I see all three have a low, pressure low recoil, managed recoil target load available.

All three have different payloads, 7/8, 1, 1-1/8oz, speeds from 900 fps to 1100fps.

Any thoughts on these?


Thanks, Rob

I shoot a lot of the featherlite low noise, low recoil Winchester AA's. Very nice shells. Love them for skeet and dove hunting.

I shoot reloads of 7/8 oz at 1100 fps and about 6500 psi at most clayz. Good diet for me and old guns.

The Federals for vintage guns at 5000psi seem to work well. Anyone know what the pressures are for the Win AA low noise/low recoil loads?

I shoot only low-pressure commercial and reloads for everything flying and haven't noticed better results from buddies using boom-bangs.

devrep: the AA 'Low noise Low recoil' 15/16 oz loads run about 6000 psi, the AA Xtra-Lite 1 oz target loads about 8000.

thanks! I have a hard time telling the dif from the 5000psi Federals to the 600psi AA's. They seem to be priced about the same but the AA's are easier to get.

Curious, since I don't see them on any shelves in my area. What do they sell for and do you get or order them? I have been reloading, but there are times I get lazy.

The Federals can be ordered from Midway

By Federal for MidwayUSA to the following specifications:
7/8 oz load
Muzzle Velocity: 1200 fps
Chamber Pressure: 5000 psi
http://www.midwayusa.com/static.exe/getstaticpage?page=11120061_page.htm

when will they make a 20 and a 16 load??

Are there any online resources for the Winchester 'low noise, low recoil'?

Remington makes a (lite) STS 20 that is a real pleasure to shoot.
bill

Graf & Sons has the AA at about $6/box
http://www.grafs.com/fc/browse.php?o=11&p=387&q=&v=&s=

These are all 2-3/4" loads but being such low pressure should they be safe for 2-1/2" guns?

Rob: please see this thread http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1983

The Winter 2001 Double Gun Journal has the article by Sherman Bell called "Finding Out for Myself" Part V "Long Shells in Short Chambers". After extensive testing carried out in a very professional manner he concludes:

"With loads that are sensible in a light 2 1/2 inch gun, we see no dangerous pressure levels produced. I see no reason, related to safety, to modify an original 2 1/2 inch chambered gun to shoot 2 3/4 shells, If The 2 3/4 Inch Load You Intend To Use Would Develop Pressure That Is Safe In That Gun, When Fired In A Standard Chamber!"

I would observe that shooting 2 3/4" shells in 2 1/2" chambers might increase recoil somewhat if the case mouth enters the forcing cone. I am extremely recoil sensitive, and feel more recoil shooting 2 1/2" shells in my 2 9/16" chambered 16g than the same shells in my 16g in which the chambers and forcing cones have been lengthened.

How about the Polywad Vintager shells?

http://www.polywad-shotgun-shells.com/vintager/

Bill, is there a 20ga STS "lite" or are all the STS loads lite loads? I can't find a specific STS "lite" load online. They all seem to be 7/8 oz.

It's the 'Managed Recoil' load and yes, it's 7/8 oz
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/shotshell/target/managed-Recoil_STS.asp

thanks

Which product makes the best sense for vintage guns - the Remington low recoil or the Federal or Winchester alternatives? Are they all around 5000 PSI?

Richard:
Federal is 5000 psi but at 1200 fps
Winchester AA 'Low noise Low recoil' about 6000 psi by independent testing but 980 fps
Remington does not provide pressure infro (I tried re: 16g Game Load) 1100 fps
RST has lots of options but run about $85/case as do the Polywad shells
http://www.rstshells.com/Shells-best.htm
I'd be comfortable using any of them and please remember that pressure does not equal recoil and I'm more concerned about the recoil effect on the 100 year old wood of my 06' 2E LC.

Thanks, Revdocdrew. I have used a lot of RST in the past, but I'm looking for an alternative that doesn't cost $85 a flat. I appreciate all the info you've collected. Rich

My local sporting goods store runs specials on Win. AA's occasionaly for $4.60 a box if you buy by the case. They stock a couple cases of the feather shells that normally get bought up around then.

Happy to help Rich, and as Coryreb said, the Sportsman's Warehouse near me frequently has specials on the AA's at $45/case (but likely to go up with the recent rise in shell prices.) I don't appreciate any difference in lead on the skeet field and they are indeed very low recoil but seem to have some inconsistent powder burning in cold weather- not a big problem here in 'Furnace, AZ'

I recently bought a mixed case of AA's xtra lite target loads-12's & 20's at Bass Pro at fairly good price.

Great Thread!!! I have learned alot here but have a couple of questions. First, do the AA loads at 980 fps have less felt recoil than the Federal Loads at 1200? How do they perform on the skeet/sporting/trap field? Being as the majority of vintage SxS'x are 16 Gauge with 2 9/16" chambers, I assume that a low pressure 2 3/4" shell will work just fine. Is there a decent source of reasonably priced 16 Gauge ammo in the same vein as the 12 gauge stuff? Thanks in advance for your help.

Alas, but Winchester does not make either a Feather-Lite, or an Xtra Lite in 16 ga. Polywad does and that is your best bet.

NEW PRODUCT FROM WINCHESTER
WinLite Low Recoil
12g is 28gm (1 oz.) at 980 fps
The Low Recoil Low Noise is 26 gm (15/16 oz) and is still in the catalog
20g is 7/8 oz (just more than 24 gm) at 980 fps
http://www.winchester.com/products/newitems/whatsnewcontent.aspx?productid=52
No pressure data published

ANOTHER NEW PRODUCT

Nobel Sport now has light 12 and 20g loads
http://www.dkgtrading.com/nobelsport/lr1.html

ITEM NO. DESCRIPTION GAUGE LENGTH OZ. OF
SHOT SHOT NO. VELOCITY F.P.S.
ANSLR788 Low Recoil 12 2 3/4 7/8 8 1200
ANSLR175 Low Recoil 12 2 3/4 1 7 1/2 1200
ANSLR18 Low Recoil 12 2 3/4 1 8 1200
ANSLR185 Low Recoil 12 2 3/4 1 8 1/2 1200
ANSLR19 Low Recoil 12 2 3/4 1 9 1200
ANSLR208 Low Recoil 20 2 3/4 3/4 8 1200

I e-mailed requesting pressure infro.

I see that this back to the top, thanks for all the recommendations. The gun in question is a 2-1/2", 12 ga. damascus that has recently been reproofed to 850 BAR. It has also just been restocked so I think I'm more concerned with lower pressure loads being easy on the reciever rather than lower recoil affecting the wood.

BTW, wouldn't variables like actual bore diameter, choke, and barrel length affect pressure or are those variables negligible?