Casting Buckshot

[54bore]

169057

Anyone cast their own buckshot? This was my first go around with it and I am happy with the results. This is no. 4 buckshot. I have a brand new 00 buckshot mold as well but doubt I will use it? The no. 4 is 21 grains a piece, and the double 00 is 54 grains a piece. I plan to play around with this in my TC New englander 12 gauge Barrel, I have a cylinder and full choke for it, I'm thinking I will get a Modified choke and try this through that, I've read that a full choke is hit and miss with buckshot? Most claim that it shoots best with a more open choke, which makes sense I guess? Anyone have experience with this stuff?

[54bore]

Through the reading i have done it seems that 27 pieces is the standard load?

[OverMax]

Nope> buy mine. I like a hard cast Buck due to a slight amount of additional (hardening) antimony c/o wheel weights doesn't provide.

[LAGS]

I have all the Lee Buckshot molds.
They cast well with anything but pure Lead, unless you get the mold super Hot.
But I Tumble all my Buckshot and Round Balls for that matter in a RCBS rotary tumbler to get them rounder and consistant.
But they are Buck Shot, close is good enough.
But I too like the harder lead blends, like Lino and Monotype.
Shot comes out lighter, but holds its shape on impact.

[koehlerrk]

In my testing, I've found harder buckshot stays rounder at firing, thereby making it pattern better, ie with fewer fliers per round. Also, I was given about ten pounds of mystery metal and figured buckshot would be a great way to use it.

[Lloyd Smale]

been doing it for years. What I like to do is mix #4 and OO in the same shell. I just do it in layers. don't know if it is doing a thing for me as ive never shot and animal with my own buckshot but its fun to play with.

[kungfustyle]

I'm going down this road right now. I've reloaded a bunch but never shotguns. Most confusing thing is the recipes. Use this hull with this wad with this primer and this powder. What a pita. I bought a buckshot mold from sharpshooters it's a 00/#4 combo for $40 shipped. I thought it was a good deal. Casts fine once you get a groove going. So far I'm using Winchester AA hulls and Winchester "universal" hulls. managed to get three different wads: Claybuster 1113's, Winchester WAA12114's and WAA12R's So far my shot weights 516g for 10 00 buck, but there is no way to get that much into a wad and crimp the hull so I'm using 9 pellets of 00. I'm using Universal powder and Federal 209 primers. So far at 30 yards the Modified choke did the best with the WAA12114's and 9 pellets at 30 yards. I had 6 pellets in about a 4 or 5 inch group. I did try improved cylinder and full chokes, but Modified did the best so far. Next batch is all three loaded up the same only change is the wad, loaded three of each.