS and Winchester AA's, and the Remingtons patterned better.

The extra cost is a moot point. The STS only runs 14 dollars more per case, so why not run it?

This has carried over to my M2 also. I have no problem paying a little more for ammo that I know will run better. I don't want to drive 9 hours to a match to have my gun choke on the ammo I am trying to feed it. (Even though that is what I did with my rifle this year at RM3G . )

Hell, I thought Remington ShurShot Heavy Dove (the type that Academy sells) WAS premium ammo - this is practically all I've used for the past 4-5 years and have had no ammo-related failures in my Benny-tuned M2.

I don't shoot the stuff from Wal Mart - they sell another "version" of Remington Heavy Dove with the cheap-ass silver colored case-head. I tried to save a few bucks with this crap a couple years back and it only ran about 95%. Good news is I found it didn't run before a match when I was testing it - hate to learn hard lessons on the clock.

[J.Schmitt]

Hell, I thought Remington ShurShot Heavy Dove (the type that Academy sells) WAS premium ammo - this is practically all I've used for the past 4-5 years and have had no ammo-related failures in my Benny-tuned M2.

I don't shoot the stuff from Wal Mart - they sell another "version" of Remington Heavy Dove with the cheap-ass silver colored case-head. I tried to save a few bucks with this crap a couple years back and it only ran about 95%. Good news is I found it didn't run before a match when I was testing it - hate to learn hard lessons on the clock.

I was running the Heavy Dove at last years Midwest 3 gun in my M1. I had a few malfunctions. I noted later on video that as the round was ejecting, I was getting burning powder flame coming back out of the ejection port as well as the front of the spent hull. The powder used can definitely be an issue.

Jay

[M ammo]

I find it funny that people take shooting guatymotto cheap junk wally world ammo as some kind of

badge of honor.

Cheap ammo for practice..fine, as a test of your guns ability to run with less than optimal ammo sure, cheap

out at 3 more bucks a box when you just spent 6 or 8 or 12 hundred bucks on the match itself is....FOOLISH!

If not now...when. It will bite you. And that's the others guys cue to pass you!

Patrick

I feel cheap!!! no badge of anything those Wally World shells, work,,, and , are the only factory ammo I run, I load all the other ammo I shoot,

Yes I cast and load slugs and buckshot. they work, in my M2 and lukes, M2,, if it is not broken,, don't fix it, if I had problems with that ammo,, I would try something different,,,

[AlamoShooter]

what is the benefit of fancier birdshot, besides having a nicer crimp?

My experience has been a lack of consistency. Most notably, low shot weight.

This is true and a big factor for Flying Clay targets ware the shooter wants to open up the choke to give the best pattern for the target presentation.

Its the plastic Wad that is the biggest difference in the shells. The cheapest shells let the lead in shot mash and scrape the sided of the barrel as they are shot.

The good wads protect the shot from being mashed and flattened as they are shot. & the shot has a higher 'hardness' level in the better shells

The brass / metal base is better = less likely to strip an edge off in extraction.

If I was a much better shooter , I would not worry about the one hit out of 100 that the better shells give me

Edited September 2, 2011 by AlamoShooter

[Nuke8401]

The price of my shot shells has not been the limiting factor in my 3 gun performance.

If either: 1) I experience a malfunction(s) or 2) when I get ready to bump into the top 10 at a major match I might consider upgrading from what I know already works for me in my gun.

So if the cheap stuff works and I use it for practice, the last thing I want to do is change/do something different for a match. This goes for everything, no changes before a match.

If money were no object I would have the best of everything and the result would be I would finish slightly better than I do now.

So shooting in AM I had zero equipment malfunctions; G34, 930, Franken AR. But as others have said I think knowing and maintaining my equipment in top shape is very important.

So for a new guy to 3 gun, using cheap gear and iron sights, I finished 35th, and if I had not dropped stage 5 (129th) I would have finished more like 15th.

So OK, I need to improve my shotgun skills/performance so I’ll try the expensive stuff at my next match.

I don’t like cheap stuff that doesn’t work.

I do like cheap stuff that does work.

David E.

Edited September 2, 2011 by Nuke8401

[Chills1994]

How did the 870's and the Mossberg 500/590's do? Or the novas?

Edited September 2, 2011 by Chills1994

[SMSI]

I ran my M-2 Salient Benelli with Remington STS and a light modified choke through out the Pro match with no problems. I though about changing chokes several times but did not. I only had a few make up shots and those were my fault.

I thought those post & plate shotgun targets were great. Who makes them? (I know that any competent welder could, but I am not one). I liked the way the plates fit exactly on the stands. Also, a hit on the post was unlikely to knock the plate off, unlike many clay bird holders. Those were made to require a good hit, not just a couple of grains of #9. The only problem was that I had to slow down to verify the plate fell, since they could move some w/o falling.

I cannot believe anyone would not set the plate flush on the base. That ain't right!

[ken hebert]

AA and Winlite only through my M2, knock on wood 100% to date. Light maintenance, decent lube, and spaghetti before the match.

Iffy shells in practice, quality in matches whether they be local or majors.

[DaG]

I ran Remington bulk pack #8 (Wally World)in a M2 for the AM match with a mod choke. I didn't have any issues but you had to aim. So far it has ran all Wally World ammo without a hiccup, but also it is bone stock except for bolt handle. Can bolt mods effect reliabilty as far as feeding,extracting and ejecting goes?

DaG

Edited September 4, 2011 by DaG

[prreed10]

AA's for me in a big match.

My M2 ripped two brass rims off Remington Heavy dove hulls in a match earlier this year. I had 2 FTF's with the cheap Federal this summer in a match as well after I put 150 through the gun in practice without problems!

[HRider]

I ran Walmart Federal through my Benelli Nova at the ProAm. I had zero shotgun malfunctions. The Federals pattern good (the ones that I have checked) in my gun. When I did my part, the targets went down, when I tried to go too fast and got sloppy, they didn't. I started playing in HM a year and a half ago, and have been trying to learn to shoot a pump fast without pulling off target ever since.

I was fortunate that for the whole match, other than a burst issue with my rifle on the long range stage, I had no equipment malfunctions, I let my equipment down on several stages though.

I do run Winchester AA through my M1S90 when I shoot it in matches though.

Hurley

[Lead-Head]

I was RO on am stage 2, which was all shotgun. I saw all kinds of issues. I could probably count more remington autoloaders that failed than ones that worked. It sucks to see guys come out for a match and have their gun cost them 10-15 seconds on a stage. Also saw a lot of guys trying to knock over a plate at over 15 yards with IC and dove loads, not easy.

Edited September 4, 2011 by Lead-Head

[Red_SC]

I started playing in HM a year and a half ago, and have been trying to learn to shoot a pump fast without pulling off target ever since.

Hurley

Great job at the match, btw.

[3gungeezer]

My 590A1 ran without a hitch.

[serevince]

Put about 150 rounds through my 930 today mostly wally world Federal. 1 malfunction, but it would be a show stopper in a match. Added some lube and had no more hiccups, but you've sowed the seeds of doubt.

[AlamoShooter]

Put about 150 rounds through my 930 today mostly wally world Federal. 1 malfunction, but it would be a show stopper in a match. Added some lube and had no more hiccups, but you've sowed the seeds of doubt.

Yep , Its kinda funny to me that shotguns stages and handgun stages have a lot in common , But how many handgun shooter use the cheapest ammo they can find ?