12 gauge 000 Buckshot loads

[leadhead 500]

Does any of you load any 000 buckshot in 12 gauge? I got a Lee 000 buckshot mold any have been making some great 3 inch 12 gauge loads with Blue Dot

[Hogtamer]

Well hello stranger, good to see you still kicking. No OOO for me but have loaded 6 .375 balls with pretty good luck. Got 'em in the stash for Emu hunting...

[leadhead 500]

I put together a great 12 pellet 000 buckshot load in a Cheddite 3 inch hull with blue dot that shoots outstanding. Shooting it in a Mossberg 590 shockwave

[flounderman]

couple of things, Blue Dot doesn't like cold weather and i would see how fast I could drive about 10 000, for a deer load. I had some handloads of 9 00, driven to the max, I believe with Herco, and I dropped deer at some long ranges.

[leadhead 500]

Blue Dot does ok with a Federal 209A, 00 buckshot does a great job on deer

[bikerbeans]

I put together a great 12 pellet 000 buckshot load in a Cheddite 3 inch hull with blue dot that shoots outstanding. Shooting it in a Mossberg 590 shockwave

That sounds like a two-legged varmint gun and load to me. I found the fed 209a and blue dot with heavy 12 and 10 ga loads works very well.

BB

[Hogtamer]

Leadhead is the real deal with big lead and mule kicks don't bother him much.

[copdills]

I cast and load the lee 000 buck but I use Red Dot run about 1210 fps not too bad of a kick

[megasupermagnum]

couple of things, Blue Dot doesn't like cold weather and i would see how fast I could drive about 10 000, for a deer load. I had some handloads of 9 00, driven to the max, I believe with Herco, and I dropped deer at some long ranges.

I've tested the velocity of Blue dot in cold temps in shotguns and handguns, and have yet to find it to be any more temperature sensitive than any other powder. Use it with a proper load, and it works great. I prefer 1 3/8 oz and heavier myself. I tested some 48 pellet #F (1 3/4 oz) coyote loads in -15 degrees F, and they only lost about 55 FPS from 70 degrees F, and were just as consistent. I've never hunted in anything colder than that.

[6pt-sika]

I've never loaded 000 for the 12 gauge , usually all I load for the 12 is 0 .

Now the 10 gauge 2 7/8" is a different matter . I can get a dozen 000 pellets in the 2 7/8" 10 gauge using the REM SP-10 wad I also add buffer .

Worked pretty well a couple years ago to floorboard a doe at about 20 yards . FWIW all my 10 and 12 gauge buckshot loads are pushed with the no longer available IMR SR7625 powder . Think I have something like 10 pounds of the stuff left so I'm in decent shape for my 10 gauge loads and buck for the 12 .

[edp2k]

I got a Lee 000 buckshot mold any have been making some great 3 inch 12 gauge 000 loads with Blue Dot.
12 pellet 000, Cheddite 3 inch hull, blue dot.

I am very interested. :)

What is in your stack up?
wad? or paper/mylar wrap the pellets?
gas seal?
roll or fold crimp?
over powder card?
over shot card?
how much blue dot?
pressure tested or seat of the pants?

[leadhead 500]

Cheddite 3 inch clear hull
32 grains of Blue Dot
X12X gas seal
1/8 cork cushion
.010 thick Mylar wrap
12-000 buckshot stacked in layers of 2
0vershot 12 gauge card
Roll crimp
Seat of the pants load that I worked up from 28 grains
Have been to 34 grains but backed it off to 32, no signs of over pressure, no ejector marks,puddled primers, hard extraction etc. get 3 loads easy on the hulls and it patterns very well

[Hogtamer]

Leadhead, intentional or not you built a load with buckshot that works for several reasons and if I had paid more attention when RMc pointed these things out it would have saved me lots of trial and error. You have a 2 - stack load which doesn't overcrowd things trying to get out of the barrel.
You have good protection going up the tube with that Mylar wrap which reduces friction. And you have moderate velocity with a relatively slow powder burn. I'm guessing now but sounds like you have pretty hard lead that reduces pellet deformation. I happened on my 12 pellet 2 3/4" #1 load that met these criteria and is great at 50 yds. You're packing a half oz. more lead than my loads but the principle is the same. Nice job!

PS If there's still room for improvement you might add a little buffer under the first stack, use very hard lead (mine's 7% antimony) and sub the same amount of Steel for the Blue Dot.

[leadhead 500]

I am using wheel weight lead 19# with a 1/2# of 50/50 added in, this load with 32 grains of Blue Dot patterns amazing well.I have been to 34 grains and patterns start to open up so I backed it down to 32 for pattern reasons and hull life. Out of every buckshot load I have ever put together in everything from 20 gauge to 10 gauge 3.5 inch magnums this is probably the best yet

[leadhead 500]

With my lead mix and tumbling these for a hr. to remove sprue marks 12 pellets come in at 820.5 grains which is a touch over a 1 7/8 oz.