Jul 20, 2011 Deciding between a.410 bore or a 28 gauge shotgun. You will also notice that both the 12 gauge and the 410 shoot the exact same pellet. It appears that that the 28 gauge has slightly less than twice the recoil of a.410. A 28 gauge has about half the recoil of a 20 gauge. So lets do a pro's and con's.410 bore.
Who says great things can’t come in small packages?I’ve been itching to try the newly-reintroduced Aguila Minishells for quite some time, so after getting the lowdown on them at the 2015 National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers convention, I arranged for a trial of two different Minishell loads: slugs and buckshot.The “mini” part of Minishell is the key here. These shotshells are just 1-3/4 inches tall. That’s a full inch shorter than a standard 12-gauge shotshell.
Why make a tiny shotshell? There are two primary reasons.First, I don’t know about you, but I don’t particularly enjoy shooting lots of 12-gauge slug and buckshot loads. They pack a wallop when it comes to recoil, noticeably more than most birdshot or clay target loads.
As recoil is in direct relationship to the weight of whatever projectile(s) are expelled out the muzzle, a smaller and lighter load will inflict a lot less pain on the shooter’s shoulder. How about shotgun slugs that aren’t painful to shoot?Second, the small size allows you to pack more in your gun and carry more in reserve. The Aguila Minishells are a full inch shorter than standard 2-3/4-inch 12-gauge shells.Those are two pretty good reasons, provided these shells perform well enough to do the job. So what is the job? To evaluate that question, let’s take a look at the ballistics of the two loads.The Minishell slug load packs a 7/8-ounce lead projectile. That translates to about 383 grains, more than three times the weight of a standard 9x19mm bullet.
The Minishell launches its 383-grain lead slug at 1,250 feet per second, generating 1,328 foot-pounds of kinetic energy. That’s more energy than a standard 55-grain 5.56mm NATO rifle cartridge has at the muzzle. To compare to a full-sized slug load, the Winchester Super-X launches a one-ounce (437.5-grain) lead slug at 1,600 feet per second, generating 2,487 foot-pounds of energy.
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The size of the slug is still nothing to sneeze at.The Minishell buckshot load packs 5/8-ounces of buckshot pellets and moves them at 1,250 feet per second. That translates to 273.4 grains of lead going downrange, generating 948 foot-pounds of energy. That’s still more projectile weight than two 9x19mm bullets or a single, fat.45 ACP projectile, and the energy level easily exceeds double the amount of most standard handgun cartridges.
Aguila crams 11 pellets into one of these tiny buckshot loads.So what can you do with these Minishells? Certainly the slug load has enough oomph for hunting, provided you keep to shorter ranges. At its slower 1,250 fps speed, the slug will drop pretty quickly and bleed off energy rapidly, so keep to closer targets. Personally, I think both slug and buckshot loads would make great home-defense options. The ballistics are very favorable when compared to handgun rounds, but the real benefit is the ease of aim with a long gun and the exceptionally light recoil.
Firing these from a standard shotgun is actually pleasurable. Out of habit, I braced myself for the first slug shot, but as it turned out, that was completely unnecessary. Recoil was closer to that of a.22 LR rifle than any shotshell load I’ve ever fired.
I tried these in a Beretta 1301 Tactical semiautomatic shotgun. As expected, the small shells wouldn’t feed, but then again, they’re not supposed to.It’s important to note what the Minishells won’t do. Given their low projectile weight and lower velocity levels, they’re not designed to function in semiautomatic shotguns.
Instead, they’re designed for break-open and pump designs. While you can fire single shots from a semiautomatic, there’s not enough energy to cycle the action. That’s the price of higher magazine capacity and exceptionally low recoil.Just for kicks, I tried them in a Beretta 1301 Tactical semiautomatic shotgun and found the single-shot limitation to be true. There just wasn’t enough juice to drive the bolt all the way back to eject the empty shell and shove a new one into place. I’ve heard reports of them working in some semiautos, but be aware that’s not how they’re intended to work.
You might just get lucky, so it’s worth a try. If you’re going to run these in a pump gun, buy a box for trial before ordering a pallet load just to make sure they cycle happily in your particular gun.I want to come back to the buckshot loads because they’re particularly interesting. Rather than jam a small number of large 00 pellets into the tiny shell, Aguila includes a mixture of shot pellet sizes. The buckshot shells contain seven smaller 4B pellets and four larger 1B pellets.
As I was cutting a shell open, it appeared that the larger pellets were packed on top of the seven smaller ones.Curious as to how this combination would pattern, I set up a 14-inch square target at a distance of 10 yards. I fired three shells at the center of the target to get a semi-scientific idea of average grouping performance. With three shots, a total of 33 pellets were fired consisting of 12 1Bs and 21 4Bs. When I retrieved the target, I counted 25 holes within the 14-inch square, but several were overlapped so there may have been more on the paper. If you plan to try these for home-defense use, just be aware of the wide patterning. That can certainly be a benefit at short indoor distances, just know that the shot pellets will spread out quickly.
A target peppered with three buckshot Minishells at 10 yards.All in all, these are some pretty nifty shells. You can get much of the benefit of shotgun slugs and buckshot without the punishment of full-size and full-power loads.Tom McHale is the author of the book series that guides new and experienced shooters alike in a fun, approachable, and practical way. His books are available in print and eBook format on.Images by Tom McHale.
When comparing shotguns and shotgun ammunition, few topics are as complex as 12 gauge vs. 20 gauge.Comparisons for rifle or handgun cartridges have a generally-universal set of characteristics to compare; yes, there are variables, but not as many. With shotgun ammunition, you have slugs, shot size, shell length, and other variables that add complexities to an already complex subject.Despite the complexities, you can make fair comparisons between 12-gauge and 20-gauge calibers and ammo. This should allow you to make a clear decision on your firearm choice. Shotgun 101: Understanding “Gauge” In This Case, Smaller is Bigger.
The 20 gauge shotgun is a popular choice for small game hunters and sports shooters.Hunters and trap shooters understand that the lower the number, the larger the caliber in a gauge-designated shotgun. If it’s been a while since you’ve reviewed calibers, or if you’re simply new to firearms, it helps to quickly review how gauges are determined and why a smaller number means a bigger shell.Gauge in determined by the number of lead balls with the same diameter as the barrel that it would take to weigh one pound.In a 12-gauge, which has a diameter of.729 inches, it would take a dozen.729-diameter balls to reach a pound.With 20 gauge, which as a.615-inch diameter, you would need 20 lead balls, each with with a.615-inch diameter, to weigh a pound. Special Note: 20-gauge Shells are Always Yellow.
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20 gauge shotgun shells are always yellow in color.It’s also important to note that all 20-gauge shells, by mandate, are yellow. This is a precaution against loading 20-gauge shells into a 12-gauge shotgun.
If this happens and a 12-gauge shell is loaded behind the 20-gauge, it can cause both shells to fire, leading to serious injury. For this reason, you will see that all 20-gauge shells, regardless of the load, will be yellow. History of the Shotgun ShellIn the early days of firearms, almost all guns could fire both solid-piece single projectiles (bullets or “balls”) as well as “shot,” which in many cases could be just about any hard, solid object that could be crammed down the barrel. As rifling was developed and the bores of long guns became smaller, the shotgun became its own separate entity. Common guns could no longer shoot both shot and bullets.Shotguns became a popular tool in bird hunting, and found use among guards and law enforcement; it wasn’t until later in the 19th century that they started to become useful in the military. Although they were used by both sides during the Civil War, the shotgun became especially useful in the trench warfare of World War I.
It also saw service in the tight jungle combat of World War II’s Pacific Theater.Today, shotguns are largely a specialty weapon among the military. Their most common purpose is a hunting tool. However, many of us rely on shotguns for home defense and many others are passionate about like trap and skeet.The most popular shotgun caliber, by far, is the 12-gauge. But the 20-gauge, which is smaller and lighter, certainly has its uses among hunters and people concerned with home-defense. It’s obvious both calibers have a loyal fanbase all over the country.12 Gauge vs. 20 Gauge Performance ComparisonPriceYou would think that because has less material, it would be cheaper, but this is not necessarily the case.
In most stores, you will find that is just as affordable as 20-gauge; if there’s a difference, it’s slight at best.Price Winner: DrawSpread. Federal Target Load, 12 Gauge Shell, 2-3/4 Inch, 1145 Velocity, 8 Shot, fired from 25 feet.When you compare the photos above, it’s clear there are more pellets on target and it’s a much more dense pattern for the 12 gauge.Spread Winner: 12-gaugeRecoilAs you might assume, the recoil from the smaller 20-gauge is easier and more manageable. Experienced shooters, children, and some smaller individuals may find that the 20-gauge is easier to handle. At least in theory, if you find the gun easier to handle your accuracy will be better. Not to mention you’ll be more confident which leads to a more enjoyable time shooting.So, in the 12 gauge vs. 20 gauge debate, if you’re a younger shooter the recoil advantage might be enough to have you leaning toward the smaller shotgun.Recoil Winner: 20-gaugeVelocity and EnergyWhen it comes to overall power, including velocity and energy, the 12-gauge wins virtually any fair comparison. The 12-gauge is simply too large for the 20-gauge to stand a chance in this area, as the 12-gauge delivers more speed and power to the target.For example, the Federal Premium’s 2.75-inch shells loaded with sabot slugs in and have noticeable differences in ballistics.
The 12-gauge has a muzzle velocity of 1,500 feet per second and energy of 2,189 foot-pounds, while the 20-gauge has 1,450 feet per second and energy of 1,787 foot-pounds.Federal’s 3rd Degree turkey loads in and have similar results. The 12-gauge has a muzzle velocity of 1,250 feet per second, while the 20 has only 1,100 feet per second.Velocity/Energy Winner: 12-gaugeRangeBecause the 12-gauge, in general, is faster in exit velocity than the 20-gauge, it will also have a better effective range.Because of that increased range, hunters can place shots with confidence on geese and ducks that may be out of range for users of a 20-gauge shotgun. The same is true for slug shells we referenced earlier; despite throwing a lighter slug, the 20-gauge has more drop than the 12-gauge.Effective Range Winner: 12-gaugeVersatility“Versatility” is a tough characteristic to determine in any firearms comparison, but in a shotgun it can be almost impossible.
(Because, quite frankly, they are all versatile.)While the 20-gauge is certainly a great all-around gun, most would agree that the 12-gauge is the more versatile of the two. With a 12-gauge shotgun, you can do a wide range of activities, especially given the choke options that are available with today’s firearms. Also, most ammo manufacturers have twice or three-times as many 12-gauge options than 20-gauge choices.With a 12-gauge shotgun you can have more power for sports like deer and turkey. You also have the range required to make longer shots on fowl such as geese and migrating ducks. You can also scale down the 12-gauge with shorter, smaller ammunition, allowing you to pursue smaller game.
While the 20-gauge is undoubtably a versatile load, we think the 12-gauge has a slight edge.Versatility Winner: 12-gauge (Slight advantage) Bottomline of the 20 Ga vs. 12 Ga Debate. The Remington 870 shotgun chambered in 12 gauge, is a popular choice for hunters and sports shooters.Either the 12-gauge or the 20-gauge can give you outstanding performance in the field.
Frankly, both are formidable home-defense tools. (A 20-gauge shot can deliver over twice as much energy as a.44 Remington Magnum, so lack of power is not a concern.)I f you want a versatile hunting firearm, with practically unlimited ammunition choices, the 12-gauge will suit you well. However, if you want a smaller firearm for small game or youth hunters or trap shooters, the 20-gauge may be your best option.Have thoughts on this great caliber debate? We’d love to hear them in the comments below!