doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gauges and payloads

This is a question that has bugged me for some time, now. I see so often that shooters here load 3/4 oz. loads for 12 ga. guns. I would like some explanation on why different folks do this.

I have doubleguns in all popular gauges ...... 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 and .410 bore. I have developed, for me, a pretty strict "chart" of payloads that I will use in the different gauges and bores. They are as follows:

10 - 1 1/4 oz. and up
12 - 1 oz. thru 1 3/8 oz.
16 - 1 oz. thru 1 1/8 oz.
20 - 7/8 oz. thru 1 oz.
28 - 3/4 oz.
.410 - 1/2 oz. thru 3/4 oz.

What are the reasons for using a 3/4 oz. load in a 12 ga. gun? I know all the arguments about short-for-the-gauge shot columns, cost savings on the shot, recoil reduction, etc. But, using a 3/4 oz. load in a 12 has never appealed to me, not even in a 16 or 20 for that matter. And, I would like to understand the reasoning behind others doing this. When there are gauges well suited to lesser payloads why go to the effort to load an "anemic" load in a larger bore?

There won't be any belittling of anyone's opinions by me, whatever they are. I'd just like to understand the motivations of different folks.

Thanks in advance. Please share your opinions.

My reason could not be more simple, I only own two shotguns and both are 12 ga., I do not shoot 3/4 OZ often but I regularly shoot 7/8 OZ at both clays and Blue Grouse.

Being a SASS (cowboy action) shooter I see a lot of people loading down the 12 gauge. 3/4 or 7/8 of an ounce at approximately 950 fps in a 12 gauge is a very light recoiling gun and normally more than enough for knockdown targets. It's very popular with the very competitive shooters, shooters with physical impairments and men and women who can't handle the recoil of the generic factory ammo offered by various makers (1 or 1 1/8 ounces of shot between 1150-1200 fps). I'll note that nothing smaller then a 20 gauge is allowed in SASS aside from .410's for children.

I'm not a hunter and mostly I shoot skeet with some 5 stand or sporting clays. For me 1 oz at 1200 fps will normally work for 99% of the targets.

I don't consider myself very recoil sensitive, but there are a fair number of people who are and factory 16 gauge and 20 gauge can be uncomfortable, especially in a gun sized down for the smaller gauge.

Not every one can afford multiple shotguns and a 12 is easily the most flexible of the shotgun gauges loading down or up as needed

I started using 3/4 oz in 12ga years ago. mainly because I wanted a cheap skeet load that was low pressure for all my old guns. All I had were 12's. I shot low gun skeet. One night I was at a practice with our local collegiate team and they needed someone to fill out a trap squad. All I had in the truck was a 1902 O grade LC. At 16yds I kept up with them and they were all amazed I shot that well with a Damascus sxs well over 100 years old and 3/4 oz loads. Last year I won a game that used a regular trap house, that you stood behind and then 6 other traps in a circle with about a 35 yard radius. Everyone was shooting sxs, that's how we roll. The talk before shooting everyone said you needed tight chokes and at least 71/2 shot heavy loads. I didn't want to shoot because I was using an AyA XXV with open chokes and 3/4 oz #8 shot. It came down to the last shot to win and I did. When I told the trappers what I was using and they couldn't believe it. If I'm on the target will break out to about 20yd trap. That is probably because I don't know what that sight picture should look like. I started being cheap but it seems to work.

Competitive rules specify the max legal load you can use.
Scores went up when the 12 ga load was dropped to 24g

In .410 there is a 50% advantage to using 3/4oz vs 1/2oz

Outside of sanctioned events, I vote for using whatever brings the greatest confidence.

We started 3/4oz 12ga loads to conserve shot.

Then I bought a lifetime shot supply so upped to 7/8 & 1oz 12ga loads.

My friend still chooses to shoot the 3/4oz 12ga shells because he hates recoil. He's plenty satisfied with how they break clays. I was also when I was using them myself.

The reasons are pretty simple for most folks. Saving lead that can be hard to come by, saving money that is always hard to come by. Then there is space savings and not needing 1/2 dozen reloading presses for shotguns is a good thing for both the pocketbook and the benches. The last thing I need in my basement is 4 times more wads and hulls than I already have.

And last, but not least, shooting the guns I like to shoot for ducks, pheasants, and everything else with lighter loads makes for enjoyable summer shooting that helps keep me familiar with a smaller set of stock drops and cast offs that I will be using in the fall for hunting.

I'd rather have only a dozen shotguns to go with the 3-4 dozen rifles than the other way around. Just what works for me.

I generally agree with Stan on this one, although I do load 7/8oz 12 for my one and only Damascus barrel Parker. I figure it will outlive me at 5,400 psi. Those same loads through a M-21 skeet gun prove perfectly satisfactory for skeet.

Started loading a 3/4 oz. 20 at 1150 fps for a light SxS that seemed to spread fire with standard loads. When I tried those in a K-20, they were so pleasant that I bought another case of those green wads. Now the problem is finding International or Green Dot.

The powder companies suck.

The powder companies do suck, especially Alliant.

I started shooting 3/4 oz in a 12 a few years ago when shot became difficult to get. That load will stretch a bag of shot and break targets fine. I stopped using that load ( and this may sound odd) because the recoil is nothing. I need more “feedback” from my gun than what the recoil of a 3/4 oz 12 gauge load will give. I use 7/8 oz low(er) pressure loads in my old guns.

Years ago I gave a 12 ga. Beretta gas auto to my 12 year old stepson and loaded 3/4 oz. light recoiling ammo. The stock was trimmed and barrel length reduced as he was small framed at the time. To show it wasn't just "kid's" ammo, I shot the same out of my Rem. 3200. He and I killed plenty of doves with the load. Shooting 3/4 oz. out of an 8 lb. shotgun was a pleasant experience. Gil