12 gauge is the most popular and useful shotgun gauges ever made. Suitable for everything from doves to geese. With sporting, military and law enforcement applications. Available in 2 ¾”, 3” and 3 ½”. The magnum lengths are generally preferred for waterfowl and turkey. Most major manufacturers produce guns and ammunition in a very wide septum for 12 gauge. Loads from ¾ oz. to 2 oz. are common with 1 1/8 oz Low base and 1 ¼ oz being the most common loadings. Target loads are normally around 1150 to 1200 FPS with High velocity lead loads tuning up 1350 FPS. Steel waterfowl loads tend to be loaded faster around 1500 FPS to compensate lower density shot. While the 2 ¾” loading is still the most popular ammunition made, nearly all current production guns have 3”or 3 ½” chambers. The shorter ammunition can be safely fired in longer chambers, but not all magnum semiautomatics will function with shorter shotshells.
