"Plinking" 12g vs ...

So happy proud owner of a 930spx, and till now I've had zero interest in shotguns. Ran out and bought some random stuff at walmart and a box of PDX1 for the hell of it. (Which I regret now, as I think just a quality heavy buckshot would be just as effective, though that other one that has no bb's and is the 3 piece splitting slug sounds interesting.)

Question is, if I'm just bubba'ing it up blasting water jugs and such and ergo don't care much about finding the exact round that patterns just right for me. What are some of the best choices people get for just letting loose both in price and usefullness at the range. (Let my friend take it and his GF shoot it first without me, the #9 stuff he seemed to think was a bit over the top in terms of bb count and spread as an example.) Is there such a thing as value priced buckshot/slugs or for clays/skeet/paper/jugs everyone use assorted birdshot?

Most (all) clays ranges limit you to 7.5 shot or smaller (8, 8.5, 9) mostly for safety reasons (larger shot (smaller numerically) goes further)

Almost all upland birds can be taken with #6 or 7.5
Waterfowl are a little tougher and also require non-toxic (non-lead) shot which are sized differently.

Home defense is 00 buckshot.

Slugs are great fun and back east you see a lot of hunting with slugs because the distance is MUCH less than out here in the wide open west. (again, safety thing). But it's not really done much out here.

Beyond that, most of it is marketing

but don't take anything larger than 7.5 to any clays range.

for just goofing around i just use birdshot. of course, run whatever security buckshot you'll plan on using through the gun a few times to make sure it functions properly. plinking with buckshot can get pretty expensive.

for home use, you might consider some low recoil 8-ball 00 loads.

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Originally Posted by funkymonkey1111

for home use, you might consider some low recoil 8-ball 00 loads.

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Low recoil in a semi auto is a recipe for malfunctions. Use the standard powered stuff.

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

Low recoil in a semi auto is a recipe for malfunctions. Use the standard powered stuff.

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right, because the cops with benellis and low-recoil rounds must not know what they're doing.

OP, try it--if that 930spx is functioning properly with light birdshot loads, it's going to handle low recoil buckshot loads just fine.

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

a semi auto is a recipe for malfunctions.

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fixed it for ya.
[LOL]

Thanks guys,

As far as just the 2 3/4 birdshot for fooling around with. Am I best just hitting up walmart? Or would sportsmans/jensens have some kind of case that ends up cheaper? Certain brand? With so many varations of shot load/size/brand/box size I'm having trouble picking out what the good deals without spending 2 hours with a calculator and a spreadsheet.

Elk Bomb owner pointed me to the winchester or Remington rebates, just save up the upcs a better way to go?

Just buy some.
you'll soon figure out what you like and don't like.
sportsmen warehouse is pretty reasonable.

I usually just pick up a 100rd box at Wal-Mart for $23 when I'm planning on plinking. I've never shopped Sportsman's for 12 ga. but I don't think they'd be much cheaper.

Winchester universal. Like said at 23 bucks a box you wont feel bad shooting alot. I like to shoot a couple heavy rounds every now and again.

Those Walmart value boxes are my choice as well when I'm planning on praying and spraying with the Mossy.