What size Buck shot do you use?

[big boar]

I'm trying to decide which Lee mold to get for deer hunting? Would the increased #of pellets be of benefit using 0 Buck or should I be looking at larger pellet size in the 000 Buck or the combination of both using 00 Buck? What do you use and how well does it perform? I usually use a 450 Marlin with cast bullets (what else) but for pushing bush (doing a drive) I'd like to start using Buck Shot for safety. Thanks for the help.

[Jim]

If/when I use buckshot, I use 000B in a 12X3.5" Benelli Super Nova.

[10 ga]

Here in eastern Va buckshot is prettymuch the rule of law. I have killed deer with buckshot by the truckload for 50 years, I'm 63 now. I can tell you that 000 buck is really good in commercial loadings and my favorite. 00 buck is OK and I use it for tight cover/close shooting. I have used 0000 buck and it has it's uses for open areas and field shootin and have some "Dixie Tri Ball" buckshot, 3 balls of 60 cal., which is really good but VERY powerful, ie., recoil wise. For commercial bckshot I prefer Federal Premium and Nitro shells. "Nitro ammo" is from Arkansas I think, available on internet, and the shells are really good. I have tried everything from TT to the Dixie Tri Ball in the way of buckshot and 000 is the best deal for killing most of the time, 00 or Tri Ball second best depending. So in answer to your question, 000 buck is the way to go if you're gonna cast your own. Experience is a hard teacher and I've learned my lessons! 2 bucks so far this year, 000 in both cases. With a tricked out shotgun 000 buck is very reliable out to 65 yds. I use red dot and rifle type sights on my #10 guns (2 autos) because they shoot so tight and they are very nasty in the killing business. When there is $ on the line (bets or fur) that is what I use. Best, 10 ga




lead paint dust, >< *

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Greetings BigBoar, I would recomend using BlazingSabots Buck & Ball, lets start off with a good OP wad like X 12 X, 6- OO Buck shots followed by .170" Darker nitro card from BPI,
Get a Lee 7/8 oz Drive Key slug mold for $ 17 to 18 from MidSouth sporting Goods, fold crimp!
Check the total weight for X 12 X OP wad, 6- OO Buck shots, .170 nitro card & the Lee 7/8 oz slug which weigh 365 gr.
Like this:

and you can check my Blazing Buck & Ball post here for more information!
Regards,
Ajay
BlazingSabots@Gmail.com
Blazing Sabots, LLC
www.BlazingSabots.com
https://www.facebook.com/BlazingSabots
www.PreciousVideoMemories.com

[big boar]

WOW, great replies, thanks a lot. 000 it is, hands down. I already have both the Lee and the Lyman slugs so I'll give this all a try. Again, thanks for all the help gents.

[r6487]

been doing a bunch of looking on youtube--was about to order a lee buckshot mold--heard bad reports and have ordered sharpshooter 00 buck mold instead--www.buckshotmold.com

[6pt-sika]

When I started handloading buckshot it was just 00 in the 10 gauge 2 7/8" shells for my W&C Scott . Since then I've loaded for another short 10 gauge , a couple 12's and several 16's .

While I like 00 well enough I am seeing the virtues of #1 in the patterns it throws in both my 10 gauge guns and my 16's .

The 12's seem pretty happy with 00 .

On a kinda side note I reclaimed some #3 Buck from some old paper 10 gauge 3 1/2" shells and loaded them in the short 10's . The #3 Buck threw a devestating pattern at 25 yards which is usually my self imposed range for buckshot .

Let me clarify that I don't hunt with dogs or with man drives . All my deer are killed from treestands . So typically any deer I shoot is gonna be standing , walking and most likely unaware of my prescence . Or atleast thats what I try and do .

I think for my needs 00 and #1 buck will pretty much cover the 10 , 12 and 16 . I may however get some new #3 Buck for use in a couple old 20 gauge guns I wanna kill a deer with using buckshot .

Incidently yesterday I was trying one of my drillings at the range with both #1 buck handloads and Federal rifled slugs ! The buck loads are great at 25 yards and the slugs in both barrels group very nicely at 25 and 50 yards !

[MakeMineA10mm]

When I started handloading buckshot it was just 00 in the 10 gauge 2 7/8" shells for my W&C Scott . Since then I've loaded for another short 10 gauge , a couple 12's and several 16's .

While I like 00 well enough I am seeing the virtues of #1 in the patterns it throws in both my 10 gauge guns and my 16's .

The 12's seem pretty happy with 00 .

On a kinda side note I reclaimed some #3 Buck from some old paper 10 gauge 3 1/2" shells and loaded them in the short 10's . The #3 Buck threw a devestating pattern at 25 yards which is usually my self imposed range for buckshot .

Let me clarify that I don't hunt with dogs or with man drives . All my deer are killed from treestands . So typically any deer I shoot is gonna be standing , walking and most likely unaware of my prescence . Or atleast thats what I try and do .

I think for my needs 00 and #1 buck will pretty much cover the 10 , 12 and 16 . I may however get some new #3 Buck for use in a couple old 20 gauge guns I wanna kill a deer with using buckshot .

Incidently yesterday I was trying one of my drillings at the range with both #1 buck handloads and Federal rifled slugs ! The buck loads are great at 25 yards and the slugs in both barrels group very nicely at 25 and 50 yards !

See, leave it to a (fellow) 444-man to make some interesting/intelligent points. Not many talk about it, but in my experience with buckshot, patterning is as much about fitting the size of the shot to the bore/wad dimensions as it is choke, maybe more-so. I like handloading my buckshot, and I like using full-length wads (WAA F114s), so the BS is protected from the bore and vice versa. The BS also needs to stack (or "nest") properly. I've found in the 12ga. (the only gauge I load for at the moment), with the WAA F114 I need to use 2 #1 Buck in the bottom to get them to sit side-by-side. Then as the walls of the wad get thinner, I can set 2 #0 Buck next to each other, alternating directions over the BS below as I go up the stack. I only load 8 buckshot, and use a folded crimp. I aim for 1100-1200fps, rather than a "full-tilt" load. Not only is it easier to shoot, but patterning is improved. If I were going to switch to another gauge or a different wad set-up (such that the BS can stack with their sides all the way out against the wall of the hull), I'd figure out which size "nested" properly for either 2 BS (if you want larger BS) or 3 BS (if you want smaller BS -so more pellets) in each layer in the hull. I will qualify my practice of improved patterns with this technique, in that my BuckShot gun has no choke. Shooting through any tigh constriction could give worse results (or not-I've not tried it).

[6pt-sika]

10mm , all my short 10 gauge loads be it buckshot or birdshot are what most would call light as my W&C Scott has damascus barrels and I see no need to test them so to speak .Those same loads do very nicely in my old Ithaca fluid steel 2 7/8" 10 gauge as well .

Same can be said for my 16 gauge loads . I load for maybe 6 different 16 gauge guns one of which my little Parker GH is damascus . So be it buck or bird shot I load them all as if they were to be shot in the Parker . And then there's no possibility of a mix up in the damascus gun !

[Combat Diver]

Since I have some RB molds for my cap and ball revolvers, my buckshot loads use .311 RB and .375 RB. Both are used in 12ga 2 3/4" hulls, WAA12 wads, 3x3 or 2x5 of the .311 and 2x3 of .375 under 22.4 grs Unique.


CD

[OnHoPr]

I also use the Lee .311. It loads three to a level in a 12ga shot cup along with 25 yd trigger time in a .30-30. I put 21 of them in a 3 1/2" hull. If your pushing deer, I don't think there is any buckshot that will penetrate to the boiler room from the east side of a west bound deer but if you have more pellets your chances are better of hitting spine, neck, and head or possibly the femur artery.

[turbo1889]

A whole lot depends on what you are loading for. If your loading for a 10ga. your options are a whole lot more open then if your loading for a 20ga. Even loading for a 12ga. instead of a 10ga. reduces your options. First thing first you need to do the figuring as far as what will fit and how. Calculate the maximum size pellet that will fit for both a triple and double stack arrangement both naked in the bore diameter, inside of a thin wrap, and inside of the petals of a shot wad both a thin petal lead shot wad and a steel shot wad. Once you have done your figuring as far as what exactly will fit and how your should be able to figure out your best option(s) to try out.

As far as shooting at the north end of a south bound deer. A load that patterns tight shooting over the top of the rump aiming for the neck and back of the head is your best plan in that situation. Try to squeeze off when they are on the upward initual leg of one of their bounces while their rump is low and their neck and head are high. Get it right and when they come back down they pile up in a heap.