The 10 Gauge is a shotshell standardised by SAAMI in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.2, which lists it in the 3 1/2 inch shell at a maximum average pressure of 11,000 psi. This guide sets out SAAMI’s published reference velocity for each shot weight in each shell length, for lead and non-lead shot, then its slug and buckshot reference loads, and compares the 10 Gauge with the 12 Gauge on the same basis.
10 Gauge ballistics chart: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists shotshell reference loads by shot weight within each shell length, and publishes a nominal mean instrumental velocity for each, measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel. Rifle and handgun cartridges are measured at 15 feet, so a shotshell velocity is not measured on the same basis as theirs. SAAMI lists lead shot and non-lead shot loads separately and fires them in test barrels with different chokes, so the tables give them in separate columns. SAAMI publishes no energy for shot loads, so no energy is shown.
10 Gauge, 3 1/2 inch shell
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shot weight | Lead shot: velocity at 3 ft | Non-lead shot: velocity at 3 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 1 3/8 oz | Not listed | 1,425; 1,450; 1,500 fps |
| 1 1/2 oz | Not listed | 1,450 fps |
| 1 5/8 oz | Not listed | 1,350 fps |
| 1 3/4 oz | Not listed | 1,260; 1,300 fps |
| 1 7/8 oz | 1,225; 1,300 fps | 1,225 fps |
| 2 oz | 1,210; 1,300 fps | Not listed |
| 2 1/4 oz | 1,210 fps | Not listed |
10 Gauge slug ballistics: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists slug loads separately from shot loads, and for slugs it publishes velocity at both 3 feet and 15 feet from the test barrel. A slug is a single projectile, so its energy can be computed from its weight as grains × fps² ÷ 450,437, taking 1 ounce as 437.5 grains. SAAMI’s slug weights are nominal, so the computed energy is nominal too, and it is energy at the test barrel, not downrange.
10 Gauge rifled slugs
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shell length, slug weight | Velocity at 3 ft / computed energy | Velocity at 15 ft / computed energy |
|---|---|---|
| 3 1/2 inch, 1 3/4 oz | 1,265 fps / 2,720 ft-lb | 1,235 fps / 2,592 ft-lb |
10 Gauge buckshot: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists buckshot by buck size and number of pellets, with one velocity measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel. It publishes no pellet weight, so no energy is computed for buckshot.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shell length, buck size | Number of pellets | Lead buckshot: velocity at 3 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 3 1/2 inch, 00 buck | 18 | 1,100 fps |
| 3 1/2 inch, 4 buck | 54 | 1,100 fps |
What the numbers mean for a shot
SAAMI lists one shell length for the 10 Gauge: 3 1/2 inch. Its lead shot loads carry from 1 7/8 oz to 2 1/4 oz of shot and its non-lead shot loads carry from 1 3/8 oz to 1 7/8 oz. At 3 feet, SAAMI’s lead shot reference velocities are from 1,210 to 1,300 fps, and its non-lead shot reference velocities are from 1,225 to 1,500 fps.
SAAMI lists one slug reference load for the 10 Gauge: a 1 3/4 oz rifled slug in the 3 1/2 inch shell, at 1,265 fps at 3 feet and 1,235 fps at 15 feet. From the nominal slug weight and the 3-foot velocity that computes to 2,720 ft-lb. Its buckshot reference loads are all listed at 1,100 fps at 3 feet, with 18 to 54 pellets.
None of the shot or buckshot figures is a pattern, range or energy figure. SAAMI’s tables give shot weight rather than shot size, measure shot and buckshot velocity at 3 feet, and publish no pattern or energy data, so they cannot say how far a load is effective or how hard it hits. The slug energy figures are computed at the test barrel only: SAAMI measures no further than 15 feet, so they say nothing about energy or drop at hunting distances. Each product in our 10 Gauge ammo range lists whatever its maker publishes for that item.
Shell length, chamber and pressure
The maximum average pressure for the 10 Gauge is 11,000 psi. Never fire a shell longer than the chamber of your shotgun. Check the chamber length marked on the barrel or given in the owner’s manual, and match the gauge and shell length printed on the box to it.
SAAMI’s lead shot reference velocities were measured in test barrels with a choke constriction of .031 ± .005 in (0.79 mm ± 0.13 mm), and its non-lead shot velocities in test barrels with .005 ± .005 in (0.13 mm ± 0.13 mm). Those are the barrels every velocity above was measured in, not a statement about your shotgun: your own barrel and choke can give different figures. Check the barrel and choke maker’s instructions before firing non-lead shot, and check the current regulations where you hunt, because rules on which shot may be used, for waterfowl in particular, vary by location.
SAAMI’s rifled slug data for the 10 Gauge is for loads intended to be fired from smooth-bore firearms. Check the choke maker’s instructions before firing any slug through a choke tube.
10 Gauge vs 12 Gauge: the SAAMI comparison
A figure from one maker’s catalogue cannot be laid beside a figure from another’s: each picks its own test barrel, choke and payload. SAAMI is the shared basis, because it fixes one standard test barrel and one way of measuring velocity for every shotshell it lists.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 10 Gauge | 12 Gauge |
|---|---|---|
| Shell lengths SAAMI lists | 3 1/2 inch | 2 3/4, 3 and 3 1/2 inch |
| Maximum average pressure, 2 3/4 inch shell | Not listed | 11,500 psi |
| Maximum average pressure, 3 inch shell | Not listed | 11,500 psi |
| Maximum average pressure, 3 1/2 inch shell | 11,000 psi | 14,000 psi |
| Lead shot, 3 1/2 inch shell | 1 7/8 oz to 2 1/4 oz; 1,210–1,300 fps | 1 7/8 oz to 2 1/4 oz; 1,050–1,300 fps |
| Non-lead shot, 3 1/2 inch shell | 1 3/8 oz to 1 7/8 oz; 1,225–1,500 fps | 1 1/4 oz to 1 7/8 oz; 1,225–1,700 fps |
| Rifled slug, 3 1/2 inch shell | 1 3/4 oz; 1,265 fps | Not listed |
| Lead buckshot, 3 1/2 inch shell | 00 and 4 buck; 1,100 fps | 00 buck; 1,200 fps |
In the 3 1/2 inch shell, SAAMI standardises the 10 Gauge at 11,000 psi and the 12 Gauge at 14,000 psi, so the 10 Gauge runs 3,000 psi lower. The heaviest lead shot load SAAMI lists in that shell is 2 1/4 oz for both the 10 Gauge and the 12 Gauge. A higher pressure limit is a ceiling on the load, not a measure of its power.
What SAAMI cannot settle is anything past the muzzle. It publishes no pattern, shot size or downrange data, so it cannot say which gauge is more effective at a given distance; that depends on the load and the choke. We stock the other side of this comparison too: 12 Gauge ammo.
10 Gauge ballistics questions
What is the maximum pressure of the 10 Gauge?
ANSI/SAAMI Z299.2 sets the maximum average pressure for the 10 Gauge at 11,000 psi.
How fast is a 10 Gauge shotshell?
SAAMI’s reference velocities for the 10 Gauge, measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel, are from 1,210 to 1,300 fps for lead shot and from 1,225 to 1,500 fps for non-lead shot.
How fast is a 10 Gauge slug, and how much energy does it carry?
SAAMI lists one slug reference load for the 10 Gauge: a 1 3/4 oz rifled slug in the 3 1/2 inch shell, at 1,265 fps at 3 feet and 1,235 fps at 15 feet. From the nominal slug weight and the 3-foot velocity that computes to 2,720 ft-lb. SAAMI publishes velocity only, so the energy figure is computed, not published.
What buckshot loads does SAAMI list for the 10 Gauge?
SAAMI lists 2 buckshot reference loads for the 10 Gauge, in buck sizes 00 and 4, carrying 18 to 54 pellets, with a reference velocity of 1,100 fps measured at 3 feet. It publishes no pellet weight, so no buckshot energy can be computed from it.
Is the 10 Gauge more powerful than the 12 Gauge?
Power is not a SAAMI measure. What SAAMI publishes is a maximum average pressure and the shot weights and velocities of its reference loads. In the 3 1/2 inch shell, which both list, the heaviest lead shot load SAAMI lists is 2 1/4 oz for both the 10 Gauge and the 12 Gauge, at maximum average pressures of 11,000 psi and 14,000 psi.
What shot weights does SAAMI list for the 10 Gauge?
SAAMI lists lead shot loads carrying from 1 7/8 oz to 2 1/4 oz and non-lead shot loads carrying from 1 3/8 oz to 1 7/8 oz.
What is the effective range of a 10 Gauge?
Effective range is not a SAAMI specification. SAAMI measures velocity at 3 feet and publishes no pattern or energy data, so it says nothing about performance at distance; that depends on the load, the shot size and the choke.
Where to buy these loads
Hilltop Armory carries 10 Gauge ammunition from Federal, Remington, Winchester, HEVI-Shot and Apex Ammunition. Browse the full 10 Gauge ammo range.
