Soft 00 Bucksot vs Plated 00 Buckshot

[Blair]

Another dumb newbie question.....

My reloading experience is mostly metallic.

I understand plated buckshot will penetrate deeper.

Soft buckshot does flatten / mushroom.

My shots would be 25 yds and under.

Wouldn't the soft, mushrooming buckshot be better?

[Hogtamer]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?215794-High-Performance-vs-Quick-and-Cheap-Buckshot-A-Discussion&p=2425935#post2425935
See my post #20 on this thread. Oh, here's proof buckshot is fatal. Grandson, 2 3/4" 20 ga. #3 lead buckshot, 15 yds. 87996

[Hogtamer]

At 25 yds it won't matter much. Would use straight lead myself.

[SuperBlazingSabots]

The picture puts a nice ending to the story, congratulations!

Best regards,
Ajay Madan
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[Greg5278]

I would use hard Buckshot to pattern better. Mushrooming isn't really needed in your application. If
you could get some cast from WW with a little Tin, you can heat treat them, and they will pattern better, and retain their shape.
For Store bought Buckshot, I use Hornady, or BPI Buckshot. I have found that most Batches of the Hornady and BPI can be HT also.
Greg

[Blair]

Thanks.

Have used BPI's nickel plated 00 buck - great stuff and expensive

Recently bought a 00 bk mold from buckshotmould.com - great mould!

Am experimenting around and trying to see what works and trying to read and learn from on here.

Light, fast loads vs slower loads and etc.....

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Hello Blair, please read my post on faster buck shot loads:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?139560-Faster-Buckshot-loads!&highlight=Faster+buck+shot+loads

Hoping it helps.

Best regards,
Ajay Madan
Super Blazing Sabots
BlazingSabots@Gmail.com
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http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr[/url] ... ot!/page1
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/view...f=118&t=196961[/url]
http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/fo...p?f=43&t=39246[/url]
http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/slug-gu...old-is-gold-!/[/url]
-Elite Group of Slug Shooter's
We all, who take slug loading seriously are a dedicated family, who have taken it upon ourselves to perfect our tech. We experiment to find better techniques and share our knowledge.
Location: New Jersey. USA / Frankfort, W.Germany / London, UK
-Elite Group of Slug Shooter's
We all, who take slug loading seriously are a dedicated family, who have taken it upon ourselves to perfect our tech. We experiment to find better techniques and share our knowledge.

[RMc]

At 25 yds it won't matter much. Would use straight lead myself.

The biggest impediment to tight patterns in most factory buckshot ammo is soft lead pellets!

[6pt-sika]

Best buckshot I ever fired was the then Remington 12 gauge 00 loads with Hevi Shot buckshot . Got 10 boxes of that a few years back and still have 25 rounds left . But that stuff was about $3 a shot 10 years ago and I don't even know if you can still get it or not .

At presemt I handload buckshot and use plain lead . Done in all the deer I've fired at with my handloads although he furthest shot was maybe 30 yards !

[John in WI]

I would be a little careful. "Plated" simply means that the lead is plated. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's hardened and plated. (something like an average .22 slug is plated, but quite soft).

I did a little reading about the BPI buckshot, and someone assayed it at 6% antimony. So it's plated, but more importantly it's got enough antimony to harden it--a lot.

I did some testing with dead soft and 6% antimony with a little tin (#1 and size F buck), and all things equal the water dropped stuff does pattern better. Up close I really doubt it would make a difference. I'm not actually sure why military loads are specified as "antimonical lead". Probably to get around the rules about expanding ammunition.

I normally make my practice loads from whatever range scrap, junk, and odds and ends I have, and save the trouble and expense for my working loads. I did recover soft and hard pellets from phone books, and the soft pellets can be pretty messed up. But I don't know if that happens on firing or impact? I'm guessing from the different patterning there is probably a good bit of damage to the pellets when you pull the trigger.