muddywings Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Since the original M3000 is epically long I thought I would start a new one with the M3K hitting the market to get opinions on what type of loads people are putting through their M3000/M3K. Hoping that those who posted their opinions in the long thread can take a moment to post what they have been using in this one; what works and what doesn't work and keep this thread's focus more narrow for search-ability purposes. Thanks for any input! (Of course is the mods don't like that I'm sure I'll know soon enough...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WidowsSon683 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 My M3000 likes RIO and Winchester 7.5 shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openclassterror Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 (edited) For general purpose practice and local club matches, I use Federal bulk from Walmart, 7-1/2 or 8, 1200fps 3dr-eq 1-1/8oz shot. Others that have worked well- Remington game loads, 1oz @1290 Remington Nitro Sporting Clays 1300fps, 1-1/8oz #7-1/2 shot (my go-to for major matches, always runs 100%) Remington Pheasant loads, 1-1/4oz #6 Good for steel at distance Kent Fastlead (something ridiculous like 1-1/2oz at 1450, GREAT for spinners!) Slugs- Federal Truball, 1oz@ 1300. Good accuracy and 100% cycling Speer Lawman 1oz@1200 Aero 1oz (7/8oz don't always cycle) Pretty much any slug 1oz@1200 or better will run all the time, test to find what gives best accuracy in your barrel and buy a case. These are things I have tried personally in my guns as well as my son's. We use the Federal to test-fire every shotgun before it ships. You may get one short stroke ejection failure every 3-400 rounds with this, unless the gun has been slicked up for light loads. With the proper mods, they will cycle from the very first shot without Stoeger's recommended "break-in" with heavy shells. What HASN'T worked- Estate cheapos- consistent short-stroke failures. Looks like an FTE (empty in the ejection port, next round is on the carrier), but is caused by barely making contact with the ejector. Sometimes a whole lot will have sufficient power to run the gun, and then the next batch will have 70% cycling failures. Lot-to-lot variations are significant. Winchester Bulk 100packs. These have a rounded rim, and don't extract well from inertia guns. You can see the difference holding one up next to just about any other brand of shell. A few customers report that their Stoegers will run it, but definitely an exception to the rule. Bargain priced RIO low base shells. The higher powered RIOs with high base brass have a different rim stamp shape, and work OK. But the low base ones are underpowered, inconsistent powder charge, and have poor extraction due to the rim shape. These are not hard-and-fast rules, but represent what we have seen over a sample size of 300+ shotguns in general terms How is that for a start? Edited May 5, 2015 by openclassterror Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddywings Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 What I was hoping for (Bit easier than searching through 90 pages of the epic thread) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 (edited) Mine, as built by Tom, will cycle pretty much anything 2 3/4 and up and the 7/8 Aero slugs all day long. The slugs I just use, for shot shells I use 7 1/2, 1 1/8 at 1200 Remington gun clubs for the margin of safety in matches. Have yet to have a single round of 3dram ammo not cycle, but I think I only put a 3 cases of ammo through it since I got it It will not cycle the really crappy Rio's and Estates with any degree of regularity. Edited May 6, 2015 by Vlad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose76 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Remington STS and Winchester AA 2 3/4 dram shells run for me. Federal Walmart bulk packs run too. B&P slugs will not cycle the action on my M3000. Going to try the Fiocchi 7/8oz next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 B&P slugs will not cycle the action on my M3000. Going to try the Fiocchi 7/8oz next. Yep forgot about that B&Ps are no go in mine either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradyhue Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I can run the cheap Federal Target stuff. 1145 velocity 1 1/8 oz #8 and when I need to run #7.5 I run Winchester AA 1145 velocity 1 1/8 oz. I polished my mag tube, stoned the bottom of the carrier and lapped the raceways just enough to slick them up and have around 2500+ rounds through it and it's run like a top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heaman Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Remington STS and Winchester AA 2 3/4 dram shells run for me. Federal Walmart bulk packs run too. B&P slugs will not cycle the action on my M3000. Going to try the Fiocchi 7/8oz next. B&Ps wouldn't cycle in mine either. Fiocchi and Remington Managed Recoil slugs ran fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I have just run RIO 2-3/4 Dram 1 ounce in mine and it ran just fine. Also the 7.8 oz Fiocchi Slugs work. Obviously everything heavier seems to work so far as well. Anyone else miss the days when we were supposed to run real loads? 3-3/4 Dr 1-1/4 oz loads of #6 and also 1-1/8 #4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobS761 Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Here is the real advice, don't test your ammo at a match. Especially, don't test slugs at a match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WidowsSon683 Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 I tried some Extreme slugs from freedom munitions this past weekend. I was only able to put 5 round through my gun. After about 50 semi rapid fire 7.5 shots my shoulder was ok, a little sore. After 5 slugs, it hurt like hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadie3 Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) For those who have fired the Stoeger M3000/M3K, how does the recoil compare to a Remington versamax? I would imagine the Stoeger would be similar to an M2, same basic system and all. Edited May 27, 2015 by roadie3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openclassterror Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Noticeably more than the Versamax. Partly due to the inertia vs gas operation, but mostly due to the huge weight discrepancy. The Versa is a HEAVY beast in comparision. On the clock, you don't really feel it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 To me, the M3000 recoils less than the M2, but more than a VM. Slugs, 7/8ounce Fiocchi, Rem low recoil Sluggers, Federal low recoil TruBall all ran fine. The Xtremes run well and hit about a foot higher at 100 than the others. Birdshot, the 2 3/4 dram loads from Federal, Winchester and Remington all work. The Remington Gun Clubs are the cheapest ones I will run in a match, and they have been 100% reliable. We have run 2 2.5 dram loads as well without issue, but that is a tad risky for a major IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Here is the real advice, don't test your ammo at a match. Especially, don't test slugs at a match. Now that is just wrong. Everyone knows the following things are mandatory; Clean your guns the night before a major match, change all mag springs the night before a major, use a new batch of powder and heads for a major and no testing. Also it is always a good ting to go to the sight in range and screw around with your zero when you only have a couple minutes before the range closes to start the match. THen of course you always want to try the new Mexican or Chinese place for dinner the night before the match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EDA Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Anyone run Remington managed recoil 1 oz slugs in their M3000? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Anyone run Remington managed recoil 1 oz slugs in their M3000? I've shot exactly one box of them through mine. They worked fine, but I saw no reasons to switch away from the Aero's I normally use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.E. Kelley Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Other than with a pump I have never shot a match with anything less that 3 dram loads. Maybe I could be a "contender" if I ran the lighter stuff, but will not tempt "inertial gun fate" running loads below the threshold for 100% reliable operation. I do that because I may be just a tad more aggressive in how I run a shotgun, than others. That works against the lighter loads functioning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 In wet conditions, Blake had some short stroking with the 1 ounce 1200 Rem sluggars. Even dry, they are on the edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garmil Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Federal game load 1oz 6 shot Federal truball 1oz 1350fps slug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openclassterror Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Remington STS 1200fps handicap loads are good too. The shells are really smooth and slick , and in the limited testing we have done they cycle great. Definitely a higher quality shell than the bulk pack stuff, but still only about $7 a box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSDelta Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Anyone run Remington managed recoil 1 oz slugs in their M3000? This is what I use, mainly because they're available at the Gander Mountain near my house. They shoot POA at 50 yards out of my gun. Slugs aren't used very often in the matches I go to, so I haven't shot a bunch of them. No hiccups through about 5 boxes, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 I have to admit that so far I have had a grand total of about 4 FTF with my S3k. All with slugs, Fiocchi low recoil. And one interesting issue last week, the last round fed out of the tube onto the lifter, but didn't cycle into the action. Maybe I should clean it? Nah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Fiocchi low recoil won't run Blake's M3000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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