"Buckshot Is For Bucks" circa 1957

[UKshooter]

FYI SSG is .27 so pretty close to between a #1 and #4 buck probably a #2 so if you can get a #1 16 pellet buck load then it will probably do as good, but I'd rather 20-24 pellets of # 3 buck.[/QUOTE]

Yes the British SSG buck is the same size as American 2 Buck [0.270"] and I reload this in 12, 18, 21 & 24 pellet loads in 12 guage. Out of my Moss 500 with 24" barrel and ex full choke [0.690"] these loads will pattern at about 75% in a 24" circle, tight enough for me, much tighter you have to aim like a rifle rather than point. I find the 21 pellet load with buffer in a 3" case holds a good pattern beyond 40 yards on a 30" circle.

I also load 1 Buck and 0 Buck [0.320"] and 14 x 0 Buck with buffer in a 3" case is excellent putting 10 or 11 hits in a 30" circle at 50 yards.

[Markopolo]

If you Like the old Mags like me, click this link...

https://gunsmagazine.com/classic-gun...zine-editions/

This will give you the opportunity to download all of the editions in PDF between 1955 and 1968... should keep you folks quite busy for winter reading.

[Pb Burner]

Especially liked the gun ads. Would love to go back in time with the money in our savings account and order up a couple semi truckloads.

Yeah, like the Hodgdon add on pg 43, 100lb keg of powder for $49.50!

[OnHoPr]

Good vintage literature on buckshot. I have read many. To tell the truth in opinion the general shooting public has a misconception about buckshot, or at least for deer hunting purposes. Most just grab a box of buckshot and shoot it out of their smoothbore at whatever they think 30 or 40 yds might be. Then most do not have the skills to track buckshot shot deer. And yes, for a quite a few number of them the deer will drop in their tracks or fall within sight. Most will not though. The deer that were tagged may have been only 28 yds and the deer that weren't may have been 57 yds. There's the 2 sides to the story in deer bragging or buckshot ranting. I have shot a few factory loads with different shotties. Most all were really only capable of being lethal on deer at around 30 yds to 35 yds and if you took a shot @ 35 yds you'd better be quick with chambering a few more shells most likely. I did see once where I put 18 00 buck in a 20" pattern @ 40 yds which I was pretty impressed with. Like HT said the 30" circle is to wide to consider. The 12" is good, but like he said you have to hit the target. That might mean like using a full choke on early season grouse, WC, or thick short range quail shootin. The 18 or 20" pattern will help if you can keep a consistent core especially for fast moving deer.

I did a bit of reloading and factory testing for buckshot, not extensive, but a bit. I came up with all kinds of criteria or concepts to think about using the 835. One is buckshot size. Maybe HT could enlighten me about buckshot size and actual damage to the lungs and shoulder blade penetration since he shoots or tested a number of sizes. HT's load is 12 #1 buck @ 1350 which is basically a handicap trap load, but has great patterning. Now, I know he mentors his grandsons with the 20 ga on their first deer. Is that using #3 buck factory or reloads? QUESTION, is there a significant difference in lung tissue damage between the 00, #1, or #3 buck. I do suppose the 00 buck will penetrate more, but how much is really needed to perforate hair, green ribs, and lungs? Is it that you can see where the buckshot went through the lungs, but can't really tell the size of the buckshot used during field dressing because the lung tissue is elastic and closes back up, but still bleeds?

Most factory buckshot is loaded from about 1050 to about 1350 fps. Now, a 000 buck doing 1325 has a little bit smack than a #1 doing 1100 fps. I found a huntable load, but like in reloading sometimes you just like to see if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and tweak another load or two. With the 835 with its 1400 k psi saami and multiple chokes availability, well it just seems like there are a google of possibilities. Like getting (off the top of the head guessing) a 15 count #1 buck doing better than 1500 fps, or whatever, if the pattern is there @ 40 - 50 yds. 1s, 0, 00, 000 buck with five choke tubes could make you burn through a 1000 primers just testing different loads. Definitely lead sled time. But, that is what you are looking for that first initial shot. 18 00 buck in a 18 - 20" circle @ 40 yds even @ 1100 fps isn't bad, but it would be better if it was in a 16" circle @ 50 yds.

[UKshooter]

Interesting read OnHoPr I agree testing buckshot can soon go through 1000 primers and a lot of powder. Over here most folk think of buckshot patterns as covering barn doors at 20 yards so the fact that you can get 75% patterns in a 30" circle at 40 yards comes as a surprise to many. Back in the 50's we use to do deer drives to shotguns but idiots used size 6 game shot at 50 plus yard deer resulting in wounded deer and this practice was so wide spread the drives got banned. On main land europe deer and pig drives are still done.
Most of my buckshot is loaded over Blue Dot powder with velocity between 1100 - 1250 fps, I can get higher velocity with Longshot but patterns are not as good with my gun/choke combo's.

[Bob9863]

I like watching the Bubba roundtree buckshot hunts, they get some good range with their buckshot, although a lot went into developing their loads and choke selection.

[Hogtamer]

OnHoPr, several things come to mind immediately. We all know that the more pellets in a load the more the energy is dispersed. Someone here will have to do the math but each pellet of a load containing 18 #1 pellets vs a load of 12 #1 pellets will have preportionally less energy on target assuming the same velocity from the bore. Achieving the same velocity for the larger load also requires a larger charge, increasing recoil significantly. Also requires a more crowded stack (3 vs 2). I think most of us know that the more crowded the stack the more turmoil and deformation up the pipe. Less energy = less penetration. More deformation = more flyers. Stray pellets in the hams don't count much for lethality. Also, hard pellets will penetrate further. How much penetration is needed? A deer's innards are basically mush. Get through the initial hair, skin and fat and the pellets are doing lethal work. On our southern deer that is maybe 1/4". 12 - 18" later and the opposing fat, skin and hair is met, but the pellets have done their job by then. Now this is assuming a broadside shot behind the shoulder. Head or hind view of an animal IS NOT appropriate buckshot target!!!! All of this could be proved with math and physics and I'm not the man for that challenge.
A purely anectodal observation is this: There is a cumulative "shock factor" in play with buckshot. We have seen deer bolt a hundred yard with its heart shot out with a big centerfire. Often a deer just collapses when hit similarly with multiple low energy pellets. I cannot explain that by physics or math. Buckshot has a poor reputation because of guys behind the gun. Jump a deer and shoot him in the butt running at 50 yds, or face-on in the brisket and you are expecting miracles, not performance. Shoot a big thick-hided southern boar toward the shoulder through brush and you are living dangerously. Buckshot loads are not magic. But loaded to optimize performance with modern components and used only to their potential they are extraordinarily effective and provide a bit of margin for less than perfect placement.

[MyFlatline]

As with any gun, they all shoot differently . We pattern with a paper plate at 40 yards. My 12 sxs prefers #1 buck in the full choke side and 000 in the modified. I haven't seen much mention of 000, but give it a try. It's like 9 35 caliber bullets headed your way.

[OnHoPr]

Well, I know it takes a long time to empty 9 lbs of WW lead out of a Lee production pot using a single cavity Lee .311. It can get to your back a little bit. Water dropped they turn out to be about .314. I then wet tumble them for a few hours with tumbling detergent then LLA them. They don't deform in the barrel or on the sand berm. That is one of the reasons for only a bit of testing. If I would have acquired a few buckshot molds, wheeew, I might have gone bonzai with buckshot testing. The only thing is that I only use it for a few different rare scenarios in the north, mostly stand hunting where deer could/should be moving at a fast walk stop and go pace like before or after they cross a road in brushy funnel areas. This scenario is why the semi interest into developing a different load.

As HT mentioned buckshot should be shot into the ribs of a broadside deer if I am not mistaken. Now, IMO the broadside or like bow quartering away shot should be taken in most cases. Now, I want to believe that my load @ 40 yds on a head on shot could be placed at the bottom of the neck white patch. Really all there is there is skin, esophagus and neck vertebrae, no muscle really. More like a turkey neck shot, it should drop the deer in its tracks. That target is approximately 10-12" long and about 3" wide. What has me pondering sitting in one of these type stands is the onward flanking quartering to shot where the shoulder blade and humerus bone and meat are shielding the boiler room. Something a little faster and heavier may be a little more appropriate, but still in a good tight pattern.

[bruce drake]

I just found a link for a lot of reading! Thanks Markopolo!

[UKshooter]

I like watching the Bubba roundtree buckshot hunts, they get some good range with their buckshot, although a lot went into developing their loads and choke selection.

Ye I use Wades reloading video's as a starting point for most of my buckshot loads. His guns do better with Longshot powder than my Mossberg but with Blue Dot I get close to his results.

[Bob9863]

The trouble I have here is I can only get 2 3/4" shell's and wads so I can't load or buy the heavier 3" loads.
Goose hunting up north I could get 3" shell's but the reality of where I live now is they just aren't available to me.