What is your favorite 000 3 1/2 12 ga load?

[jhunter77]

I just got to loading triball and would like to load up some great performing 3.5" 000 buck. Thanks

[flounderman]

My experience with the 3 1/2 inch 00 buckshot loads was with factory loads. I was not impressed with the performance. I saw better results with the 3 inch loads. The 18 00 load is equal to shooting two of the original 9 00 loads at the same time. The recoil is brutal. I had a pump gun and that made it so you got the full effect. It can damage your neck. The 3 1/2 was designed to use more steel shot and when you use a full load with lead, the extra weight will take the fillings out of your teeth. I never chronigraphed the loads but I watched the pellets striking a doe broadside for several shots, within a range a 3 inch would have dropped it with one shot and it kept going. The shot didn't all get there at once but appeared to be strung out. My personal opinion, arrived at from experience, and not from reading, is that the 3 1/2 with a full load of lead has too much recoil and less longer range effect, than a 3 inch. If you want to load 000 in a 3 1/2, I wouldn't go over 12 pellets. A max load of powder and 12 000 would probably reach out and touch something. If you aren't getting the velocity with 12, cut it to 10.

[jmort]

2x5 000 column with 42 to 46 grains max Blue Dot. That will be around 690 grains of 000 at around 1250 fps +/-

[jhunter77]

Thank you what hull wad primer and buffer?