what purpose does a...

[greencobra]

12 gauge "shorty" shotgun shell serve. serious question, hopefully i can pick a scholarly answer out of the expected fray. so i see an ad in classifieds for these. i've seen these mentioned in posts, for sale, all over, so they have to be a thing. i've retired from shotgun hunting and target sport after a lifetime of enjoying those, and we never had such a thing, these "shorty" shells. so i thought i'd ask. i don't think i've ever seen them in anything but 12 gauge but maybe i wasn't paying enough attention. and they don't seem to be reduced loads, they zip right along at same velocities as a standard 2 3/4". so...what's up with these?

 

[PatMcD]

Say you were shooting a Rem 870 , Moss 500, whatever. How many 2-3/4" shells can you fit in the tube mag vs. "shorty" shells?

I'm guessing.

 

[Boghog1]

increased capacity for times when targets are expected to be close and not require full power, or so ammunition manufactures have some different to sell so they can line their pockets with dumb consumers money. I'm not sure.

 

[MSant]

they were popular for cowboy shots and the like, where reduced power loads let you get a faster follow up

 

[LakeTrout]

It allows you to trade power for capacity

 

[Uzi2]

Significantly reduced recoil, higher capacity in the tube.....but anyone who's going to use them should make sure they'll feed correctly in their shotgun before buying a lot of them.

 

[greencobra]

will they knock down those poppers at 3 gun? they are a bit farther away than the the ones i've seen at cowboy shoots.

 

[PappyM3]

12 gauge "shorty" shotgun shell serve. serious question, hopefully i can pick a scholarly answer out of the expected fray. so i see an ad in classifieds for these. i've seen these mentioned in posts, for sale, all over, so they have to be a thing. i've retired from shotgun hunting and target sport after a lifetime of enjoying those, and we never had such a thing, these "shorty" shells. so i thought i'd ask. i don't think i've ever seen them in anything but 12 gauge but maybe i wasn't paying enough attention. and they don't seem to be reduced loads, they zip right along at same velocities as a standard 2 3/4". so...what's up with these?

2 3/4” 12 gauge is overkill for the majority of things people use them for. Granted, the mini shells are often “under kill” for many, but they are more than adequate for range fun or home defense.

 

[kalash]

In my experience, they're a gimmick. They're so short that they can easily flip over while being chambered.

It allows you to trade power for capacity

Ironically, power is half the reason to even get a shotgun.

 

[OnTheRoad]

Some folks prefer them in the "pistol grip firearms" like the 14" Shockwave or Remington Tac-14.

EDIT: Link to the 590S Shockwave:, designed to use the short shells w/o an adapter: 590S Shockwave

 

[Golddiggie]

will they knock down those poppers at 3 gun? they are a bit farther away than the the ones i've seen at cowboy shoots.

The one time I used them, in a pumper, they took care of the plate targets (3 gun when I was living in FL). Don't recall the distance to target and such, but they worked. If you can, get a box and try them at different distances to see how effective they are. Or ask someone you know at the 3 gun shoot if they will work fully on the stage.

 

[paul73]

Some folks prefer them in the "pistol grip firearms" like the 14" Shockwave or Remington Tac-14.

they will work just fine on anyone - human - not wearing any armor, and it doubles the capacity of the shotgun.
probably would be best to use them in combination with regular size loads to have more stopping power for at least the first shot.

 

[Gidge]

In my experience, they're a gimmick. They're so short that they can easily flip over while being chambered.



Ironically, power is half the reason to even get a shotgun.

A friend gave me a ton of these super short 12 ga. shells -- a good excuse for me to get an old-school double-barrel shotgun ! Would NOT use them in a pump-action or semi-auto shotgun platform.

 

[MSant]

A friend gave me a ton of these super short 12 ga. shells -- a good excuse for me to get an old-school double-barrel shotgun ! Would NOT use them in a pump-action or semi-auto shotgun platform.

I tried them in my stoeger double. the extractors had issues with them