The term "shorty" can either be slang for "woman" or a terrific new way to maximize your home-defense shotgun ... or both, if you prefer. Shorties, which are more properly called "sub-length," are 1 3/4" shotshells that have a lighter payload than traditional shotshells (which start at 2 3/4" long). This means two things: First, that if your shotgun is capable of cycling these shells, you will have far more rounds in the magazine than you could achieve with traditional shells. Second, that you will experience far less perceived recoil while shooting. Federal Ammunition has just announced its new Force X2 Shorties in 00 Buck, and this is good news no matter your height.
A few words are in order about the type of shotgun for which these shotshells was designed. The "shorty" has been around for some time, but was only approved by SAAMI (the organization that sets standards for ammunition) in 2019. Some shotguns have since been released that are specifically designed to cycle loads like these, such as the Mossberg 590S and the Smith & Wesson M&P12 shotgun. There are other, older shotgun models that can and will cycle these loads, but it may require a phone call to your gun's manufacturer to be certain. (You can find some more advice about using shorties in older shotties here.)
The Force X2 Shorty load is a 12-gauge shotshell that packs a punch with six-pellet 00 copper-plated segmenting buckshot. These pellets are designed to split in half when they hit the target, so you wind up with 12 projectiles. This does two things: First, it maximizes the stopping power of this lightweight load, and second, it reduces the risk of "overpenetration," meaning that those projectiles are much more likely to remain in the target (instead of passing through and potentially injuring an innocent party).
“The concept behind Force X2 is pretty straightforward," said Jesse Whiteside, Federal's Senior Director of Product Management. "In a 6-pellet 00 FX2 Buck load you get 12 wound channels, and with the short size, you get more magazine capacity. It’s as simple as that.” The new Force X2 joins Federal's existing line of proven Federal Premium Personal Defense Shotshells, with all the same quality and performance you've come to expect. MSRP $28.99/box of 10; FederalPremium.com
