Short Shotgun Ammo

Short guns kick hard and hold fewer shells. The right ammo fixes both.

12 gauge 3-inch, 2 3/4-inch and 1 3/4-inch mini shells drawn to scale
12 gauge shell lengths to scale
Cutaway of birdshot, buckshot and slug shotgun shells
Birdshot, buckshot and slugs

Mini-shells

  • Aguila and Federal make 1 3/4-inch 12 gauge mini-shells in birdshot, buckshot and slug loads.
  • More shells fit in the same magazine tube, a big deal on short guns.
  • Lighter payloads mean noticeably less recoil.

Making minis feed

  • Many pump shotguns do not feed mini-shells reliably as-is.
  • The OPSol Mini-Clip drops into the loading port of 12 gauge Mossberg 500, 590, 590A1, Maverick 88 and Shockwave guns to make minis cycle. It comes out in seconds when you want full-size shells.
  • Always test your gun with the exact load you plan to rely on.
Three short-barrel shotguns with shells laid out on camo
Short shotguns and shells
Two compact pump shotguns with red shotgun shells on camo
Compact pumps ready to load

Loads for short barrels

  • Low-recoil buckshot and slugs make short guns far easier to control.
  • Short barrels are usually cylinder bore, so patterns open up fast. Barrel length matters less than the choke.
  • Pattern your gun at the distances you expect to use it before you trust a load.
  • Expect more blast and noise. Wear good ear and eye protection.

Mini-shells on video

Aguila 12 gauge mini-shells

Serbu Super-Shorty with five mini-shells

Mini-shells in a Winchester Model 12

Shopping for shells? See Shotgun Ammo on Ammo Buyers Guide.com.

More on short shotguns: Sawed Off Shotgun overview, SBS, 12 Gauge AOW, 14-Inch Firearms, Short Shotgun Ammo and the Short Shotgun F.A.Q.

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