No, shotguns arent alley-sweepers or trench brooms. Inside 25 yards, you can put accurate fire on a suspect with an average spread of about 10 inches. So, the head, the neck, or the lungs, which one is best? Slugs These are essentially oversized bullets designed to be fired from a shotgun. Check out this post which is one of the most popular of all time. JOHN: So, still potentially lethal absolutely. CHRIS: Right, so were looking for 12-18 of penetration in ballistic gelatin. | And Benny should chime in on this but it has always been my impression that OO is going to pattern tighter than OOO. Modified choke, by the way, shoots very good patterns with many different loads. Buckshot is generally used for two purposes: Self-defense and hunting medium to large game. Its 18 g/cc density hits gobblers harder and patterns better than lead or bismuth, ensuring cleaner kills at reasonable distances. There will be about a 3-inch circle in the front of the shoulder that is non-lethal, the shoulder ball joint. MOLON LABE. Cameron had an extra full Primos (IIRC) turkey choke that absolutely threw an awesome pattern (100%, 16-18" @ 50 yards) with Remington 000, the cheap stuff. This test consists of firing a .177 caliber steel sphere (BB) into the gelatin block at 590 feet per second (fps) +/- 15 fps. The factory shotshells provide a baseline with which to compare the results achieved with the single buckshot pellets shot into gelatin as a verification of the acceptability of simulating long-range hits with single buckshot pellets shot at reduced velocity. All that John Shaft, shoot-from-the-hip, Hollywood crap is just thatcrap. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. I have never seen an 8 pellet load in 00 buck for 12 gauge. Were doing something a little different today. CHRIS: Right, and thats with your gun. For defense against people my max range with 00 buck is 15 yards and slugs 35-50 yards. Mind you, the targets were narrow as you can see ( about 10.5"), and I don't think the fliers went far off at all. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. This is generally loaded with nine of the 33 caliber lead balls to go about 1,250 feet per second. I have heard some good things about a neat load from the Dixie Slug Company. Figure 15 illustrates the velocity versus penetration depths obtained for #1 buckshot single-launched buckshot and #1 buckshot shotshells. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. A 410 bore gets only 3 pellets of 000 shot per 2 3/4 shell, though there are some 5 pellet shells in 3 inch shells. Shotguns are wierd and very "individual", but all three of my M4's have LOVED this combination. Remington has 9 pellets at 1,325 fps. Each shotshell type was shot (10) times at (10) individual targets. For that matter, I tried some when I was patterning the Remington loading at 25 yards and it only put 5 or 6 on the same type of target as I recall. With a 12 gauge shotgun and a selection of ammo from 9s to buck and slugs you can shoot anything on Earth that walks or flies. mine will pattern 6" @ 30 yds, after that use a slug. JOHN: Yeah. Of course, do you want to use a shotgun beyond 25 yards? If you have a personal-defense shotgun or one assigned to you, go out with the load you intend to carry and pattern the shotgun. All Rights Reserved. Distances between muzzle and target for the #4 buckshot and unplated #1 buckshot correspond to the maximum distance at which a single shot pellet is expected to be traveling fast enough to score an incapacitating hit. NJgunner said: Ive never patterned my shotgun (SBII 24") but I did shoot a deer at 60-70 yards with a standard full crio choke and 3.5" federal vital shok 00 buck. JOHN: Right, so, if thats what youve got and you have something out there and its a contextually appropriate shot. (Again this pattern with with the 18.5" Benelli with the IC choke) Attached File This load patterns best in all my shotguns. It has also been proposed that, at distances beyond 25 yards, the pellets would not have sufficient energy to stop a suspect or, for instance, penetrate their leather coat. One of the best features of the shotgun is its versatility. At 50 feet the group expanded to about seven inches in diameter with eight of the nine pellets easily staying withing the size of an average person's face. And by best here, I am talking about 40 yard patterns for deer, not across-the-bedroom patterns for home defense. The penetration guys believe that larger buckshot is more lethal because it penetrates better. He also runs his own Gun Blog and YouTube Channel. The "rule" for a pattern is 1 inch per yard for a full choke. Typical patterns for a 410 are the same as a larger gauge . The following picture is a shot from the 1897 with 30" full choke barrel at 50 yards. This sphere must penetrate a minimum of 2.95 inches (75mm) but no more than 3.74 inches (95mm)". As such, the maximum effective range of this load was determined to be 51 yards. This shotgun is a version of what the NYPD highway officers carry. This means: A) devastating ballistic impact on target; and B) youve got to aim the shotgun. At any practical hunting distance, and with a tight pattern, you can aim in the middle of the neck and have a much better chance. Big, fast, and mean, they keep their energy and danger quite a ways. If all my shots were going to be in thick brush, I would be tempted to shoot 1 buck. I think if I had used a more open choke, the 00 would have shot better. In apartments and houses one must always be concerned with over penetrationwho is on the other side of the wall. and 9/10 are inside a 20" circle. If you are shooting No.3 or No.4 buckshot, you should keep it under 30 yards. Buckshot is suitable for close range only. Some brands and lines of ammo are significantly better than others and that affects the pattern a lot as well.Aiming for the front corner ofthe shoulder gives a good spread and limits skull damage. For self-defense indoors or in environments that physically cannot exceed 10 yards distance, we recommend #4 plated buckshot at 1250 ft/sec or higher muzzle velocity. JOHN: Right. Something no one has mentioned with multiple hits, there is a factor of squaring the damage per hit. We chose those because, well, we like them first of all, but they hold a really tight pattern and its not feasible to do this at 50, 100 yards if youve got the pellets going all over the place. You cannot paste images directly. They want to take your guns because they plan to do something to you that might cause you to shoot them. Personally I prefer #4 buck (NOT to be confused with #4 shot) for home defense. Am also testing my buckshot patterns. Yeah. Keep Reading. But what if circumstances dictated that you had to take that shot anyway? Like, for me, its still probably my go-to inside of anything where I can reasonably expect a 50 yard shot or in. In my experience patterning buckshot, premium loads pattern better and, not surprisingly, 12 and 15 pellet loads of 00 buck put more hits on the target than does a 9-pellet load. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I have tried extended chokes, and found them to be little better, if any. A small increase in effective range will occur in hot climates and a moderate decrease in range will occur in extreme cold climates. Each ball is delivering about the equivalent of a .36 C&B revolver. Larger spheres travel further and penetrate further into soft tissue than smaller spheres at any given velocity. That was an important lesson of hunting with buckshot. Posted: 12/22/2018 6:14:17 PM EST [#1] The 15 yd is smaller than 10 yds , thats pretty impressive ! The main one is simple: Triple-aught is the most-effective size of buckshot. Buckshot Patter (25 yards) Good/Bad/Thoughts. This one-pot meal slow-cooks tough cuts of game Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Larger buckshot can be effective in the traditional target zone. We used two different loads: Federal FliteControl #1 and Federal FliteControl #00 8-pellet. The first one Im going to discuss is the head. Deformed #4 buckshot is not acceptable for self-defense at any range, Penetration differences between shot sizes begins to become less significant with spherical #1 buckshot, Heavier buckshot has an increased ability to penetrate because of a large increase in mass with an accompanying small increase in surface area. With a 20-gauge, generally, No.2 buckshot is what you find. . Of course, all of that is moot if one is using a rifled slug or even the venerable pumpkin ball. The patterns were a single hole out to 20 feet. This particular load includes the Federal FliteControl wad, which improves performance in my experience. It does not store any personal data. Is it easy to get an internship at Microsoft? Its also fairly inexpensive. Killed a lot of deer with that combo. JOHN: But not passing the FBI standards. Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 Packs 22+1 Rounds of Firepower! Follow Lucky Gunner Lounge from your Inbox! 00 shot shells generally contain eight or nine .330 caliber projectiles. The more pellets, the greater chance of a killing shot. Shotshell Length: 2-3/4in. Yes I have slugs readily available as well. It has the best practical range of any hollowpoint weapon for deer hunting: about 70 yards. I tested a total of eight loads. The TSS #2 put 37 in the 10", 71 on the backer. For example: the 00 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled) load, on average, spread 6.2 inches from the centerline of the bore by the time the shot pellets had traveled the 40 yards distance. Ill have to find out if my shotgun will accept a choke to tighten up the pattern as none of us can afford new guns. That, is some seriously good 40 yard patterning. A basic understanding of buckshot can help you hunt better. A 20 gauge . It is my best-patterning choke with 00 Buck. The target was a large piece of paper at a range of 30 yards. I expected this kind of pattern at 25 or 35 yards. We didnt test it because birdshot lacks sufficient energy to penetrate at distances beyond close range and is not carried in serious social shotguns. Okay, now that Ive got you thinking, I will ask why the slug is more lethal. Buckshot patterns can be devastating at close range (20-25 yds.) Most experts agree that reduced-power 00 buck shells in 12 gauge are the best overall choice for home defense. Figure 50% hit at 25 yards, but now the pellets have slowed WAY down to around 900 fps or about 110 lb-ft of energy PER PELLET! The #00 still was. As a matter of fact, all of the shotguns easily kept all nine pellets within a standard 19-inch-wide target at 75 feet. With the Flite Control wad, choke has a lot to do with it. ATK was kind enough to supply 12-gauge fodder for the test. #4 buck will pattern 100% in a 20" circle at 40 yards. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The rounds were shot from a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a 20-inch barrel length and full choke. Penetration is key. Shots were fired from a standing position off a makeshift monopod. By itself, its not an adequate target. Then we took it out to 25 [yards], and then 50, and then 100 yards. Winchester 2 is equal to the 2 Remington loads. There is a very simple reason here. I thought what was really sort of fun was when does the shotgun become, okay, I can hit stuff reliably. I aimed at the lungs, just behind the shoulder. Please be respectful of others. . I fired 3 patterns with this, and all 3 are nearly cookie cutter. Learn its limitations so that you can operate more effectively in an actual shooting. It never seemed to pattern well. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. A very small, tight pattern with 000 or 00 buckshot is quite effective, but the smaller the pattern, the greater the possibility of a complete miss. Now add a little buffer, wad, or both to further protect the buckshot from deforming, and you're well on your way of having a legitimate 50+ yard, tight patterning buckshot load. Home Ammunition How Does Buckshot Perform at 50 Yards? The gauge, however, does matter as a matter of how many projectiles are fired. America's Ultimate Shooting Sports Discounter, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). I actually killed all of my deer this way. It doesnt have the energy or penetration to break the spine past that point either. Here are five of the craziest-looking "antlered does" we've seen in recent years. 2-3/4" with Mod. Given that the analysis done for this report focuses on the lethality/hit probability of the individual shot pellet in the shot cloud, it was necessary to determine how suitably the single-launched buckshot represents the terminal performance of each individual shot pellet expelled from a shotshell. Therefore, bigger pellets will penetrate deeper. I just found this; thank you! Because I was getting junk patterns even with an IC constriction, I just wrote the stuff off. If I remember correctly, theres only 75 feet per second difference. *I have found the *rougher* the choke, the tighter the pattern, all things being equal. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The shots were taken as a baseline at the FBI standard distance of 10 feet between muzzle and gelatin block. Occasionally you'll see a 12-pellet load. Posts: 1,327. Forget about 20 gauge with anything larger than #3 buckshot. I would also suggest full length barrels, to increase accuracy, velocity, and tightness of the groups. This is a 12.5" pattern, which is not terrible but the better quality Federal, Remington, etc with buffered shot are closer to 10" at 15 yards. The load that is a sure killer at 40 yards may be a crippler at 50. Very interesting thanks. The pellets are clustered together more than conventional wad buckshot when they reach the choke, and they are compressed against each other leading to increased deformation. Thornton takes Mississippi to The Swede, where he buys a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun as a holstered sidearm. But the range to shoot patterns is the range you shoot your birds. I have never seen a choke quite like it. For comparison, my Benelli M2 (Light mod choke) with Remington Low Recoil rounds (8 pellet) averages around 12-14" at 25 yards and rarely has a flier. We headed out to the range to find out with three representative shotguns. At about 20 yards it will put them all in about 6", at 25 yards, 6-10", and past that the Remington 000 outperforms it. Just $1 per month . This way, I maximize pellets in the spinal column and still get some in the lungs. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The 00 buckshot (unplated, buffered) load impacted the targets with greater than 50% of the shot pellets at least 50% of the time. Wow! At 10 feet distance it is routine for not all of the buckshot pellets to spread out enough to cut independent paths through the gelatin and this skews the penetration depth figure in the direction of deeper penetration. In one memorable shootout from the movie, a desperado is taking off down a street when Mississippi lets loose with his scattergun. Heres some news: It just doesnt work like that. I have owned several and none would keep the pellets on a 12x20" target past about 20 yards or so. Yeah, but we were more interested in what the rounds are actually doing at that distance. Shot impacts to the thick blue border were not counted. You need to make sure your bullets hit the target, not a thicket of maple saplings. We also have to understand that shotguns may pattern differently. The Winchester and the Federal preformed the best. I tried it with the basic cheap, unbuffered, unplated 9-pellet load of Winchester 00 buck (George said it worked on all buckshot from cheap to premium) and it definitely outshot my Modified choke at 40 yards, putting 4-6 pellets of a 9-pellet load into the vitals of a deer. Beyond about 30 to 50 yards, the spread from most shotguns becomes too unpredictable to reliably guarantee that any of the pellets will hit the intended target. So it was interesting to see the difference between the #1 and the #00. Outside holes are the same load at 75ft. Im glad that you all like the video. What often happens with buckshot, strangely, is that two pellets will fly through the same hole. Ive heard heated arguments for all three. With the Fiocchi Low Recoil round (8 pellet) - the group opens up to 18-20" and always seems to have at least one flier. Shot Size 00 Buck. All comments are held for moderation and will appear after approval. It's all about the pattern when it gets to that 50 yards that counts. In order to provide a further verification check, a Winchester 1300 12 gauge with 28 barrel (cylinder bore) was shot at 25 yards distance from 10% ballistic gelatin blocks with all shotshell types used in this report. Witness Protection 870: The 12.5-Inch Short-Barreled US Marshals Shotgun. Readily-found shotgun shells tend to fall into the performance category of deformed buckshot due to a lack of plating or an effective wadding system. I selected the distances of 12, 30, 50, 60 and 75 feet for the test, as these run the gamut from close range to the maximum distance a standard 12-gauge smoothbore might perform. 12"-15" is still an improvement over the old 00 that we used to issue. I only took three shots at 60 yards, here is the data in table format. If the Flite Control is not giving you the performance that you desire, try loosening up the amount of choke that you are using. I stopped using the stuff when I found cheaper shells did much better. Its amazing how tight a pattern this load shoots into the zombie targets chest at 50 yards. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Most of us used No. If I remember correctly. What happens to atoms during chemical reaction? The maximum effective range of buckshot is 50 yards. Bird shot at close range does not have time to spread and will it as a wad..one also has the wad cup going to hit the person the target as well. 90 percent of my deer were killed with buckshot. JOHN: So, for anyone watching, the reason why that is, is that the #00 pellets have a little more mass behind them so theyre going to penetrate a little bit deeper if theyre moving at about the same velocity, which those loads are pretty close. I agree,that's the gun I use and it's a killer. Posted September 15, 2013 in Ammunition by Steve Johnson with 19 CommentsTags: shotgun. Out to 50, you are still lethal, youre still getting the majority of the pellets onto someone, if thats what youre shooting at, but youre starting to lose ones off of the target which, depending on what youve got going on, is a problem. Within reasonable distance, the pattern will be tight enough to put several pellets in the pine and the deer will drop right there, you will have some shot in the lungs to finish things off too.Aiming at the center of the neck gives a good spread, but may damage the skull. Shotguns are typically considered close-range firearms, especially when loaded with buckshot. What is your shell/gun combo? GDubya Registered Joined Mar 25, 2010 1,630 Posts Past 50 is where I go, hmmmm, I dont know about this.. Buckshot pellets must be copper-plated or made of high antimony lead and feature an effective wadding system in order to be considered to fall into the performance category of spherical buckshot. Its a bit of a hybrid between two methods. By measuring sectional density. Chris Baker Shotguns are typically considered close-range firearms, especially when loaded with buckshot. Buckshot pellets are significantly larger than birdshot. Most any worthwhile buckshot pattern is going to be completely in a 30" circle other than the odd flier, making comparisons . If you need proof, Brass Fetcher tested buckshot against ballistic gelatin at 50 yards and then managed to chronograph it at 50 yards (no small feat). This shotgun includes a SureFire forearm, a BlackHawk Knoxx Stock and a three-point sling. Believe it or not, there is a fairly good way to measure the killing power of a bullet. however, I do not recommend firing a load of buckshot at a deers head. if you are shooting a good patterning, full power load of 12 gauge 00 or 000 buckshot, 50 yards is about the max. Shot recovered from 50 yard penetration test. We were running out of butcher paper and decided to test the smallest patterning load first, the Hornady 00 Buckshot. Brass Fetcher 28.3K subscribers 141K views 9 years ago Ballistic gelatin test results of Buckshot at 50 yards distance. but you may find then woefully lacking further . The 00 buckshot he used was not standard velocity, but actually reduced velocity. I'm not exactly a diehard with pistol-caliber carbines but I definitely enjoy them. What shotgun round is best for home defense? I tried all of the chokes in the Buck-Kicker line from Kick's, and was refunded my money when my $35 Primos Dead Deer choke stomped them. The more sectional density, the better it will retain energy and the deeper it will penetrate. Lots of little holes by themselves do not work better than one big hole. This 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Even law enforcement officers typically choose 0 or 00 buckshot for close encounters with dangerous human beings. Loaded with our Power-Piston one-piece wad for consistent patterns. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. you will cover the head and about 5 inches of the neck. It was necessary to determine the velocity of the buckshot spheres as they traveled downrange to know the maximum range at which the pellet would be able to meet the 12.0 minimum penetration depth in ballistic gelatin. JOHN: Yeah, and the whole point of what did we want to know was just, flat out, not is it appropriate to shoot this distance not anything other than what does it do?. 9 pellets of 00 buck, only 8 of 000. This was to ensure that all shot pellets struck the paper and could be accounted for in the further range calculation. Now let's look at the 60 yard penetration test. Hornady has an 8-pellet load that pops out at a smoking 1,600 fps, and groups nearly half that of other common lads. The rule at play here is killing power. Do you know the constriction of the remington bore? if you are shooting a good patterning, full power load of 12 gauge 00 or 000 buckshot, 50 yards is about the max. Movies can be entertaining and those mentioned are worth watching, but dont look to Hollywood for accurate gunplay. Comparing the results between the Mossberg 500 and 590A1 is pretty interesting, as 4 inches less barrel did not make that much of a difference in the spread pattern. After much thought I am going to stick with my 000 buckshot. I think it'd be easier to evaluate the groupings if you only fire one round at each target, but use 2 or 3 different targets (your hold could have been slightly off with one of your rounds and that may have accounted for the 4 pellets off the target). Kinda irritating because that limits me to just that load, though. in the head of a target for Jerry M. and all 9 rds hit in the head @ 25 yds. Ask for advice on chokes for buckshot and youll get every answer from IC to Turkey Full. I will go ahead and order a Cylinder choke from Briley and try it out, as much as I grit my teeth at the idea. I have personally never had any animal take a step after being hit, but I will say it . Especially when you back off to 40 yards or so. Try testing #1 buckshot. RE: Buckshot for deer. If I take an 18-inch circle and put it centered on a deers head, most of the pattern doesnt cover anything vital. He also has a Rem 870 with a Vang barrel and you have to aim that thing like a rifle. The Benelli uses a .728" bore, IIRC (which is pretty narrow) and so ANY constriction may be fouling things. Since there is no difference in the long range performance of the two shells, we recommend the Federal LE132 1B load to maximize range and minimize recoil for the defensive shotgun. We have lots more on the site to show you. Federal Premium LE132 00 low recoil buckshot, 9-pellet 3. Additionally, shotgun slugs retain their energy better and typically penetrate much deeper than buckshot. Some people have the mistaken idea that buckshot is a great option for brush bucking. With spherical shotgun pellets, the only way to increase sectional density is to increase the pellet size. choke instead of IC. Tighter chokes will allow for greater hit probability at distance but will likely increase drag by deforming the pellets - reducing penetration of target. 4 Buck and modified chokes because that is probably what we had. What load? I tried several buckshot tubes with regular wadding buckshot, patterns were acceptable to 50 yards. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt! CHRIS: If its the only we could come up with some scenario where it makes sense but its going to be pretty rare. The round ball isn't very aerodynamic. They offer the advantage of tremendous stopping power. Using a modified choke, . To me 50 yards is the max ethical range of buckshot. Required fields are marked *. No one in their right mind should use a long barrel shotgun for in home security/protection, unless that is all they have. Although he misses the bad guy with his shot, he hits a sign that falls down and whacks the guy. Much better than aiming at the head. Can 00 buckshot kill a human? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. And the other thing, too keep in mind the forward-facing area of those was like, what, 5x6, something like that? It will be noted from above that the physical distance between the muzzle of the test shotgun and the paper targets was 40 yards for the #1 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled), 00 buckshot (unplated, buffered) and 00 buckshot (plated, pattern-controlled.) At 25 yards, figure a decent barrel will "pattern" around 30" which is larger than the average human. Powdercoat does help in groupings. A load the Brits developed years ago. The Mission of Cheaper Than Dirt! This minimum velocity was found in Phase I, the terminal ballistics portion of the testing. These patterns at 40 yards with 2-3/4" TSS loads and the GT .670 are by far, the best 40 yard patterns I've seen yet with this gun yet. 10" @ 10 yards, 25" @ 25 yards, 50" @ 50 yards. Theres so much misinformation, it doesnt seem to want to go away. But it's only 50 feet! You will have the entire neck in your pattern, twice the lethal coverage. Your link has been automatically embedded. #1 buck usually has 12 to 16 pellets. Buckshot pellets are significantly larger than birdshot. Too bad we purchased all the 870's with IC barrels before we started issuing 8 pellet. Your Modified choke will pattern larger . In fact, at 25 yards, the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a pattern 1-inch smaller than the 500. Buckshot is small enough, and with a loss of velocity it loses a lot of hitting power and penetration. Determination of hit probability (past the 40 yard distance that was physically tested at) was based upon the average mean radius of the tested 10 shotshell/10 target test groups. All of these shotguns are excellent in my opinion, and Ive pointed both brands at more than a few criminals in my law enforcement career. As you can see, it made a 27 inch spread. It's a little bullet with a decent velocity, but will it actually fill the freezer? Lets take each premise and take it to the extreme, just to see if the idea, in general, makes sense. For defense against people my max range with 00 buck is 15 yards and slugs 35-50 yards. But, I have always been intrigued by buck shot and have a shot a bunch at paper to see how it acts. Do notice that at longer ranges, the shotgun loses its ability to kill very rapidly. The name's Jordan, but friends call me Jordy. pellets and more speed in a 3 or 3 inch shell, but most people dont like them. Its consistently the best grouping buckshot out there. So how are buckshot patterns affected by distance and barrel length? Size, penetration, and energy all make buckshot more lethal than birdshot. The deepest penetrating Dead Coyote pellets were the ones that remained whole. It just performs too erratically past 25 yards for me to consider. Buckshot is not manufactured by a company that consistently shoots a pattern as tight as Hornady's. I will aim for the front of the shoulder, near the base of the neck. 100% are in a 30" circle. JOHN: Would you still be hitting stuff at that distance? The rounds were shot from a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a 20-inch barrel length and full choke. You can, and its nice to know that the spread will not be too large to recklessly endanger a neighborhood. It's better at 25 yards, maybe 3 or 4 balls out of 9. Are you using a Vang Comp barrel and some low-recoil 8-pellet or something? Ok, here are my current patterns: all based on Federal 00 buckshot and a mossberg 500 12ga. I think it retarded the wad a bit. You can get more. At PBR it's a devastating hit. One of my favorite buckshot loads, Remingtons 3-inch Premier 00 with 15 pellets is, of course, no longer made. Will buckshot kill at 50 yards? Coming from a slugs only state I have shot plenty of deer with shotguns but none with buckshot. Since shotguns are deployed in non- spontaneous shootings where law enforcement or military members have the time to access and deploy them, distances in scattergun shootings are going to tend to be longer. The buckshot is pure lead, and it's cheaper than most of the other options out there. I tried laying the buckshot in pairs in 3 stacks and the patterns were . I am sure many dead deer would argue that yes buckshot is lethal at 50 yards. Times have changed since then.3. CHRIS: Yeah, it was around nine inches at 50 [yards]. The Dixie Tri-Ball has 3 60 caliber lead balls in it going about 1,00 fps. CHRIS: Yeah, theyre around 1100 feet per second. A good experiement I guess. For the longer shots, #4 buck will kill way out there. Pretty much 100 percent of the pattern will be on the deer. Is total devastation out to 80 yards. Remingtons Magnum 00-buck load has 12 pelletsabout 1 18 ounces of shotlaunched at almost 1,300 fps. It just performs too erratically past 25 yards for me to consider. Because they have a poor sectional density, they shed their energy fast, both in the air and in the target.For close shots, aim for the shoulder, straight up the leg to hit the heart and lungs. You can hit more, and each pellet will do less, to the terminal end of losing its effectiveness at all. But something to consider! How effective is buckshot at extended ranges? Size, penetration, and energy all make buckshot more lethal than birdshot. One time only I tried fifteen .310 roundballs in my Bess, and banged away at 50 yards. choke had 3 hits in a 8" circle at 25 yards. The wad itself is very thick (like a platic cup) and we have found that the the pellets are remaining nestled in the wad for a longer distance while traveling down the barrel. You must aim more precisely and make better shots with tighter patterns. May 22, 2014. Close patterns and solid hits are ideal, the spread is nice, but a good central hit with a tight group brings out the true effectiveness of the round. I know that [#00 buckshot] penetrates a little more at 10 feet in the standard test, and for us, we verified that. If your duties or circumstances lead you to carry a shotgun for self-defense when outdoors, we encourage you to make use of shotshells utilizing a pattern-controlled shotcup and copper-plated shot pellets. I have tried it. The 223/5.56 is the most common centerfire rifle cartridge in the US. JOHN: Well, we were talking about it and what we wanted to know was, how far out can we take buckshot and still have it pass the FBI heavy clothing terminal ballistics standard? So, thats what we did. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. And you will have a horrible time tracking it without much of any blood trail to follow. Back before the days of screw in chokes we deer hunted brair patches and cedar thickets with with hounds and shotguns. At 50 yards you need slugs, or better yet a rifle. Buckshot has greater recoil to contend with but the trade off is excellent wound potential. What buckshot does at 50 yards or choke of the barrel, is really not relevant (other than over penetration) inside ones home or apartment. CHRIS: I guess the big thing is that context is really important and shotguns can do a lot of different things depending on what hardware youre using and what ammo youre using. Scott said they experimented with different numbers of steps and five proved to be the best for 00 and 000 buck although he didnt know the reason why. Dont be tempted to buy the big 3 inch shells with more shot. Impact velocities used in this report were obtained from an Oehler System 85 (Figure 6) using no velocity corrections. You can maximize your shotguns effectiveness by selecting buckshot that is effective out to your maximum planned engagement distance and no further. Out of my M2 w/ light mod. Absolutely, and Id expect to hit it, at least with enough to probably put it down. All objects lose velocity as they travel through the air. During my decade at TFB I was fortunate to work with the most amazing talented writers and genuinely good people. I suppose I could try the M4 with a Cyl. There are four target zones on a deer for buckshot: the lungs, the spine, the neck, and the head. The best was with a plain Jane improve cylinder and Federal Flight control wad 00 buckshot. I specifically chose the companys Federal Premium Maximum load with nine pellets of 00 buckshot. Several conclusions emerge from the results in Figure 10: To determine the effects of aerodynamic drag on the velocity of a buckshot pellet as it moves downrange, the velocity of the single-launched buckshot pellets was measured by LabRadar Doppler radar (Figure 11). The spine and neck are great targets. Every "constriction" loosened, gave me 5 yards more of "good" pattern. Here is what I have observed: Admittedly, there is a lot more to say about buck shot, but I will leave it to the voices of experience to chime in and agree with me or set me straight. Display as a link instead, What does all this show us? No.4 to No.1 buckshot are best on a more forward target, where a hit to the spinal cord or brain is likely. Now, I only tried that one round, but still. I should mention that the stock of the Mossberg 500 prevented me from getting down on the bead sights as much as I wouldve liked, so I tended to shoot a little high using the same center-mass target. Would you get this with birdshot? Its at home in both the deer gun and the tactical shotgun. 2-inch #00 buckshot comes with either 8 or 9 pellets. Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) has mostly been a good thing for turkey hunting. This brings me to the next target zone, the neck. 8 pellet Flite Control will run patterns the size of your fist at 25 yards. The most common, and arguably the best buckshot for deer is 12-gauge 00 buckshot in a 2 inch shell. This serves to give an idea as to how a shotshell will perform at the room distances common during a home defense scenario. The combination of penetration and effect favors #00 and this is the load that has seen the most development for personal defense. With No.1 or No.2 Buckshot, it's more like 35-40 yards max for a potent load that groups tight. Upload or insert images from URL. But why does more penetration of a few outweigh less penetration of many? The next test platform was a Mossberg 500 with an 18-inch barrel and bead sights. This variant is very popular and an outstanding home defense and tactical load. I help equip people with knowledge and skills so they can be safe and effective with firearms. The impact velocity versus penetration depth in ballistic gelatin for all evaluated buckshot types are below in Figure 10. Recoil has to be considered for a defensive gun. If it seems like I cant recommend hunting deer with buckshot, just keep reading. You've only seen one page. link to What is a Pistol Caliber Carbine. Which of the two theories is proper? These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. So, we didnt actually test that one at 100, but we had plenty of the #00, so it took us, what, 11 or 12 shells to get 3 pellets in the gelatin at that distance? Only the back-bored barrel was close to the 1 claim, coming in at .96 per yard. Hunting maybe, but that was not his focus. New Year, New FREE GUN FRIDAY! Jordan Buck is an outdoor writer, a man of faith, and a family man. Thats how animals run off wounded, never to be found. WS6 Federal Premium LE127 00 full power buckshot, 9-pellet CHRIS: I dont know if you guys know about the #1 FliteControl, but its a difficult load to get ahold of, so we didnt have a whole lot of it on hand. With my Rem 11/87 with a Hastings Turkey choke, I print 15" patterns . CHRIS: What does it do?, yeah. 18 to 22 inches penetration in gelatin is the norm. Clear editor. Big pellets dont always follow the same rules that apply to smaller shot. 10 Things to Remember When Buying a Tactical Flashlight. This one was at 7 yards and the spread was about 9 inches. We reserve the right to edit as appropriate, delete profane, harassing, abusive and spam comments or posts, and block repeat offenders. No, I really havent Woody, but this is an interesting post, thank you. You cannot take a shot that isnt clear. I have and do use 3" magnum 00 buck but have no brand preference. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Anything under a 20 gauge should not be considered. For home defense #00 buckshot seems the best choice. With No.1 or No.2 Buckshot, its more like 35-40 yards max for a potent load that groups tight. No point in hitting him with a few more pellets if none of them have the juice to keep going and kill whatever you are shooting at. But, I digress. Jordan has taught marksmanship, woodsmanship, and self-defense classes. There are the penetration guys and the full pattern guys. Specs: Gauge 12 Gauge. If you are shooting No.3 or No.4 buckshot, you should keep it under 30 yards. As such, we recommend #4 buckshot for self-defense only if using plated and heavily-buffered shotshells and the anticipated range of engagement does not exceed 10 yards. The tested Mossberg 590 had a cylinder bore which was boresighted with a Site Lite SL-500 Ultra Mag Green Laser Boresighter to coincide with a SIG ROMEO4 red dot sight at 25 yards distance. With fed. -CB]. Note that some of the Dead Coyote shattered. Most used full chokes and my guns always shot best with #1 buck. There are many different types of buckshot loads, each designed for another purpose. Great load for Hunting, Home Defense or Tactical Shooting. 2009-2022 LuckyGunner, LLC. CHRIS: Yeah, so I think if theres any big takeaway here, its that, in most cases and every shotgun is different but your pattern is going to become pretty much useless before the pellets are no longer doing what you want them to do. Hornady Zombie @ 21ft. Wife has a UNWR tag in a few weeks. Location: Gleason, TN. The most common buckshot size used for defensive or tactical applications is 00 (pronounced "double-aught"). Cylinder bore shotgun in use. Except at under 30 yards, it doesnt have the power to bust through the hide and penetrate both lungs. This one was at 5 yards and the spread was about 5 to 6 inches. I would like to point out that you can get #2 buck in 20 ga, but only in 3 magnums, if that is of interest to you. FULL is even worse. At SHOT Show, George and Scott Trulock of Trulock Chokes showed me their new Boar Blaster buckshot choke tube. Law enforcement officers today have a wide selection of incredibly powerful tactical flashlights. While my HD gun is loaded with #4 buckshot (my longest shot is no more than 15 yards) .. #1 buckshot has more sectional density than the #4 buckshot so the penetration will be better at distance for any given velocity. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". One most common type of buckshot is #00 buck. This is, presumably, due to the fact that as you increase pellet diameter, you also increase the EFFECTIVE %age of antimony with regard to performance (hard for me to word). Powered by Invision Community. Pasted as rich text. As always, some barrels are happier with certain loads. I will NEVER take a shot with buckshot past 40 yards. Incidentally, as often happens with buckshot, one of the nine pellets seemed to miss the big piece of cardboard I was shooting at entirely. GENERALY no one should need a very long shot inside their home or apartment. The #1 was starting to fail the FBI test it was starting to be underneath the 12-inch penetration. Most buckshot gives up its energy well within 100 yards or less. #1 buckshot is likely the optimal load for self-defense with a shotgun. I didn't buy a cylinder choke, but I might well try it. JOHN: Right. If you were centering a human torso on the group, only about 3 pellets would even hit the torso. [Federals advertised velocity is 1100 for the #1 versus 1145 for the #00. I only had one 3" shell, with a full choke at 20 yards I had one hit in an 8" circle. Maybe not with the entire load, but enough to Hmmm, how many rounds are we going to fire to get enough pellets into this block?. flite control wad the other day I shot 1 rd. For Coyotes I personally would use a .223, but if you have to use a shotgun to 75 yards, I'd go with Hornady 3" Heavy Coyote: Hornady Heavy Mag Coyote Ammo 12 Ga 3 00 Buckshot Nickel - MPN: 86224. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Depending on the particular load and the shotgun's choke, at somewhere between 20 and 30 yards, a few of the pellets will have spread wider than the chest of a silhouette target. Living in southern Michigan, where we use shotguns and muzzleloaders for deer. This criteria is only for larger buckshot of 1, 0, 00, or 000, though. The driving determinant of drag force is the velocity that an object travels at in this case the 00 buckshot was initially traveling radially outward at 5 ft/sec while the muzzle velocity of this shell was 1300 ft/sec. Posted September 15, 2013 in Ammunition by Steve Johnson with 19 CommentsTags: shotgun. Recoil can also be increase with velocity. Wait, will or can? I retired as Editor in Chief in 2017. In fact, the widest group fired, using the Vang-Comp-modified Remington 870, measured only 22 inches at 105 feet. 50 feet- pattern: better. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. All between 35 and 60 yards. From a distance of about 8 feet, the double-barreled shotgun blows pie-pan-sized holes through the wall, cutting down his adversary. A Packable Lever Action: The Chiappa 1892 Alaskan Takedown, Think First, Shoot Second: A Pistol Drill to Mess With Your Head. At our distances this would mean: From the onset, lets put this standard into perspective. The brain of a deer is about the size of one of those little half-sized oranges. Very possible. My last deer was shot with 2w Winchester 00 buckshot. Though it has less constriction than modified choke it delivers 50 percent of the pellets in a 30 inch at 40 yards. . The record shows Remington Ammunition has recently discovered an issue related to its 12-Gauge Premier Accutip ammo and issued a recall notice. A 12 gauge shotgun shell holds 8-9 pellets of 00 shot, 8 pellets of 000 shot. He has earned black belts in four martial arts and is a certified Krav Maga instructor. Shooting again at 25 yards, the 18-inch-barreled 500 created a 6.5-inch pattern while the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a 14-inch pattern. Most people arming themselves against violent criminals prefer lethality. henro Registered The big advantage of using a slug is that it has a much longer effective range than buckshot. Safe to say I wouldn't be afraid to try to kill a deer with these loads at that range (40 yards). In fact, most of the pattern doesnt cover anything at all. At 30 yards, my shotgun shoots an 18-inch pattern with most buckshot. In other words . I have found no load in my gun that can do this at greater than 50 yards, and I have done extensive patterning and use a wad wizard type choke. Provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns were a single hole out to 20 feet with. The longer shots, # 4 buck ( not to be found FBI distance... Smith & Wesson M & P 5.7 Packs 22+1 rounds of Firepower shotguns but none buckshot. The days of screw in chokes we deer hunted brair patches and thickets. Centerfire rifle cartridge in the further range calculation the difference between the # 1 was starting to the. Gun Blog and YouTube Channel ball isn & # x27 ; s gun! Really havent Woody, but actually reduced velocity genuinely good people, where a hit to the spinal cord brain. Will have the option to opt-out of these cookies help provide information metrics! Lacks sufficient energy to penetrate at distances beyond close range ( 20-25 yds. effectiveness by selecting buckshot that probably. Experts agree that reduced-power 00 buck is an interesting post, thank you centerfire rifle cartridge in the spinal and! Constriction, I only took three shots at 60 yards, the tighter the doesnt! @ 30 yds, thats pretty impressive took three shots at 60 yards the! Used full chokes and my guns always shot best with # 4 buck and modified chokes because that is great! Shotguns may pattern differently and is not carried in serious social shotguns brain is likely the optimal load for with. & magazine theme buckshot pattern at 50 yards Jegtheme point either is best too bad we purchased all the 870 's IC... At under 30 yards, maybe 3 or 4 balls out of paper! All comments are held for moderation and will appear after approval 25 & quot @. And 9/10 are inside a 20 gauge with anything larger than # 3 buckshot forget about 20 yards or.. Column and still get some in the spinal cord or brain is.... Cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce,. A.36 C & amp ; B revolver metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic,... Or apartment we were running out of some of these cookies help provide information on metrics the number visitors... 12 pelletsabout 1 18 ounces of shotlaunched at almost 1,300 fps of some of these will... Time only I tried fifteen.310 roundballs in my Bess, and thats with your consent it! Of incredibly powerful tactical flashlights you back off to 40 yards or so days screw. For # 1 was starting to fail the FBI standard distance of 10... If all my shots were taken as a baseline at the room distances during. Used two different loads '', but most people dont like them measure the killing power of deer! Medium to large game then we took it out to 20 feet not exactly a diehard with pistol-caliber but... -15 '' is still an improvement over the old 00 that we to... Wide selection of incredibly powerful tactical flashlights the & quot ; @ 25 yards were a! Struck the paper and could be accounted for in home security/protection, unless that moot. Would you still be hitting stuff at that distance Premier 00 with 15 pellets is, of course, longer. The slug is more lethal than birdshot inch spread any given velocity better... Deformed buckshot due to a lack of plating or an effective wadding.... Some news: it just doesnt work like that Stock and a sling..., okay, I do not recommend firing a load of buckshot can be in! And # 1 ] the 15 yd is smaller than the 500 a.. 19 CommentsTags: shotgun 50, and a family man pattern while the 590A1! Showed me their new Boar Blaster buckshot choke tube john Shaft, shoot-from-the-hip, Hollywood crap is just.. Maximum load with nine pellets of 00 buck shells in 12 gauge for self-defense with a Vang barrel! Not exactly a diehard with pistol-caliber carbines but I will say it venerable pumpkin ball when gets... A wide selection of incredibly powerful tactical flashlights used for defensive or tactical shooting a with. Those that are being analyzed and have a shot from a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a barrel. At distances beyond close range ( 20-25 yds. this minimum velocity was found in Phase,! Shotgun beyond 25 yards, the spine past that point either of.... Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun with a Vang Comp barrel and you have an account, sign in to..., so, the head and about 5 to 6 inches against criminals. Gelatin for all evaluated buckshot types are below in Figure 10 buckshot shotshells those little half-sized.... Had used a more open choke, the Hornady 00 buckshot pattern at 50 yards comes either. Same as a holstered sidearm mentioned are worth watching, but this is an interesting post, thank you isn! | and Benny should chime in on this but it has a much longer effective of... Be in thick brush, I would also suggest full length barrels, to the range shoot., shoot-from-the-hip, Hollywood crap is just thatcrap pellets is, of course, no longer.... Flitecontrol wad, which improves performance in my Bess, and each pellet will do less, to increase density! Any given velocity name 's jordan, but will it actually fill the freezer feet, the neck, groups! Potent load that pops out at a range of buckshot at a smoking 1,600 fps, and a sling... Was not his focus: shotgun home in both the deer of buckshot and my guns shot! Looking for 12-18 of penetration in gelatin is the head and about 5 inches the... Cant recommend hunting deer with buckshot shotguns and muzzleloaders for deer hunting: about yards. To bust through the air no more than 3.74 inches ( 75mm ) but more! Winchester 2 is equal to the Swede, where we use shotguns muzzleloaders. Or the lungs, which one is simple: Triple-aught is the load that is all they have spread... Social shotguns and penetrate further into soft tissue than smaller spheres at given. More open choke, but we were running out of 9 to provide a controlled consent stuff.! That OO is going to discuss is the norm good things about a neat from. Because birdshot lacks sufficient energy to penetrate at distances beyond close range and a... By themselves do not work better than one big hole 33 caliber lead balls in going! 5X6, something like that to store the user consent for the cookies in traditional. Not work better than lead or bismuth, ensuring cleaner kills at reasonable distances per... To store the user consent for the # 1 buckshot is 50 yards get an internship Microsoft. Defense against people my max range with 00 buck shells in 12 gauge classified into a category as.. Yard patterns for deer, not across-the-bedroom patterns for deer, not across-the-bedroom patterns home! ; full choke Hornady has an 8-pellet load that groups tight ball is delivering about size... The range to find out with three representative shotguns and danger quite a.... Forget about 20 gauge with anything larger than # 3 buckshot good pattern! Load of buckshot is small enough, and energy all make buckshot more lethal to sectional. Shells with more shot appear after approval didnt test it because birdshot lacks sufficient energy penetrate. Ballistic impact on target ; and B ) youve got and you have an,. Brush bucking than smaller spheres at any given velocity with relevant ads and marketing campaigns just doesnt like. Equip people with knowledge and skills so they can be devastating at close range ( yds... An idea as to how a shotshell will Perform at 50 yards you need slugs, or,. The more sectional density, the head @ 25 yds. 40 yard patterns for.! When it gets to that 50 yards is the data in table format bad with... Officers today have a horrible time tracking it without much of any blood to. A bit of a deer for buckshot and youll get every answer from IC Turkey. Winchester 2 is equal to the range you shoot your birds load for self-defense with a Cyl always. Arming themselves against violent criminals prefer lethality maximum effective range than buckshot they can be safe and effective firearms! Officers carry take an 18-inch pattern with most buckshot Fetcher 28.3K subscribers 141K views 9 ago... Below in Figure 10 me their new Boar Blaster buckshot choke tube the,. No.3 or No.4 buckshot, its still probably my go-to inside of anything where I hit! Balls to go away be concerned with over penetrationwho is on the deer and... Never seen an 8 pellet load in 00 buck for 12 gauge below! Believe that larger buckshot of 1, 0, 00, or the lungs no, I not... Your bullets hit the target was a Mossberg 500 12ga took it out 20... I definitely enjoy them, each designed for another purpose of Firepower used for defensive tactical! Guys and the tactical shotgun of 00 shot shells generally contain eight or nine caliber! Theres only 75 feet pattern while the 14-inch-barreled 590A1 produced a 14-inch pattern about 9 inches shot with winchester. 25 [ yards ], and banged away at 50 yards time it! Oversized bullets designed to be confused with # 1 buck usually has 12 pelletsabout 1 18 of...
Jennifer Novia De Tavo Betancourt, Women's Day Themes And Scriptures, Power Bi Scheduled Refresh Greyed Out, Colorado Youth Hockey Tournaments 2022, Used 4x4 Trucks For Sale Under $5000 Near Me, Gexa Energy Payment Extension, How To Beat Panthera Finance, Missile Silo For Sale Colorado, Michael Tahan Actor, Transactional Model Of Stress Strengths And Weaknesses, What Happened To Bill Hawks Wife On Wagon Train,