12 Gauge

12 Gauge Target & Clay Shooting Ammunition

Federal Top Gun: Economical target loads for high-volume clay shooting. 12 gauge 1-1/8 oz at 1,200 fps with #7.5 or #8 shot. Clean-burning powders reduce fouling. Excellent for trap, skeet, and sporting clays practice. Available in 25-round boxes and bulk cases.

Winchester AA: Premium target ammunition used in competition worldwide. Legendary AA wad design delivers consistent patterns and reduced recoil. Available in 1-1/8 oz and 1 oz loads with #7.5, #8, or #9 shot. Preferred by competitive shooters for reliability and performance.

Remington Gun Club: Mid-tier target loads balancing performance and value. 1-1/8 oz at 1,200 fps with #7.5 or #8 shot. Consistent velocities and reliable patterns for recreational and competitive shooting.

Fiocchi Target Loads: Italian-manufactured ammunition offering excellent quality at competitive prices. Available in 2-3/4 inch shells with #7.5 or #8 shot. Popular with sporting clays shooters.

12 Gauge Hunting Ammunition

Upland Game Loads: For pheasants, quail, grouse, and upland birds. Federal Game Load and Winchester Super-X offer economical performance with #6 or #7.5 shot. For larger birds like pheasants, #5 or #6 shot (1-1/4 oz at 1,330 fps) provides adequate energy to 40 yards. Fiocchi Golden Pheasant features nickel-plated shot for deeper penetration.

Waterfowl Ammunition: Federal law requires non-toxic shot for waterfowl. Steel shot is most economical non-toxic option. Federal Speed-Shok (1-1/4 oz of #2 or #3 steel at 1,450 fps) provides adequate energy for ducks and geese. Winchester Xpert offers similar performance at competitive prices. Federal Black Cloud uses FliteControl Flex wad for tighter patterns and includes Flitestopper steel pellets. Shot size: #2 or #3 steel for ducks, BB or BBB for geese. 3-inch magnum shells extend effective range to 50+ yards.

Turkey Loads: Turkey hunting demands tight patterns and maximum pellet energy. Federal Premium Heavyweight TSS (Tungsten Super Shot) delivers devastating performance with #7, #8, or #9 shot to 60+ yards. Winchester Long Beard XR uses Shot-Lok technology to keep pellets together longer. Remington Nitro Turkey features copper-plated lead shot for deep penetration. 3-inch and 3-1/2 inch shells provide maximum payload.

12 Gauge Defensive Ammunition

00 Buckshot: Law enforcement and home defense standard. 00 (double-aught) buckshot fires 8-9 pellets of .33 inch diameter. Federal FliteControl 00 Buck (8-pellet at 1,145 fps) uses FliteControl wad for extremely tight patterns—all pellets on target to 25+ yards. Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buck features Versatite wad for reduced recoil. Winchester PDX1 Defender combines 00 buckshot with slug for maximum versatility.

#1 Buckshot: Fires 16 pellets of .30 inch diameter. More pellets than 00 buck with adequate penetration (12-14 inches in ballistic gelatin). Federal FliteControl #1 Buck delivers tight patterns with reduced recoil. Excellent for home defense when over-penetration is a concern.

#4 Buckshot: Fires 27 pellets of .24 inch diameter. Dense patterns with reduced penetration compared to 00 or #1 buck. Adequate for home defense within typical engagement distances (7-15 yards). Less likely to over-penetrate multiple walls.

12 Gauge Deer Hunting Slugs

Rifled Slugs: Designed for smooth bore shotguns. Feature spiral grooves for stabilization. Federal Power-Shok (1 oz at 1,610 fps) delivers reliable accuracy to 75 yards. Remington Slugger (1 oz at 1,560 fps) is best-selling slug in America. Work in smooth bore and rifled barrels but achieve best accuracy in smooth bores. Effective range 50-100 yards with 2-3 inch groups at 50 yards.

Sabot Slugs: Designed exclusively for rifled barrels. Use plastic sabot that falls away after leaving barrel. Federal Trophy Copper (5/8 oz copper slug at 1,900 fps) delivers 100% weight retention with rifle accuracy to 200+ yards. Hornady SST (300gr polymer-tipped slug at 2,000 fps) features SST bullet technology for controlled expansion. Winchester Dual Bond (375gr bonded slug at 1,900 fps) provides deep penetration on large game. Require rifled barrels and deliver 2-3 inch groups at 100 yards. Effective range 150-200+ yards.

FAQ

Q: What shot size for trap vs. skeet vs. sporting clays?
A: Trap shooters typically use #7.5 or #8 shot with 1-1/8 oz loads for targets 16-27 yards. Skeet shooters prefer #8 or #9 shot with 1-1/8 oz loads for dense patterns at close range (21 yards maximum). Sporting clays shooters use #7.5 or #8 for most stations, switching to #6 for long crossers and high towers.

Q: Can I use steel shot in my older shotgun?
A: Steel shot is harder than lead and can damage barrels not designed for it. Modern shotguns (post-1985) are generally steel-safe, but verify with manufacturer. Older shotguns with fixed full chokes are most at risk. Use bismuth or tungsten alternatives in older guns—they're softer than steel and safe in all shotguns.

Q: What's the difference between 2-3/4 inch, 3 inch, and 3-1/2 inch shells?
A: Shell length determines payload capacity. 2-3/4 inch shells are standard for target shooting and most hunting (1-1/8 oz shot typical). 3 inch magnum shells carry more shot (1-1/4 to 1-5/8 oz) for waterfowl and turkey hunting. 3-1/2 inch super magnum shells carry maximum payloads (1-7/8 to 2 oz) for extreme-range waterfowl and turkey hunting. Never fire shells longer than your shotgun's chamber length.

Q: Is 00 buckshot too powerful for home defense?
A: 00 buckshot is highly effective but does penetrate multiple interior walls. Federal FliteControl 00 Buck reduces pattern spread, keeping all pellets on target and reducing stray pellets. For reduced penetration, consider #1 or #4 buckshot—both provide adequate stopping power with less over-penetration risk.

Q: What's the difference between rifled slugs and sabot slugs?
A: Rifled slugs are for smooth bore barrels, accurate to 75-100 yards with 2-3 inch groups at 50 yards. Sabot slugs require rifled barrels and achieve rifle-like accuracy to 200+ yards with 2-3 inch groups at 100 yards. Sabot slugs cost 2-3x more but are significantly more accurate for long-range deer hunting.