"What's in your shotgun?" *Buckshot*

[Bob R]

My home shotgun pulls double duty as my berry picking gun in the late summer so it has a 00 chambered and up next, the rest are slugs.

My prefered HD gun beside the bed is an AR180B with a holosight on it.

bob

 

[WR Moore]

Either 00 Tactical Buck or #1. #1 actually has more weight of shot than any of the other buckshot loads, prefferable for a close range crusher. Couldn't vote that choice.

 

[n4zov]

Maybe I've posted this photo before, but here goes anyway! Winchester #4 buckshot in a reduced recoil law enforcement load. This is three rounds at 15 yards from a cylinder bore Benelli Nova Tactical.

 

[flop-shank]

F/S Was that 3 inch #4 you mentioned being unimpressed with the performance of above, a #4 Buck, or just standard shot #4?

#4 birdshot, bro. If #4 buck had let me down like that, there's no way I would have the stuff loaded in my Ithaca.

FWIW, I was hoping to smack a woodchuck that day. The last thing in the world I expected to see was a coyote. There's a big difference between a 15 - 25 lb. wombat and a 45 - 60 lb. dog. I'm sure #4 birdie would have worked great on a chuck, but from now on I'm running Federal 00 buck with the flight control wad backed up by a magazine of #4 buck. Anything within 25 yds. is now toast.

 

[Spotteddog]

Whew!
You had me worried there for a minute!
I figured if you'd had that much trouble dropping a dog sized critter at that distance, I was gonna' have to resort to an M-79?

 

[WR Moore]

Maybe I've posted this photo before, but here goes anyway! Winchester #4 buckshot in a reduced recoil law enforcement load. This is three rounds at 15 yards from a cylinder bore Benelli Nova Tactical.

That kinda pattern @ 15 yds is why we phased out Winchester buck in favor of Federal Tactical.

 

[flop-shank]

That kinda pattern @ 15 yds is why we phased out Winchester buck in favor of Federal Tactical.

That's about the kind of pattern I get from Remington 12 ga. 2 3/4" #4 buck at 15 yards from my cy. bore Ithaca 37 (not the gun I shot the coyote with, that one was an 87 Deerslayer), and 15 yards is the longest shot possible in my home. I agree that for LE work I'd want more range. IMO, a loose, but even pattern like that is perfect in a small house.

 

[Faulkner]

I keep my 590 stoked with four rounds of Remington 3/4 inch Law Enforcement reduced recoil 8 pellet 00 buck, followed up with five rounds of Federal Hydra Shok Sabot Slugs. The speedfeed stock has two more rounds each of buckshot and slugs.

 

[shawn mccarver]

We need a good buckshot thread!!!

We haven't had one in a while...I don't think.
I am certain that there are as many answers to the question "which buckshot do you use" as there are loads of buckshot...which makes my brain freeze.

Just notice that I didn't ask "which buckshot is best" which as we all know is a question that many will disagree on...whether to use large ones for penetration, or smaller ones to get more holes/hits...etc. Most of us have heard it all and become kinda set in our ways as we get older so an opinion is a bit more jaded than that of some whippersnapper.

I'll start it...
I've always been a fan of #1 Buck- whether in a 12 gauge or 16 gauge for hunting or self defense. Lead BB Shot is my second choice- when I could find it...but now I can load it myself for those pesky coyotes...and I suspect it would work somewhat effectively on those two legged vermin too if one were to attempt to harm my family or myself.

If the shotgun is 12 gauge, I use No. 4 Buck. There is an excellent argument, however, that 20 gauge is really a smarter choice as a defense shotgun. However, I never use the shotgun for defense anymore, as I prefer, for all sorts of reasons, the carbine. One, but by no means the only, reason is that with the carbine you are delivering one projectile with each pull of the trigger, which is theory gives you better control over where that one projectile goes. I know you could do the same with slugs, but the advantages are with the carbine, in my opinion. I am not necessarily referring just to the M4 type, but to any carbine, including the Winchester Trapper model or any rifle with a short barrel.

 

[flagman1776]

20" Mossberg 500 ghost ring sight. Winchester 00 buck backed by rifled slugs.

 

[6beans]

Buckshot

When hunting deer, my favorite load is the 3" OO, then 2 3/4" OO, then O or #1 buck, then maybe OO with only nine pellets. Seems to me the purpose of a shotgun is to have a even pattern, with OO buck too often only a couple of pellets would hit the deer ( ranges under 40 yards ) and the others would be somewhere else. I think 3" OO is a little recoil heavy for home defense, my first choice would be either #1 or #4 buck. #1 buck is .30 cal. nothing smaller than #4 buck. Just my opinion.

 

[arizona98tj]

<looks over at the shelf below the reloading bench.....1, 2, 3 cases of 00 buckshot sit there amongst the other ammo>

I'm a strong believer in 00 buckshot. I've practiced a lot (use to be 6 cases) with it and my Benelli. I'm comfortable using it at any distance within the confines of my house. Federal low recoil slugs if the 00 can't.

 

[fredj338]

I've always said, "an ounce of lead is an ounce of lead."

No matter what load you choose...especially at close ranges.
.

US made rifle slings, bridle leather and solid brass hardware, made by me!.

Except it is not. From my 870 riot: That 1 1/8oz #6 load (R) is certainly not going to do the damage of the #4buck load (L).

The ribs shot on left is #4buck, right is #6bird, both @ 15 FEET thru 2 layers of denim! Note no pellets penetrated the ribs on right. SHot size & wt do matter if you want to end the fight sooner than later.