The discussion focuses on the effectiveness of 12 gauge slugs, using Italian-made BMP ammunition as the primary example. Two main BMP loads are highlighted: a high-brass traditional slug at about 1 1/8 ounce, 2 3/4 inch, rated around 1,550 feet per second, and a low-brass, low-recoil one-ounce slug at roughly 1,200 feet per second. The difference between low brass and high brass is explained in terms of charge and recoil: low brass generally indicates less powder and reduced recoil, while high brass typically means more powder and greater recoil. The video also references Hickok45 shooting one-ounce slugs from a smoothbore Benelli at approximately 230 yards, punching repeatedly through thick board material, underscoring how much penetration a 12 gauge slug can deliver, especially in close quarters and through interior walls.
Testing moves to the range with a pump-action Remington 870 loaded with BMP three-gun low-brass, low-recoil slugs. It is noted that low-brass loads may not reliably cycle semi-automatic shotguns if they lack sufficient energy to run the action, but they work well in pump guns. On a torso target nicknamed “Mr. Han Select,” the low-recoil slugs produce large, clean holes and noticeable exit damage, even compared with previous hits from other calibers, including .50 caliber. The slugs are observed to remove more surface area than the earlier .50 caliber impacts. The shooter then alternates between a low-recoil slug and a standard high-velocity slug to feel the difference, reporting clearly higher felt recoil from the full-power load while maintaining similar on-target effect at close range.
Attention shifts to an AR500 steel target mounted on a 2x4 stand. A low-velocity 1,200 feet-per-second slug is fired first, followed by a higher-velocity 1,550 feet-per-second slug. While the higher-velocity round hits closer to the shoulder of the target and knocks it around more due to the angle and inertia, visual inspection of the AR500 plate shows little practical difference in actual steel deformation between the two loads. The main concern becomes the life of the wooden 2x4 stand, which is steadily chewed up by shrapnel and slug impact. Additional pairs of low-recoil and high-velocity shots are taken, confirming that both loads hit hard, with the primary distinction being felt recoil rather than a dramatic difference in damage to the hardened steel.
The test continues with a semi-automatic shotgun, described as a Salient-style build, loaded first with Wolf rifled slugs and then BMP low-brass slugs. The Wolf rifled slugs are 1 1/8 ounce, 2 3/4 inch, rated at about 1,400 feet per second, slightly slower than the 1,500 feet-per-second BMP traditional slug. The purpose of rifled slugs is explained: in a smoothbore barrel, the rifling on the slug itself imparts spin to stabilize the projectile downrange. Several Wolf rifled slugs are fired at Mr. Han Select, producing substantial damage. When the gun transitions to the low-brass BMP loads, the semi-auto fails to cycle fully, confirming that the reduced-recoil slugs do not provide enough gas and energy to reliably operate this platform. The shooter must manually cycle the action, and the difference in recoil between full-power and low-recoil loads is again clearly noticeable.
After confirming function with full-power slugs, the semi-automatic shotgun is loaded with high-brass BMP traditional slugs for a fast sequence of shots. Multiple quick shots are sent into the steel target, and although the hits appear to stay on target, the 2x4 stand eventually fails under the combined impact and shrapnel. The wood shows heavy splintering and fragmentation around the base, indicating that repeated slug fire and secondary fragments are highly destructive to structural supports. A remaining round is then used on Mr. Han Select, adding another large, ragged hit to an already heavily damaged torso. The segment reinforces that 12 gauge slugs, especially full-power high-brass loads, deliver significant energy transfer and structural damage, even when the primary target is backed by steel or other materials that generate additional fragmentation.
The final segment features a Harrington & Richardson single-shot 12 gauge rifled slug gun with a heavy bull barrel. The barrel is fully rifled, eliminating the need for rifled slugs and allowing the use of standard BMP traditional slugs. A target is placed at approximately 75 yards. Using high-brass BMP slugs, a shot is taken at the head area of the target with a clean hit reported. A low-recoil BMP slug is then fired at center mass, impacting slightly left, illustrating a point-of-impact shift between loads. Another high-brass round is fired with consistent results. The rifling in the barrel is credited with stabilizing the slugs and enabling accurate hits at this distance, and it is suggested that the gun could easily reach beyond 75 yards with proper ammunition and technique, demonstrating the extended-range capability of 12 gauge slugs from a dedicated slug platform.
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