Best Shotgun Shell for SxS

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

Well I just received my Stoeger Coach Gun Supreme with Nickel barrels and receiver in 12 Gauge with double trigger.

 

 

Can't wait to get to the range to start practicing.

I picked up two (2) boxes of shotgun shells, to try them out.

They were the:

 

AND

 

The gentleman at the Gun Shop mentioned that these shells have a slicker coating on them which makes them easier to unload from a SxS Shotgun, even without the honing of the barrels (which I may have done anyway). After taking one out of the box, I could see where the shell is not ribbed, but smooth and they feel like they have been coated in oil (which they aren't).

Wanted to find out from those that have been shooting awhile, which brand of shotgun shells they primarily use in competition (those that buy shotgun shells and not reloading themselves) and if either of the above are a good recommendation.

Appreciate any input that can be provided.

 

[Happy Jack, SASS #20451]

The AA's and the STS's are the preferred shells. Most like the STS's better. The QC on the AA's seems to have degraded.

[Yusta B.]

Majority of shooters I see shooting doubles in this area shoot Win AA LRLN. For reloading, I much prefer STS hulls, but reload both.

[Hoss]

# 1 STS

#2 AA

 

# 14 all others

 

If you reload you will get way more loads out of the STS hulls. If you don't reload, come shoot with me so I can grab your hulls!!!

[Grizzly Dave]

Bought new, either for me, but I've had more consistent results reloading the STS.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Remington STS preferred over all the rest. Shucks better out of most SxS guns. Get a load with 1 ounce of shot in the STS. Unless you also want to shoot trap and skeet. Remington makes the item # RMSTS1218 with just 1 ounce of shot. If you don't reload, save the hulls for your favorite pard who does reload shotshells.....he'll thank you! You have a 1 1/8 ounce load picked out. You can do better in the Remington line!

 

If you have to use Winchester AAs, the old "featherlite" load is favorite amongst the red shells. It's usually item # WINAA12FL8, now labeled a low-noise, low-recoil load with 26 grams of shot at 980 FPS. That's the load in your photo.

 

Even with STS factory loads, you should invest in a shotgun shell checker gauge. None of the factory loads are 100% right for extractor-only SxS guns, because the factory disregards those types of guns as being "way too small" a market.

 

Good luck, GJ

[J-BAR #18287]

As above, those are the brands that many use. But each shotgun is a snowflake, and yours might like some other brand better. So if your gun does not like either of these, don't be afraid to experiment.

 

I had good luck with the cheap Remington black ribbed steel based shells...they dropped out of my chambers nicely. I prefer the brass based hulls for reloading black powder shells, and have good luck with both AA and STS hulls for those reloads.

 

So, you have a good excuse to go to the range and experiment!

[Captain Clark]

.

The AA's and the STS's are the preferred shells. Most like the STS's better. The QC on the AA's seems to have degraded.

 

STS..... + 1

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Winchester LRLN

[Irish Tom]

Both are good. I prefer the STS, but Winchester usually offers a $2.00/box rebate in the spring. Both are priced about the same, so the rebate can really save you some money.

 

Irish Tom

[Casey Green]

Winchester AAs. I have the exact Stoeger that you do. I took it to a local gunsmith and had the chambers honed slightly and had it smoothed up a bit. Best $100 I could've spent on it. Shells fly out and it opens easily.

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

I prefer the Remington STS over the Winchester AA for quick dumps out of my Sooty Old Stevens. STS usually pop right out, I often have to pluck out the AAs.

 

I actually tend to load more AAs, because guys at my trap club throw them away more often than STS, and I am not above dumpster diving.

 

But given my druthers, I will use STS every time.

[Ace_of_Hearts]

Either will work well as far as removal from the gun.

That particular box of STS in the picture is probably a little on the heavy side for cowboy.

[Anvil Al #59168]

STS

I only buy AA when I can't find the STS.

 

Bought 5 boxes of new AA. Ran them through my gauge checker.

Out of 5 boxes. I only got less than one box total that would go all the way

in and out of the gauge checker without pushing them in or pulling them out.

 

Went and got some STS. Out of 5 boxes. Only had 7 shells that was tight.

[Rolan Kraps, SASS # 24084 Life]

I prefer the STS hulls.

[Lead Friend, SASS #53635]

STS. And save your hulls. I gave away thousands before I reloaded. They'll keep until you're ready.

[Two Spurs]

STS without a doubt are more consistent when being shucked. They do mic out smaller than AA's as well.

[Buffalo Douglas]

I'm not picky when it comes to hulls. I'll load AA and STS. Lately I've had pretty good results/consistency with the grey AA hulls. I picked up a couple boxes a few weeks ago. They've reloaded well and shucked fairly well out of my stevens which I haven't honed yet.

[Snakebite]

In my experience Gun Club shells work just as good as the STS shells and WW AA shells. I just bought 7 cases of those CHEAP Herters shells and they work very well. IMO, you waste your money buying any premium shotgun shell for use in this game. When reloading, I find that the Gun Club shells load just as well as the STS, and I have no trouble with the steel base.

 

Snakebite

 

Now that I have made this Proclamation, watch everything go to hell in handbasket!

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Of the two you show in your photos the Low Noise, Low Recoil AAs for shooting and the STS for reloading. In light guns like an SKB or your Stoeger that STS load will have a heck of a lot more kick than the AA load.

[Lead Monger]

Wife and granddauter like the AA LNLR load more than any other load we have tried in their Stoeger. I like the smooth AAs for reloading as well.

[Houston CAS]

Wife uses that exact make and model Stoeger and uses Winchester AA's.

[Buffalo Dick, SASS #12880]

In my experience Gun Club shells work just as good as the STS shells and WW AA shells. I just bought 7 cases of those CHEAP Herters shells and they work very well. IMO, you waste your money buying any premium shotgun shell for use in this game. When reloading, I find that the Gun Club shells load just as well as the STS, and I have no trouble with the steel base.

 

Snakebite

 

Now that I have made this Proclamation, watch everything go to hell in handbasket!

I agree 100% with Snakebite. While the Gun Club's ribbed hull and steel base fly in the face of conventional wisdom, they just flat work. They're also easier and cheaper to obtain.

[Max Payne]

It's good to use a chamber checker even with the factory shells. I find that one in about 2 boxes of the Win AA's would stick, & I throw them in the practice pile. The STS hulls almost don't wear out. I bet I reload those babies 6+ times, & they still look the same. The Win AA's are good for about 3-4 reloads sometimes. We shoot factory Win AA's in the matches, & reloads for practice, both STS (preferred) and the Win AA's that we shoot in matches.

[Noz]

I shoot only black powder reloads and have slowly gone to the Remington Nitro Golds for ease of loading and shucking.

[Singin' Sue 71615]

I'm bad...

If it ain't ribbed,

And it has a brass, not alluminum base...

I'll load it and shoot it!! 😜

[Charlie Whiskers]

I load the AA LRLN's and some have been reloaded 6 or 7 times before I toss them. I also load STS's when I'm given them. I have had a problem with the CCI magnum and Winchester 209 primers not fully seating in the STS's. Never had that in the AA's. I also load the gold and gray hulls when someone tosses them away. Some of those have at least 5 reloads on them so far. I do have a MEC Supersizer I run all of my hulls through when I get home from a shoot and use that time to sort out the worn out hulls.

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

Now that we are a HOT TOPIC, let's recap for the old fellers, little ladies and young whipper snappers:

With 24 reviews under our gun belt, the tally so far has the STS with 10 yahoos for shooting and 4 knee slaps for reload, while the AA gets 8 yahoos for shooting and 2 knee slaps for reload.

The Gun Club brand gets 2 old yellers and the Herters brand gets an honorable mention.

I also got learned on something that I will ultimately purchase for myself and that is a Shotgun Shell Checker Gauge. They can be seen below and ordered online at www.uniquetek.com.

Before going to a match, check your ammo with one of these gizmos and ensure the shells you load in your trusty SxS will go in and, aw shucks, come out smooth as butter on a hot frying pan.

[Kirk James]

Do they still make the Remington STS 12 gauge at 1100 fps in their premier STS Low Recoil? Found 4 cases a year ago and cannot find any more. We use them for world, national and state matches only. They are 1 1/8 dr.eq. and 1 1/8 oz shot. Outstanding shell. We are getting down to our last case.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

Now that we are a HOT TOPIC, let's recap for the old fellers, little ladies and young whipper snappers:

With 24 reviews under our gun belt, the tally so far has the STS with 10 yahoos for shooting and 4 knee slaps for reload, while the AA gets 8 yahoos for shooting and 2 knee slaps for reload.

The Gun Club brand gets 2 old yellers and the Herters brand gets an honorable mention.

I also got learned on something that I will ultimately purchase for myself and that is a Shotgun Shell Checker Gauge. They can be seen below and ordered online at www.uniquetek.com.

Before going to a match, check your ammo with one of these gizmos and ensure the shells you load in your trusty SxS will go in and, aw shucks, come out smooth as butter on a hot frying pan.

Not just doubles. '97s, as well.

[Snakebite]

Do they still make the Remington STS 12 gauge at 1100 fps in their premier STS Low Recoil? Found 4 cases a year ago and cannot find any more. We use them for world, national and state matches only. They are 1 1/8 dr.eq. and 1 1/8 oz shot. Outstanding shell. We are getting down to our last case.

Are you sure that 1 1/8 dr eq is correct? Seems pretty low to me. Don't see how such a low load could get 1 1/8 oz of shot moving 1100 fps. Not disputing what you say... just amazed.

 

Snakebite

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Are you sure that 1 1/8 dr eq is correct? Seems pretty low to me. Don't see how such a low load could get 1 1/8 oz of shot moving 1100 fps. Not disputing what you say... just amazed.

 

Snakebite

A 2 3/4 dram equivalent is a 12 gauge shotshell load that chrono's 1125 FPS. A 3 dram load is the 1200 FPS standard which is the (old) standard maximum velocity for American trap and skeet shooting.

SB - you are right, there are no 12 gauge shells loaded with 1 1/8 dram powder equivalent.

 

Any more the "dram equivalent" is really a way to state velocity. Has nothing to directly do with smokeless powder weights.

 

It's the velocity the load produces, matching the velocity of a BP load with that many (2.5, 2.75, 3, 3.25 etc) drams of BP would produce if any factory loaded shells with BP anymore.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Deuce Stevens SASS#55996]

In my experience the non compression formed AA are garbage for my use. They are easily affected by weather and shuck accordingly, no bueno for Michigan and a lot of the midwest shooting I do. The current 1 0z STS factory load would be my choice. Cabelas currently sells a Herters 1oz. load doing 1060fps. I bought a case for less than a buck more per box than I can reload. I had high hopes but ejection is spotty.

[Kirk James]

Hi Snakebite-Have the box in front of me. Colt Faro informed me about them but indicated they can be hard to get. Took me awhile to find some and have not found any since. They are marked Premier STS Low Recoil. I will try and get ahold of Remington. I was hoping someone knew something about them. We think they shoot great.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

Hi Snakebite-Have the box in front of me. Colt Faro informed me about them but indicated they can be hard to get. Took me awhile to find some and have not found any since. They are marked Premier STS Low Recoil. I will try and get ahold of Remington. I was hoping someone knew something about them. We think they shoot great.

Is there a number on the box like STS12L or such?