Soft or Hard Lead

[sealer]

I just bought a 00 buckshot mold and I was wondering which would be better for home defense, hard or soft buckshot ?
TIA, Dennis

[Huntsman]

I just bought a 00 buckshot mold and I was wondering which would be better for home defense, hard or soft buckshot ?
TIA, Dennis

I don't think whatever is recieving the 00 buck will be able to tell the difference lol

I have the Lee 000 buck mold and have been using COWW's. So far they worked good on paper at 10-15 yds

[Kskybroom]

I load 00bk in 10 an 12.. IMHO.. For a Home Defense Hardness don't count. at that close range. I focus on low recoil. Like a load for 3 gun. low recoil fast follow up. plus the wife can shoot them...

[GhostHawk]

Hard for full choke, soft for more open.

And I agree, varmints won't be able to tell the difference.

I also agree with Kskybroom. I prefer 9 #1 buckshot ie 30 caliber. Easier to load, 3 stacks of 3 drop right in, no bulges, solid crimp.

[Huntsman]

Hard for full choke, soft for more open.

And I agree, varmints won't be able to tell the difference.

I also agree with Kskybroom. I prefer 9 #1 buckshot ie 30 caliber. Easier to load, 3 stacks of 3 drop right in, no bulges, solid crimp.

Wouldn't you want the opposite with chokes?

[GhostHawk]

As I understand it. The harder shot resists the squeeze, less deforming of pellets, so fewer wild pellets. More in the pattern where you want them.

Softer lead especially in a straight cylinder bore does not get squeezed so no need for harder.

Counter intuitive, perhaps yes.

Don't take my word for it.

[Hogtamer]

GhostHawk, it took me 2 yrs and more different loads than I can count to figure that out for myself! Squeeze soft lead in a wad and tight choke it's gonna swage. Give it some room (no wad and cylinder bore you've got a decent load. My best though is very hard lead in a wad and a tight choke.

Yes, take his word for it...

[Huntsman]

GhostHawk, it took me 2 yrs and more different loads than I can count to figure that out for myself! Squeeze soft lead in a wad and tight choke it's gonna swage. Give it some room (no wad and cylinder bore you've got a decent load. My best though is very hard lead in a wad and a tight choke.

Yes, take his word for it...

[savage308]

I use a lee 00 mold with clip-on ww then water quench them and let them sit for a couple of days. Then I put them in an old viberating tumbler with a small
amount of dry graphite from a spray can and let I run for 8 hours. they turn out smooth and shiny black. I load 6 in a 2-3/4 fiocchi hull, cheditte 209
primer , DRXXL orange wad, 20 grains of promo or red dot. soft on the shoulder and very tight pattern in my old 870 with I/C barrel. I call this Tactical Buckshot