Storing Shotgun ammo. Buckshot vs. magnum buckshot vs. slugs. Etc.

[Macchina]

For those of you out there who have a shotgun, do you keep extra ammo around? I've always tried to keep a buffer of a hundred rounds or so for every gun I own because I will use it up in time and ammo prices are all just going up. I automatically keep 200 rounds of birdshot around so I have it when I go hunting or shooting clays. I've been thinking of keeping some of the heavier stuff around due to the weird things that happen to ammo prices and regulations. If you could no longer buy ammo, what would you like to have on hand? Standard buck, magnum buck, or slugs?

I've always used magnum buckshot over standard (3"=15 pellets vs. 2.75"=9 pellets), but I never found a magnum slug that was worth the extreme recoil. If you did have to leave town during an emergency, a shotgun could be extremely useful in procuring any kind of food, but ammo is so heavy that I don't know if it would be a good idea. I don't see carrying more than 50 rounds as reasonable.

What are your feelings on a shotgun as an emergency gun? How much ammo and what kinds do you have stored away for yours?

 

[RickJ]

I have a Benelli M1 Tactical and I keep extra 3" 00 Buck on hand, I like 000 buck better and need to get some. I think a shotgun is great if you plan on staying in your house, then it makes all kinds of sense, Just my thoughts.

 

[Macchina]

I have a Benelli M1 Tactical and I keep extra 3" 00 Buck on hand, I like 000 buck better and need to get some. I think a shotgun is great if you plan on staying in your house, then it makes all kinds of sense, Just my thoughts.

I totally agree that a shotgun is a great HD choice. Not only is it a proven stopper (something like 98% first-shot stop record), but it also is less dangerous to use when you don't want to over penetrate walls. I bring my Remington 870 12ga back and forth to my cabin when we go there on the weekends. There are bears and stray dogs in the area and I don't want to mess around with something less than 3" 00 Buckshot. I carry it back and forth in a Bulldog 40" Shotgun case which has internal pockets that nicely fit 20 rounds of buckshot and 20 slugs. This has been the extent of my store for heavyweight shells (which I use for deer hunting), and I'm wondering how reasonable it would be to store a few more rounds elsewhere...

 

[Les Snyder]

my 21inch 870 house gun is for immediate action use, and will hopefully allow me to get to the gun safe and the long guns (carbine with loaded mag and bandoeer for hurricane evacuation)...loaded with 8rds standard OO and 6 Federal tactical slugs on the side saddle (no large toothy critters here in Fla)... usually have a 50 pack of the reduced recoil Federal tactical slugs or Fiocchi Aero 7/8oz for game play on hand...minimum 3, 100packs Federal promo loads for game play

 

[Cpl Punishment]

Well, for me, I like to have 500 rounds of #4 shot, 300 rounds of #7 shot, 400 rounds of buckshot and 250 rounds of slugs. Just because those are about the proportions I shoot.

For buckshot I like the 2.75" Remington 12SB00 -- a magnum load of 12 pellets instead of 9.

For slugs, I go with 3" foster slugs. Most of the increase in recoil between 2.75" and 3" shells is the increase in shot weight. But 3" slugs are the same 1oz slug, just driven faster, and you don't get as much of a recoil increse between 2.75" and 3" slugs as you do with buckshot, but you do get a better trajectory.

As for an emergency gun, shotguns are great. Let me caveat that with the idea that, IMO, the person who makes an on-foot bugout as their first option is a fool. So, if you're being smart about it, just load the scattergun and ammo in the vehicle (beit an internal combustion vehicle or an animal) with your other supplies and go. The other advantage of using something other than your feet, is that when you get top a place to live for a while, you can hunt and forage with only a small subload, and not carry everything you own on your back.

 

[high desert]

I think ammo stored properly will last indefinately. Do to rising cost and changing political climate I feel it is wise to accumulate the amount of ammo you feel necessary for your defensive use and also enough ammo for practice use over the years. You can budget a little money each week for ammo and eventually have enough to not have to rely on future purchases. Ammo also will not lose it's value. I have changed over calibers and have had no problem trading or selling ammo I no longer need.
As far a shotgun defensive ammo, I have found that leo's use a low recoil shell for buckshot or slugs. These are easy to find at gun shows and are reasonably priced.