About Shotgun Ammunition

Like the name suggests, ammunition of this type encompasses a variety of centerfire rifle cartridges. Pistol ammo is available in a variety of gauges and chamberings like 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge, .410, and more. Ammunition of this type is available in a wide range of shot sizes, projectile types, velocities, and other styles which cater to various types of shooters. This is to say that there are shotgun ammunition offerings which are suitable for a wide variety of use cases.

Types of Shotgun Ammo Loadings

• Birdshot: These loadings feature multiple small projectiles. These types of loadings are well-suited for bird hunting, pest control, casual clay shooting, and recreational shooting. These loadings tend to be some of the most common loadings one will find on the market.
• Buckshot:These loadings feature multiple large projectiles. These projectiles are considerably larger than the projectiles found in birdshot and target loadings. For example, a 00 buckshot loading will feature 8 pellets which are about .33” in diameter. There are also some buckshot loadings which feature more projectiles and utilize smaller projectiles. These types of loadings are well-suited for hunting use and for self-defense.
• Slugs:These types of loadings feature single, solid projectiles rather than multiple projectiles. As these loadings feature solid projectiles, one does not have to consider a potential pattern or spread of multiple projectiles. Slugs are often found in the form of rifled and sabot loadings. Rifled slugs are intended for use in smoothbore barrels while sabot slugs are intended for use in rifled barrels. Ultimately, slugs allow a user to extend the effective range of their shotgun.

Firearms that Use Shotgun Ammo

There are currently a wide range of firearms on the market which are great hosts for rifle ammunition. Firearms in manual action and autoloading forms alike can take full advantage of rifle ammo. This is to say that a wide variety of common rifles and carbines can utilize ammo of this type for a myriad of purposes.