What diameter buckshot mold should I buy next?

[RMc]

Found it! Load No. 26 where the TUWGL12 is listed on the update page.
All of the components are currently available. Fantastic!

Be sure to post your 40 yard pattern tests here.

[RMc]

The trick is .4641 times the diameter of the bore (or ID of the shotcup) to get the ideal size for stacking in threes.

Wouldn't it be more important to fit a three buckshot pellet stack to the choke?

[Barry54]

Wouldn't it be more important to fit a three buckshot pellet stack to the choke?

I’m not sure. I mainly loved the formula because I can measure shot cups and calculate the diameter that should fit before buying a mold. If the pellets cause pickle bumps bad enough, there will be feeding/reliably issues.

If the pellets are in a shot cup, it’s purpose is to protect the payload, right?
It’s been a long time since I took geometry but I think the flats would be fairly evenly spaced. Two flats where each pellet contacts the other and one flat where the choke would mash. So close to a triangle pattern of flat spots.

Is this slight deformation going to be more or less than the layers stacked on top of each other and accelerating to the speed of sound in a split second?

I suppose marking dye of different colors could be used for side contact points vs top and bottom contact points. Then capture fired shot and compare.

All that is assuming the payload hasn’t shifted in the previous 14-24 inches when it reaches the choke.

Maybe this is why more open chokes have been known to pattern better with buckshot?

[Barry54]

The trick is .4641 times the diameter of the bore (or ID of the shotcup) to get the ideal size for stacking in threes.

Do you have another nifty formula like that for stacking by fours?