Your 2" 'ers sound like terrific shotguns and no doubt you are one of a dedicated group who love 'em. The square load proposition is however a very iffy one. I had read and heard of these square loads for at least 50 years when I decided to experiment in so far as I could with limited resources. I got several of each boxes of 1oz. loads in 12 and 20 gauge, 71/2 shot, similar velocity. I shot from modified barrels at 30 yard sheets of brown paper and later at clay targets. Couldn't tell any difference. The pattern sheets couldn't be told apart if it weren't for the notation. The targets broke, or didn't, with the same regularity. The only difference I could find, and this is kind of weird, was that when I stood of to the side of the pattern sheets, a friend helped sometimes and this was quicker to change sheets, I heard a distinct difference in the sound of the pellets striking the paper. The 12 gauge loads had a much sharper slap. It wasn't something you had to try hard to hear either. I could look away and still tell instantly which load had hit the paper sheet. I assumed that the 20 gauge load was more strung out. But so what. In some cases a long shot load may be more deadly. I don't know. But I do know to take all that stuff about "square loads" with a grain of salt.
Last edited by nialmac; 09/15/17 03:48 PM.
